I wouldn't mind hearing a Democrat tell his base that the idea of nationalizing the health care industry is a load of bollocks, too. Not holding my breath for that one, either.

Somebody I just heard on the radio summed this election up pretty well, and it doesn't look good for Republicans:

"The problem choosing on the Republican side is that nobody likes any of the candidates very much. The problem choosing on the Democratic side is that everybody likes both candidates pretty well."

This is oversimplified, of course. Moderate Republicans don't have that much trouble with McCain, and the Democratic base isn't that fond of Hillary. But it's a good summation.

Those calling this the "end of the Republican Party" don't have very long memories. A lot happened between Goldwater and Reagan, including Johnson, Nixon, Ford and Carter. There's still a strong philosophical base out there, mostly ignored by the media in favor of focusing on the evangelicals and others.