What, pray tell, is "the base", exactly? And why is it so hard to "hold together"? And if it is, then in what sense is it a "base"?
Pushing a guy at the far left of the party is completely irresponsible given the history of the GOP losing when it drifts leftwards.
Nobody, certainly not "party leaders", is "pushing" Rudy Giuliani. Polls are taken and he typically comes out near the top. The problem is that every time this happens, a bunch of Freepers, seemingly afraid of him for some reason, demonize him and make idiotic threats to defect if he won the nomination. That is what is completely irresponsible.
As in being center right and giving everyone in the party something to vote for. Bush II at least was pro-life and not a gun-grabber.
Nobody, certainly not "party leaders", is "pushing" Rudy Giuliani.
Gee, I couldn't tell from the posts on FR about the various elected Republicans supporting Rudy.