Well, if last year proved anything, it proved that even if the entire base does turn out, we still cant win. We need to appeal more to censtrists and moderate republicans.
if that were the case, then how come the Republican Party isn't doing the same? last year, Bush won in no small part due to the turnout of his base -he didn't dilute his positions to cater to the 'center'. he merely made it seem like he was more centrist than he really was.
and since both Mark Warner and Evan Baye are (at least perceived) pro-business Democrats, it will effectively make economically populist voters vote on the basis of family values since there will be no meaningful difference between Republicans and Democrats.
you have to make a stand sometime, rather than continuously buckling your knees in fear of what the Right would think of your candidate, and choosing the most centrist, mushy candidate with no daylight between him and his Republican rival. the further right you lurch, the more you validate voters' suspicions that you have no morals or principles to speak of, and therefore have no compelling reason to give them on why they should vote for your candidate. i mean, what is going to be your message? -hey, vote for me, i'm not quite as bad as the other guy'?!
i am not going to have a nominee who gives voters the impression that he is ashamed to be a Democrat by running away from the principles that this party stands for, which includes standing up for the average Joe and Jane. Neither Evan Baye or Mark Warner are what one might call candidates of the people against the establishment. they
are the establishment. it's reason enough not to vote for them.
