[Just mythoughts]

First, you're giving two statements that are not from the same source--I don't either of us made both of those statements. Second, you're attributing two results that are not neessarily mutually exclusive (i.e., "value" voters can stay home from the same ticket that causes soft Republicans to bolt).

Did I say they were from the same source? So are we now going to debate the source of the statements or their content?

The exclusivity is that 'value voters' are always the first in line to get blamed when they stand for their obviously known values. But soft Republicans need be massaged to get their votes and they are never treated as outcasts, but like 'madams' of the party.

[Gondring]

Did I say they were from the same source? So are we now going to debate the source of the statements or their content?

Well, you'd prefer to just change to a less conservative message?

Seems to me that soft Republicans are always getting the blame around here. I'm a conservative, but I'm not going to fool myself and ignore the fact that decades of public-school indoctrination aren't taking their toll on the American electorate.

We can either put our heads in the sand and ignore that, or we can address it. I prefer the latter.