[Texasforever]

Carl Rove will take any and all votes he can get

You just proved the point. The GOP wrote off the unappeasable "base" in 2000. The history of the "base" voting 3rd party ala Perot 1992, sitting at home in a huff in 1996 and 2million of them sitting at home or voting for PJB again in 2000 removed all doubt that the "base" was an opposition party. Bush and the GOP now owns the center right and independents due to the complete take over by the fringe left of the democrat party. That places the GOP and Bush with about 55% of the vote for 2004. California was the first test of that new base with a moderate Republican wining a landslide against both a red meat conservative and a flaming liberal. Sorry guys but you can demand all you want but the "my way or the hi-way base" is on the hi-way with the GOP looking at them in the rear view mirror. You have only yourselves to blame.

[Luis Gonzalez]

What's funny about these people is their insistence on calling themselves "the base".

Last I checked, the base of anything could not possibly be it's narrowest point.

[Luis Gonzalez]

Results of a poll conducted by Fox News, dated January 9, 2004, all people polled AFTER Bush's immigration proposal speech.

8. Later this month President Bush will give his State of the Union Address to the nation. What topic are you most interested in hearing the president talk about during his speech? (OPEN ENDED)

The economy/jobs	35%
Iraq	17
Terrorism	10
Health Care	4
Medicare/ prescription Drugs	4
Education	3
Immigration/ illegal aliens	2
Social Security	2
Taxes	2
Budget Deficit	1
Other	5
None	6
Not sure	9