Now, Republicans are in search of their Gipper.

Fred Thompson is not the answer for the GOP as much as he puts a fine point on the fact that there is no solution, that there is a greater problem.

The unraveling of John McCain -- who could still end up the nominee -- highlights the party's plight.

Here was a guy looked at for so long as not just the inevitable nominee, but as the inevitable next president. He seemed unstoppable; he had appeal as a maverick, as an independent; it was just a matter of waiting for him to set up in the Oval Office.

Now he is in the fight of his life for the nomination. He came in third in fundraising; he has lost the appeal that made him so appealing.

A fundamental problem exists with the Republicans' brand: They are in a shaky transition period, one in which they need to redefine what it means to be a mainstream conservative. For the longest time, the Republican Party stood for lower taxes, less government and a strong national defense, the principles of Ronald Reagan.

For now, it seems stuck in a crisis of midlife proportions.