The problem with appeals to principle is that people in coalitions often prioritize differently among the principles listed therein. I’m ardently for McCain because winning the war is my paramount principle, and I think he’s the one who can make it a winning issue for the Republican party, and hang Patraeus around Hillary’s neck. The problem with this race is that four or five people are so equal when it comes to credentials, and represent different parts of the conservative movement. As Cliff May and others have stated, Reaganism is certainly present — just spread out in five different parts.