Articles: A Winning Formula? http://www.americanthinker.com/2012/11/m-a_winning_formula.html ...."For example, Republicans have won five of ten
presidential elections in the post-Watergate era. Every
Republican loss was by a moderate. And every Republican
win, except one, was by a conservative. The exception, in
1988, occurred when the elder George Bush, a moderate,
rode to victory on the coattails of Ronald Reagan.
However, in 1992, when Bush had to run on his own
record, he lost; just like the other moderate Republicans.
Now, the repeated failure of moderates in presidential
elections hasn't prevented some Republicans, in the wake
of Romney's loss, from calling on the GOP to abandon
conservative positions. In other words, some Republicans
are calling on the GOP to abandon the very thing that has
delivered victories for the very thing that has delivered
losses.
Of course, the conflict between moderate and
conservative Republicans is hardly new. In the aftermath
of Watergate, moderates argued that the GOP should start
reaching out to voters by dropping conservative positions.
However, early in 1975, following a disastrous midterm
election for Republicans, Reagan responded by saying, "I
don't know about you, but I am impatient with those
Republicans who after the last election rushed into print
saying, 'We must broaden the base of our party.'" He
added, "A political party cannot be all things to all people.
It must represent certain fundamental beliefs which must
not be compromised to political expediency, or simply to
swell its numbers."
Notably, Reagan faced opposition from the GOP
establishment, not only in 1976, when he challenged
Gerald Ford, a moderate, in the Republican primaries, but
also in 1980, when he campaigned against Bush, and
others, for the Republican nomination."....
presidential elections in the post-Watergate era. Every
Republican loss was by a moderate. And every Republican
win, except one, was by a conservative. The exception, in
1988, occurred when the elder George Bush, a moderate,
rode to victory on the coattails of Ronald Reagan.
However, in 1992, when Bush had to run on his own
record, he lost; just like the other moderate Republicans.
Now, the repeated failure of moderates in presidential
elections hasn't prevented some Republicans, in the wake
of Romney's loss, from calling on the GOP to abandon
conservative positions. In other words, some Republicans
are calling on the GOP to abandon the very thing that has
delivered victories for the very thing that has delivered
losses.
Of course, the conflict between moderate and
conservative Republicans is hardly new. In the aftermath
of Watergate, moderates argued that the GOP should start
reaching out to voters by dropping conservative positions.
However, early in 1975, following a disastrous midterm
election for Republicans, Reagan responded by saying, "I
don't know about you, but I am impatient with those
Republicans who after the last election rushed into print
saying, 'We must broaden the base of our party.'" He
added, "A political party cannot be all things to all people.
It must represent certain fundamental beliefs which must
not be compromised to political expediency, or simply to
swell its numbers."
Notably, Reagan faced opposition from the GOP
establishment, not only in 1976, when he challenged
Gerald Ford, a moderate, in the Republican primaries, but
also in 1980, when he campaigned against Bush, and
others, for the Republican nomination."....
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