Looking at what to expect next year, I'm seeing a number of parallels on the GOP side with the 1964 election.
You have moderates pretending to be conservative (i.e. Willard) and/or moderates with marital issues (i.e. Newt) playing the role of Rockefeller.
Then there's everyone else who is actually conservative in the Goldwater role.
There is mutual disgust between these true conservatives and the blue blood moderates (gasp, from the northeast), which doesn't bode well for next fall.
The democrat side is hard to get a read on yet because of who may, or may not, be running next year.
The progressives aren't very happy with Pres. B.O. because he's not socialist enough for them. There are grumblings about people stepping up to challenge a sitting president in the primary just like Kennedy did back in '80. That does wonders for party cohesiveness in the general.
Even his own strategists are preparing for an exodus of former supporters, a'la "Reagan Democrats.
Unless we get another candidate appearing at the last minute with the same characteristics as Cain, I'm sorry Jason, but I don't share your optimism with the choices available.
We know exactly what we'll get from Obama.
The GOP "moderates", a.k.a. democrat-lite, will be no different.