You can however assume that there are defense conservatives, social conservatives, and fiscal conservatives, who can be drawn together by an effective leader, because they all share a common ground of traditional American values; respect for American exceptionalism; and devotion to freedom rather than whorehouse vanities such as "Fairness" and "inclusiveness."
I dont recall President Reagan ever talking about a "big tent." But he did all right didn't he.
If you go for the big tent, you get the second best tent. As John McCain found yesterday.
What you must do is pitch the correct tent, without compromise! And then convince enough people it's the place to be, so that it turns out to be the Big Tent on Election Day.
It takes a lot of convincing. RWR had the necessary talent. JSM did not. Hell, he didn't even know enough to want the tent, much less possess the skill to convince the electorate of its value!
Maybe, in 2012, Sarah will.