[nyconse]

Read Reagan's essay on compromise. You can be a conservative and still win elections- You can't govern unless you are elected. What good are Principles if you are sitting on the sidelines having absolutely no say in how the government is run? Conservatives can not get elected in all 50 states-this is a fact. Should we just give up and remain "pure" while allowing the Dems to govern from the hard left? You have to balance your principles with political reality. In a perfect world-IMO-Reagan Republicans would be in charge.....everywhere, but that's not going to happen so I'll take the victories where I find them and try to educate people on the value of conservative politics in the meantime. I suppose we will have this converstaion about President Bush too. Already on other threads principled conservatives have indicated that they won't vote for President Bush-not conservative enough. I suppose the Democrat they help elect would be better?

[Maelstrom]

"You can be a conservative and still win elections-"

Good, fine, we agree here.

"You can't govern unless you are elected."

Not true, but let's just say we agree to disagree because it isn't that important in the current scheme of things.

"What good are Principles if you are sitting on the sidelines having absolutely no say in how the government is run?"

Ah well, without principles, you aren't a conservative...which really does end the debate. You don't need to be "pure" you just need to articulate and stand by your principles. Afterall as despicable as Liberals' principles are, they do articulate, stand by and enact those princples.

Oh...and there's the other problem. It's a brain-dead solution to try to articulate, stand by, and enact Liberal principles and proclaim it a victory for conservatism.