David Ignatius offers the classic defense of liberal conventional wisdom which has been arguing for, let’s see, 1,2,3…4 yes, about 4 decades that conservatives’ biggest mistake is being too pure and not compromising enough. Obviously, this is sometimes true as a practical matter. But it is quite often not. They said it about Goldwater, and he launched the conservative takeover the GOP. Reagan manifested that takeover, and they said it about him. They said it about Gingrich even as he took over both houses of Congress. They didn’t say it that much about the first president Bush because he often governed as a moderate. But, oh yeah: he was thrown out of office, in no small part for “uniting” with Democrats and raising taxes. They said it about the second President Bush — even as they refused to see how much he’d taken their advice — and Bush’s party won historic gains in off year elections and he was reelected. There are good debates to be had about specific policies and positions held by both the GOP and conservative standard-bearers but, it seems, you won’t hear them from Ignatius.
I see Ross Douthat is on the same page and has more comments in this vein.