As the jockeying for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination begins, a familiar debate will be playing out: Should the party pick somebody ideologically pure, or go with somebody more centrist to win independents?

This analysis of the choice confronting voters is misguided, however. The two possibilities are not mutually exclusive. The reality is that the only way Republicans can win the White House and make a play for independents is if they nominate somebody who is a real conservative.