Do you agree with my point: The GOP can win in the Northeast but do not expect the Politicians to be strict Conservatives.
Most Republicans in the northeast have been "socially progressive" for at least as long as I can remember. Basically, the main areas that the GOP on Long Island distinguished themselves from the Dems when I was young were opposition to bussing and low income housing (big issues in the 1970s and 1980s), a stronger stance on law and order, and (in rhetoric, though often NOT in practice) lower spending. They were indistinguishable from the Democrats on other core issues (gun control, taxation, unions, support for public schools, etc.) and were not free market libertarians.
My main issue with NY Republicans in the past is their inability to hold down spending and property taxes, and their tendency towards patronage and coziness with the public employee unions once in power. I would never expect them to act like Texas Republicans, but I do expect better fiscal responsibility and more backbone when dealing with organized labor. The squishiness of the NY GOP is a key reason why the state is a fiscal basket case.