At the core of the misguided articles by people like Geraghty (whose columns I usually like) is the assumption that if the GOP just plays nice with people who won’t vote them no matter how nice the Pubbies are, they’ll start voting for the GOP in record numbers. What does Geraghty want...the GOP to turn into Dem lite? We’ll never beat the Dems in pandering. The parasites (oh my, isn’t that a nasty, divisive statement) will always go for the genuine champions of pandering, the Dem Party. Might as well speak the truth to the parasites and retain a little honor.
Getting people to change their minds is a long term sort of thing not well handled in a single political campaign.