Reply #38: Totally disagree. Speaking as a centrist Democrat.

[TwilightGardener]

The further left our nominee goes, the more that centrists of either party and independents will take a closer look at the R's, IF their candidate is not too far right. It all depends on who gets nominated for both parties, what happens with the war between now and then, and whether or not a third-party ticket emerges and whether that ticket is moderate or fringe. Most Americans have a political comfort level that they do not want to breach, and it's risky to assume that there will be a demand for a very progressive candidate just because GWB was an abject failure--folks may not see his failed policies as an indictment of conservatism or Republicanism, but just of the man himself, and may not respond in a reactionary way, but rather in a "safe", cautious manner. Just as the saying goes, "You've got to put the hay where the goats can get it"--you've got to put the candidate where the voters are.