“I’d personally enjoy all the ‘we can’t nominate another Republican In Name Only’ crowd getting a stomping by an incumbent with an 8.5 unemployment rate,” said one senior party strategist, granted anonymity to speak candidly, warning of nominating a strictly conservative candidate like former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum…
“They won’t get it this year, as Romney is viewed as too moderate, so blame will go to moderates,” said former Virginia representative Tom Davis, himself a leading moderate voice within the GOP. “The narrative will be McCain and Mitt are too much like Obama.”
Mark Salter, McCain’s longtime consigliere and a lead strategist during the Arizona senator’s 2000 and 2008 presidential bids, agreed that no matter the results this November, it will almost certainly not trigger a 1964-like reassessment of the party.
“Losses are interpreted through the prism of people’s convictions,” said Salter. “If Republicans lose the next election badly, which would be unfortunate for a whole lot of reasons, conservatives will blame it on a nominee who wasn’t conservative enough, and the center-right and moderates will blame it on the purists.”
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