Hmmm I see it as the vindication of Rove, you start out with your base, then expand, McCain never had his the core of the Republican Party, and he started trying to organize us to get out the vote far to late in the Election.
If anything, this election is the death of the Moderate.
Rove's strategy resulted in a bare win in 2000, a less than impressive win in 2004 against a terrible candidate, a route in the 2006 off year elections, and a massacre earlier this month. Rove's successes have been more accidental than anything. Reagan, on the other hand, presided over two landslides.
If anything, this election is the death of the Moderate.
Conservative or moderate, you have to give people a reason to vote for you. The Rovian model is convincing people to vote against the other guy and hope they pick you by default.