No, but individuals within the party have decided that liberalism is easier to use at election time that the truth. The party's only problem is that it has lost a central leader that will guide the individuals in question back to the right frame of mind.
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The leadership certainly has. They've tried to be everything to everybody instead of really standing for something. I think the "classic" Republicans really felt that they had no one to vote for this election, at least for the office of President.
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Yes I would say those new lawmakers that were chosen under the Rebublican banner have for sure, I think in defeat the lesson to be learned is that wavering from true conservative princples does not win votes or elections. It is likley it will be back stronger than ever when the disasterous growth in Government spending and taxes finally strike home. Smaller government and lower taxes will come home to roost. The people of America will reign again-better than before. People will see that large government is not the solution, it's the problem....how about the flat tax!
Source(s):
Rush Limbaugh

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Yes.

The Republicans are leaning more and more on pulling people to their party through social views alone, and are turning in to a party of cultural division.

The problem is that as years go by, slowly, less and less people fit in to their main base. They have garnered stronger and stronger support amongst their base, but it has been shrinking for some time, and immigration is taking a toll on it, and will in the future. As the US becomes more diverse, those people that make up that diversity have a decided Democratic lean (Note how Asians, Hispanics, African Americans, those of non-Christian based religions, and those that are not religious all vote).

The Republican party today is largely based around the Reagan coalition of the social conservatives/moralists, defense hawks, and fiscal lower taxes no matter what spending is (Um, not sure conservative is the word here, neither party is fically conservative).

I think the "classic" republican died with Barry Goldwater.

There are many, many Democrats that would be very willing to vote for Republicans if they were more socially moderate.

John McCain in 2000 represented what Republicans should represent, in my opinion, with the modern GOP. The choice of Sarah Palin exemplfied the push specifically towards keeping the social conservatives the most significant part of the party.


Where is the intellectual conservative today? There's no William Buckley. We have Rush Limbaugh instead. We need more Buckleys and Goldwaters, and fewer Limbaughs and Bushes.
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