You are so full of yourself that you can't even see when someone isn't arguing with you.
Far from disagreeing with at least part of your analysis, I was seeking to confirm that my suspicions were right that the mushy middle of the Republican Party wants to shed the conservatives because the middle only cares about retaining power and cares not about principle. And you confirmed it.
However, that is where our agreement ends. The truth is that if we don't shed you and your ilk (by becoming a party of principle and only taking one side of an issue) we will be doomed to socialism sooner rather than later. You will give up everything in principle to remain in power in fact.
How does that distinquish you from the Dems?
In the world of politics, the very definition of it sometime precludes a few so called principles.
Unfortunately for some on this board, principles appear to include opinions!
While some real principles, such as a balanced budget, strong military, the lowest possible taxes and less government regulation are of utmost importance, the reality of politics requires that one or more of them be traded in part for the successful attainment of the others.
It is called the art of compromise.
The problem with some people is that they reject politics in favor of authoritarianism. This creates a conflict and that conflict cannot be mitigated within the party.
It will be more clear during the rest of Bush's second term that the RNC will move on without it's detractors and that the so called base will be reformatted to fit the reality of the political landscape.