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G.H. Bush and Dole were never seen as "stark conservatives." Especially not in contrast to Reagan.

My point here (my flawless point) is that in modern American presidential politics one thing is true: From Clinton to Obama, during the campaign they adapt conservative "sounding" language, even when its a bold face lie. Both Barry and Slick Willy spoke repeatedly about tax cuts (neither delivered). Bill even pronounced the end of the era of big government in a SoTU address. My point is this idea that conservatives must appeal to moderates by talking moderate is fundamentally in error. Democrats are the ones that must moderate language and policy during a campaign, because this is an inherently center-Right nation (hell, conservatives outnumber liberals2 to 1 according to Gallup, year after year). So if we would simply run an unapologetic conservative, Democrats would be forced to their right & they would by default adopt historically losing strategies - running as "the other guy light" (which is exactly what we do when running a so-called moderate), or flatly running as a left winger.

By the way, Ron Paul is not a conservative. Not in the modern incarnation of the word, not in the historical, not in the Websters unabridged definition. You may (may) say he's a "classic liberal", or Libertarian. Or, just call him what I do, a looney tune. I have no patience for 9/11 "truthers", nor claiming Alqaeda hit us over Saddam's no fly zone, or abandoning Israel, or legalizing drugs, nor disbanding the CIA, nor thinking a nuclear Iran poses no threat. Please, enough. Just because he wants to end the Fed and return us to the Gold Standard doesn't mean he's every conservative's wet dream. I don't know what he is, outside of crazy, but I know what he's not - sane & conservative.