Excellent point. Many conservatives held their noses and voted for McCain - at least, after Palin joined the ticket. But how many ‘moderates’ support conservatives?
Here in AZ-8, the party opposed the conservative in the primary, then did everything they could to torpedo him in the general election. Result? Rep Giffords (D). Our ‘moderates’ prefer her to a conservative.
Well, that is OK by me. Until we have a Party that stands for something, it isn’t worth supporting. I’ve no interest in marching to hell in half-time. I won’t vote or give to the party of slightly-less-liberal.
And if anyone wants to know why, my answer is ARNOLD!
One might recall 1964, when the Rockefeller and Scranton Republicans sat on their hands after Goldwater won the party's nod. Richard Nixon, a certified "moderate" who stumped the country, making 100+ speeches in behalf of the ticket, was a notable exception