[truth_seeker]

"Pete Wilson managed to win without hurling "right-wing crazies" type of insults to his base..."

The serious issue is that ANY Republican running for statewide office in CA MUST appeal MUCH more broadly, than simply to the right wing of the party.

To actually do this, the candidate must be more moderate (or campaign and appear to be). Reagan, Wilson and Dukmejian WERE able to do it, by either being in fact moderate, or downplaying their right wing conservatism.

Tom hasn't, and his supporters don't want him too. So long as that course is followed, the results are predictable, reflected in each poll.

If the right wing is 15 to 20 percent of the CA electorate, you tell me how to stretch it into anything approaching 50 percent? (I already gave you the answer)

[ambrose]

Reagan, Wilson and Dukmejian WERE able to do it, by either being in fact moderate, or downplaying their right wing conservatism.

They did not accomplish this by deliberately going out of their way to insult conservatives. This is straight out of the Riordan playbook.

Giuliani, by contrast, manages to be liberal to moderate without going out of his way to alienate the conservative base voters.