[Reagan Man]

I don't vote for third party candidates and don't believe in protest votes. They serve no good purpose. As a conservative, my objective is to defeat liberalism, not make an empty gesture to posterity.

[Ronin]

Ditto. Let's face it, Bush was not my first candidate for election back in 2004, but when he got the nomination, I threw my support behind him because a protest vote for any other candidate was/is a de-facto vote for Gore.

I am not happy with his immigration plan, although I have not studied it enough to say concretely it sucks-bones throughout, and I am depressed with the new prescription drug program...

The fact it, there have been a number of things that Bush has done that has irked the Hell out of me, but all that needs to be considered in light of what "would have been" if Al Gore had been elected.

We have the same choice now. There is no alternative to Bush that is not a hundred times worse. That being the case, I will grit my teeth, hold my nose -- and vote for him. (I don't expect to like it much when I do.)

[Eva]

I agree with you almost completely, I would change liberalism to leftism. The Democrats are not liberals. They are leftist haters, without a shred of compassion except to exploit the issues of minorities and special interest groups.

[motzman]

As a conservative, my objective is to defeat liberalism, not make an empty gesture to posterity.

Defeating economic and social liberalism and National Defense / Security are by far the most important issues of our times. I simply cannot understand any Republican over 30 not getting this fact. All of these other issues are secondary :
1) Abortion
2)Guns
3)Prescription Drugs (love the stealth MSA's--they will play a big role in defeating economic liberalissm in the future)
3)Immigration (and W's "proposals" when enacted will be quite different then the hysterics would make you think)
4) War on Drugs
5) School vouchers

These 5 are just examples of what need to be changed or reformed by popular support, not by edict. What I really like about W is (for good or bad)that he is very responsive to the people (not just those who voted for him). He's doing what he said he'd do, and he's giving the elecorate what they want, responsibly. Which is why you see the outrageous hate-fest the Left is using to try to defeat W---they got nothing else!

It's now the citizens' job to convince our fellow Americans that conservatism is the way to go--but not by imposing it. That's what liberals do...which is the basic reason why they're not good.

If Republicans and conservatives don't understand or refuse to admit that the only way to defeat "liberalism" is incrementally, we're doomed.

The Constitution was specifically designed to ensure change happens incrementally, not from wild swings of policy or edict.

If W doesn't get re-elected we're in BIG trouble because:

1) Some Democrat is going to take credit for the economic surge which is underway and will continue well into the next Presidential Term
2) Said Democrat will be a two-termer
3) Our defenses will be lowered and our efforts in the WOT will be reduced
4) A massive terrorist attack would occur during the second term of said Democrat...IMHO the jihadists are biding their time--we have a tendency to look at history and such in 4 year terms, while the jihadists look in terms of decades. They have patience to wait us out.

Do we as a nation have the wisdom to understand this and stay the course?

[arasina]

I don't vote for third party candidates and don't believe in protest votes. They serve no good purpose.

And those votes have serious consequences.

[alwaysconservative]

GREAT post! You put it all in a nutshell.

[My2Cents]

Sometimes the most succinct comments are the wisest. Good comment.