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I hear your gripes with McCain and Giuliani and the like. I agree that they are demagogues in a certain regard, however I would contend that they have done more good than harm. Giuliani cleaned up the streets of NY and reduced the crime rate exponentially. He may not agree with the party platform on social issues, but fiscal conservatism and military strength are extremely important.

The same goes for McCain. He may have instilled campaign finance reform, but his vote in the Senate on Tax Cuts and the War on Terror is extremely important. Politics is a "give and take" game. Bush signed the campaign reform bill to get McCain's staunch support in the future which helps among independents.

As far as McClintock goes, he's a hard-lined Republican. I would love to see him elevate himself, I just don't see it as a possibility. "New faces" are always embraced by parties on the state level. The same thing happened to Bill McCollum this year in the Florida Senate primary. He was a hard-liner, terrorism expert, but the state GOP picked Mel Martinez because of his last name.

I hear your gripes with McCain and Giuliani and the like. I agree that they are demagogues in a certain regard
Maybe I'm being a little hard on them in some respects. McCain seems to be good at romancing the press, not necessarily a flim flam man like Edwards. As far as social issues go, I think Republicans need to emphasize that they oppose government intrusion in peoples lives as long as everyone's basic rights are respected as a way of blunting Democrat fear-mongering. They don't need to change their legislative agenda much apart from delivering what they promise instead of just undoing what was done and engaging in election year posturing.

"New faces" are always embraced by parties on the state level. The same thing happened to Bill McCollum this year in the Florida Senate primary. He was a hard-liner, terrorism expert, but the state GOP picked Mel Martinez because of his last name.

Which probably drives away as many voters as it attracts. People queueing up to try their hand at campaigning is great just as long as some of them go to the back of the line if they don't get what they want the first time. Having people with campaign experience seems to make a lot of difference. Name recognition (and I don't mean ethnicity, no) helps, even if you made a name for yourself with various gaffes and appeared to burn a few bridges along with way. If your opponent seems invincible one year, he may be on fire come the next election so that you can continue right where you left off (and profit!). The voters have to learn from their mistakes. Having a firebrand conservative tank on one election to be replaced by a completely different kinder, gentler candidate the next election ought to be called the "gong show" strategy. If Marion Barry or Adolf Hitler could make themselves respectable enough to get into office, the average "failed" Republican candidate ought to think twice about throwing in the towel.