Mr Etch-a-Sketch lost because he could not energize his own base, much less revive Reagan’s coalition of conservatives, evangelicals, independents and blue collar democrats. If the GOP follows moderate/liberal advice and tilts further left, they’ll simply lose more elections.
There is no such thing as a moderate coalition. Never has been, never will be.
This country was founded to secure and defend God’s blessings of life and liberty to ourselves and our posterity. Nothing less will suffice.
God, Life, Family, Country, Liberty!!
HOLD THE LINE!!
DON’T RUN SQUISHES!!
The simple and obvious fact is that in 2016 the Republican candidate has to convince about 2 million people that voted for Obama in 2012 to vote for them instead. There are multiple ways to do that, not all of which are necessarily caving or adopting leftist policies. However, it’s NOT going to happen through rhetoric and policies that make the average FR posters orgasmic with joy, and people have to grow up and accept that.
Most of the “base” you want to energize are in overwhelmingly and safely Republican states already, thus they are irrelevant in all respects (save fundraising) in Presidential elections.
And there’s no particular evidence any meaningful portion of this base stayed home in 2012 in the swing states.
Romney’s GOP convention dissed Sarah Palin, the tea party, the other presidential candidates(including Ron Paul, which Palin warned them not to do) and social conservatives. In other words, he pissed off the very people he needed to win.