Will the GOP eventually bite the bullet and start nominating "moderates?"

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

The GOP's problem right now has nothing to do with moderates.

The problem is a war between a conservative leadership structure that failed and an even more conservative group of rank-and-file who think the failure was synonymous with a lack of conservative values.

Nominating a moderate candidate right now would further exascerbate the problems within the GOP.  The GOP could use a Goldwater-type candidate to burn the ultra-conservative arguements to the ground so that a more traditional, main-stream party can rise from those ashes.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

In hindsight, Romney was the best GOP choice for November 2008. He wasn't the best GOP choice in January 2008, though, so he didn't win.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

In hindsight, Romney was the best GOP choice for November 2008. He wasn't the best GOP choice in January 2008, though, so he didn't win.

Maybe, but then you would've eliminated the GOP's best chance (among current likely candidates) to win in 2012.

Romney would have been a good candidate in 2008 because, at the end of the election campaign, all anyone cared about was the economy. Romney was all about the economy, and actually had real, tangible experience where Obama and McCain clearly had none.

He's wishy-washy as all hell when it comes to social issues, but that would have been largely irrelevant.

And for what it's worth, unless the economy is still in the dumps in Nov. 2012 (God help us if it is), Romney will be a terrible candidate for President that year. He's a niche candidate.