Reply #24: I am skeptical of the power of the GOP base. [View All]

[leyton]

The GOP does know how to motivate the base, but they revved up the base into overdrive last time and in the process lost moderates and nearly lost the election. All this for an incumbent wartime President. Part of what saved Bush was that he did fairly well among women (IIRC - correct me if I'm wrong). Also: they will rev up the base against anyone we run. Which candidate of ours is so flawless that he/she could escape their machine? It is something we will just have to deal with, because they'll either find the flaw in our candidate or make one up.

I'm not sold on Hillary but I think she would run a far, far, far superior campaign to Kerry. She would win a large portion of the female vote. Finally, I believe she has high favorability among New York Republicans. Are these not the same type of old-school conservatives who give the GOP its tiny edge in the West?