Future of the Republican party?

[Frodo]

With the base of the Republican Party firmly rooted in the (white) South, going whole-hog libertarian is probably not a good option if you want to hold on to the region.  And with the GOP priding itself on its appeal to the upwardly mobile and small business owners, going populist (aka Huey Long) is just as as bad an option.  And going hard-core conservative is a sure way of turning off prospective voters as well as the youth in your own party who are more moderate than their elders.

So going somewhat moderate on issues like gay marriage, immigration, and on healthcare (i.e. Obamacare) offers the GOP the best prospect of maintaining its viability in this century as the white vote continues to shrink and the Silent Generation steadily dies off.