Republican strategies to win presidential elections are deeply unsettled because GOP lawmakers are rejecting what many see as obvious lessons from Mitt Romney’s loss last year.

House Republicans are rebelling against the key recommendation of a party-sanctioned post-mortem. It told Republicans to embrace a comprehensive immigration overhaul or suffer crippling losses among Hispanic voters in 2016 and beyond.

Many activists say the party simply needs to articulate conservative principles more skillfully rather than modify any policies.

President Barack Obama handily defeated Romney among female voters. Yet House Republicans invited new Democratic taunts of a “war against women” this past week by passing the most restrictive abortion measure in years.

Republican activists appear far from agreed on even basic questions such as whether to focus on loyal conservatives or centrist voters.