The coming GOP narrative

The election is finally close, so I will get an answer to two burning questions.

1. (The obvious one) Who will be the next president?
2. What will Republicans/conservatives say if Romney wins or almost wins because he went decidedly moderate in the final weeks of the campaign?

I'm not going to predict what the GOP will say since I have no idea. Those aren't shoes I've walked in, so I have no instinct for such matters. However, I'm keenly interested. Expect at least one follow-up post.

Update 11/25/12. This is where I post the follow-up. Short answer: There's no such thing as "almost win" in their analysis, so my question isn't answered.