I've noticed that among many moderates of this forum that there is concern that the GOP will take a much more rightward direction if McCain loses, however when speaking with the average and even very, very conservative GOP voter about the prospect of McCain losing in November and the future of the Republican Party is that most believe such a loss will be attributed to the fact that many view McCain as "too old" and "too out of touch" rather then "not conservative enough" as other voiced on this forum. Going with this what path could we predict the Republicans will take in terms of their party in the next Presidential Election?
McCain's main liability is voter dissatisfaction with the Bush administration and the Republican party. While this certainly win-or-lose will be an obstacle for McCain, it would be an even bigger obstacle for the GOP if they nominated a far-right candidate.
