Where are all the Republicans?

I have been wondering this recently. I watch a lot of political talk shows (probably too many). I talk to a lot of people about their political views. In my job, I run across a lot of Conservatives. I know they are Conservatives, because they tell me. I think that's fine.

My question, though, is this: Why don't they call themselves Republicans anymore? Is the term so toxic, or is it just that Conservatives really identify themselves with an ideology, rather than a party? (I get the same thing on the Democrat side, but I will blog about that later...) I am wondering--if this election goes badly for the GOP (and it could given recent polling...), why continue to use a label that I never hear its members use?

Love her or hate her (and I will blog about THAT sometime during the next few weeks too!), Sarah Palin has energized "the base", or the Conservatives. What does that say about the non-Conservatives in the Republican party? I have been wondering, are there any left? If there are, please let me know. I haven't run into many recently. Why bother to keep the label? Let's just have a Conservative Party and a Liberal Party. Who knows, there may even be a Libertarian Party somewhere in the near future, that actually stands for something...