The American Debate: Republicans are running right, maybe right off the map

Richard Nixon famously said that Republican presidential candidates should run to the right in the primaries, then to the center in the general election. But what happens if they tilt so far rightward that they wind up ceding the center?

The current crop of candidates is risking that result. President Obama may be highly vulnerable in 2012, but if Rick Perry and his rivals don't clamp down on the crazy talk, they may well blow it.

Sensible Republicans realize this all too well. Mark McKinnon, an ex-George W. Bush strategist, spoke for many the other day when he contended that Perry and company "seem intent on putting an increasingly ideologically conservative and intolerant face on the party. They are pulling the primary contest so far right, the party will be far less attractive to the independent voters needed to win the general election."

Independents backed Obama by 8 percentage points in 2008, but they're currently sour on the president; in the latest Gallup poll, only 36 percent gave him a thumbs-up on job performance. It would appear that these centrist voters are ripe for the taking.

But this is no way to win them over:

Declaring that evolution is "just a theory that's out there."

Insisting that the scientific consensus on climate change is "all one contrived phony mess that is falling apart under its own weight."

Decreeing that revenue increases of any kind are unacceptable under any and all circumstances, and signing a pledge to that effect.

Promising to fill all key cabinet and executive jobs with foes of abortion, and signing a pledge to that effect.

Asserting that "it's time for us to just hand [America] over to God and say, 'God, you're going to have to fix this.' "

Announcing in a book that Social Security and Medicare are unconstitutional and should be scrapped.

Contending that gay Americans are "part of Satan."

Dissing the Bush-appointed Federal Reserve chairman as "treasonous."

Insinuating (yet again) that Obama is insufficiently American and insufficiently in love with America.