“People are surprised to hear this, but the Republican Party formative event with conservatism is Goldwater’s landslide defeat. That’s what they think of when they think conservative. They don’t think Reagan. They think Goldwater.”
The Republican Party’s landslide defeat with Rino-ism came in 1948...Dewey was that candidate. Truman would have been beatable with a good, conservative Republican candidate who knew how to campaign effectively, and not just sit back and believe the pollsters who were telling Dewey he had it in the bag. Even Dewey could have won if he had been a good campaigner.
Let’s not let 2012 be a repeat of 1948! The stakes are much higher today...and btw, by today’s standards, Truman would not be a bad candidate for the Republicans now...or maybe JFK...likely somewhat less to the left than is Romney.