You think this fight hasn't gone on within the pubbie part since Goldwater?
I think you need to take some history lessons....
We aren't going to win the fight if we can't win the deck stacking fight within the party first....Face it, the progressive wing of the party has been stacking the deck and calling the shots for a long, long time...one person isn't going to win against that...
you can't lay this at the feet of Palin...
The problem with the current probably slate is we now have to settle. A moderate or a candidate who shoots from the hip, can't decide what they stand for, demonize those who are at least moving ideas forward (conservative social engineering comments) and has a slimey past. I chuckle when I listen to talk radio these days because hosts you used to say we are the party of values are now flailing with we have imperfect candidates. I've never heard that kind of rationalizing before.
And then you have someone playing I may be a candidate who has a cult like following who simply was playing with a lot of good peoples emotions. Stole a lot of attention and spotlight and sucked a lot of money out of the process.
That's why were in the mess we're in.