I've enjoyed reading various blog posts and articles from various commentators talking about the different Presidential candidates, and declaring some to be more mainstream than the other, or declaring simply what mainstream Republican politics now are.  The funniest part is that they are all wildly different.  It started with a post from Midwestern Clarity (ironic given how unclear everything now is) saying the following about Ron Paul:

In essence, Mr. Paul replied that his support would wholly depend upon the candidate's willingness to end the war and other positions about which Mr. Paul feels strongly.

Fine, but I'm not clear why Mr. Paul chose to become a Republican let alone run as one except perhaps, out of political expediency. Many of his views are out of touch with the party mainstream, which begs the question - does party affiliation matter anymore?
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And since Ron Paul is truly such an independent soul, he ought to run as an Independent instead of using the Republican banner.

What is completely lacking in John's post is an explanation for how Ron Paul runs counter to the "mainstream".  The only thing that he mentions is his lack of support for the Iraq War.  He's about as small government as you can get, is anti-abortion, against illegal immigration, and believes in federalism like nobody else can claim.  Is John suggesting that if you don't support the war, you're not a Republican?  Really?  Because even if you don't want to consider Ron Paul as a serious candidate, there is a significant number of conservatives, especially Christians, who are reconsidering the Iraq War.  They don't do this because they "hate America", or because they're not patriotic, but because they have an honest belief that the war is no longer the best route to take.  Are they not Republicans any more either?  Because I think they would beg to differ.

But it gets even more amusing that that, for there was a rather shocking (in my opinion) piece at the New York Times from David Brooks:

There is an argument floating around Republican circles that in order to win again, the G.O.P. has to reconnect with the truths of its Goldwater-Reagan glory days. It has to once again be the minimal-government party, the maximal-freedom party, the party of rugged individualism and states’ rights.

This is folly. It’s the wrong diagnosis of current realities and so the wrong prescription for the future.
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The Republican Party, which still talks as if government were the biggest threat to choice, has lost touch with independent voters. Offered a choice between stale Democrats and stale Republicans, voters now choose Democrats, who at least talk about economic and domestic security.

The Democrats have a 15 point advantage in voter identification. Voters prefer Democratic economic policies by 14 points, Democratic tax policies by 15 points, Democratic health care policies by 24 points and Democratic energy policies by 20 points. If this is a country that wants to return to Barry Goldwater, it is showing it by supporting the policies of Dick Durbin.

In other words, in order for Republicans to become popular again, they should lose the principles that make them Republicans, but instead become Democrats with a different mascot.  Glenn Greenwald has a fantastic deconstruction of this failed idea that is worth reading.  The sad fact however is that many Republicans actually do think this is the way.  "Compassionate Conservatism" was built around this very core.  And while some are asking for Republicans to become Democrats, there is an entirely different constituency begging for a "leave me the heck alone" conservative.  Not surprisingly, the one candidate that wasn't mentioned was... wait for it... Ron Paul.  He only mentioned the "top 5" candidates, including Fred Thompson, even though Fred is losing to Paul in the early primary states now.

My point is this.  Everyone seems very willing to discard Ron Paul as not being a real Republican, because he's not mainstream, when the reality is... there is no mainstream Republican belief.  You guys are all over the map.  So what are you really complaining about?