Why have we, as Republicans, abondoned using <some> fear to market our candidates?

I get the sense that I may receive several negative responses from the far-left for asking this question, so I am going to address these proactively. I AM NOT advocating widespread (too much) fear among the American Public. I am, however, advocating sparking enough fear in the American Public for it to band together and support our candidates, and refuse to buy in to the obvious and proven socialism of the liberal left. Why have we abandoned using this tactic? It worked for us in every election from 1992-2004, and the instant we let up on it, our party lost both houses of congress and the Presidency. Now, with the election of the edgeless and dopey Michael Steele to lead our party, I fear our party's collapse is in the making. Why have we let Karl Rove (the genius behind our meteoric rise to power) hang in limbo as we are doing at the current point? Why our the moderates in our party trying to destroy it and turn it into something it isn't?