unless, of course, you alienate the middle.
Or you galvanize the right...
Ding.
There are moderate Republicans who are so disgusted with what they've put up that they'd actually consider voting for Hillary, something most of us would think would never ever happen in a million years... but hey, Trump and Cruz.
Going farther to the left because You think you can get away with it, because of how bad the GOP candidates are, could end up back firing.
Rural voters will vote overwhelmingly for the GOP candidate. Urban candidates will vote overwhelmingly the other way.
The election will be decided in the moderates in the suburbs. Right now they'll go hard for anyone but Trump or Cruz.
Nominate a far leftist, and then all of a sudden Kasich or some other more moderate, less douchey candidate comes out of a contested GOP convention, and you may will end up losing a presidency that you were given on a silver platter.