re: #159 laZardo

Given that the American political spectrum would be calibrated to the right-of-center, the wingnut presence would actually seem to be dialled down.

When polled on values/issues- Americans lean right of center. Yet this doesn’t add up to GOP victories. The far-right fringe is why. When the kookosphere starts yelling about how we need to be more conservative, in a sense they’re correct and it’s this polling data that justifies their position.

Where they get it wrong, however, is their understanding of “conservative” in the winning sense. It’s Goldwater conservatism that the American people lean towards. Fiscal discipline, strong national defense, personla liberty, and supportive of science. This is called a RINO by todays standards.

It’s no wonder so many republicans are leaving the party to the theo-cons. They are driving the party now, and the style of conservatism they’re promoting is ugly and unAmerican. They will not win elections with this strategy. When the center right values/issues that Americans have become the party’s bread and butter again- they will be back.