I too am a registered Republican who resides in blue state. Looking seriously at the choices that the GOP trotted out for the primary, you can say pretty much that it was "anyone but McCain." Maybe the original plan was to "throw away" the election and come back strong in 2012 as you posited.
Conservatives do not like him much, and liberals don't like him much. Could this be the very definition of being a "moderate"?
I'm beginning to believe that the party now has something to believe in.
I think the party is banking on three things.
1. Obama will put off conservatives so much in the coming weeks that instead of apathy they come out to vote in droves just to keep him out of the white house.
(which should not be the sole reason to vote for a leader)
2. Brilliant move in naming Palin as a running mate. The timing was perfect, and she is as far away removed from the beltway as possible. Plus, she is more of a conservative then McCain is. (I have my doubts that the motive behind her being tabbed as a running mate, is a token gesture by the GOP to say "hey, we tried that in 2008")
3. They have tried to blunt any offensive that the democrats can launch at them about the GOP being the "same", business as usual, etc.
It will be an exciting election period.
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