But competitive districts, where moderates tend to thrive, are becoming a thing of the past thanks in large part to re-districting. And that means an uphill battle of a primary for any moderate candidate who tries to challenge a conservative member.

Asked whether a moderate Republican movement could really materialize, former Rep. Steve LaTourette, who now is the president of the Main Street Partnership, was cautiously optimistic.

“It’s possible, it’s going to be difficult and it’s not going to happen overnight. There is an appetite for it but it remains to be seen if we can get to there from here,” said LaTourette. “Some of the well heeled donors and the money people in the Republican Party are rethinking about directing that money to people who can actually govern. We’re getting a lot of calls and interest at Main Street, we have a big meeting up on Wall Street in November. So we will see, we are up against some well entrenched organizations.”…

“Moderates worry about being liked. Conservatives worry about purity. Moderates have endless plans and no heart. Conservatives have no plans and endless heart,” [Rick Wilson] said in an email. “I hate to be the cliché ‘pox on both their houses’ amoral consultant, but this is like the Allies in WW2: suck it up, put your differences aside, and fight against the Axis. The business community would be much, much smarter to try to make an alliance than go to war.”