Not necessarily. (Thought I'd interject myself )
The GOP is a political party that supposedly represents conservative views. However, which conservative views are represented depend a lot on which ones get the most publicity and/or votes.
The whole problem with the Republican party now is that there are too many competing factions. You have hardline, closed-minded conservatives, Ronald Reagan Conservatives, moderate conservatives, and those who used to be defined as liberals but were cast adrift by Jimmy Carter when he shifted the Democrat party to the left. We get called Neocons and RINOs.
It's very interesting to see how American culture, mentality and politics is soooo different. I find here and with other countries thats I've been to, it's always the people vs. the government (regardless of the party in power because they're often viewed as one in the same but not in the US). For me personally it's hard to wrap my head around such a divide even within same the same "family" so to speak...it's kinda like all the different sects within Christianity even though they're all Christians.
Can you give some examples where he is considered moderate by extreme right wingers?President Bush's problem, which most lefties refuse to even look at, is he is not hardline conservative enough for the Republican party. He was a moderate governor, and started out as a moderate President. He draws a LOT of criticism from conservatives who are farther to the right, and it is those conservatives who have the money and are the base of the Republican voters.
Why was he voted in as the Republican candidate if receive a lot of criticism from conservatives'?
Thanks for the explanation...it was helpful