I want 2010 to be the year CONSERVATIVES take control of Congress, not necessarily Republicans, but the fact is, the Republicans are the best shot we have. (The folks who scream "Third party!" seem to have a basic disconnect--if it's so hard to change the Republican party from its get-along ways, how much harder is it going to be to start a third party from scratch? This is lost in the lusty cries of "Change!" from our side.)
So, if I want to kick the statists out, how is screaming about them going to do that? Isn't it better to praise them for those few conservative positions they have, and show them (or more importantly, their followers) WHY they are wrong to "just get along"?
But instead of discussion, I see lots of armchair quarterback shouting and smearing. It's pointless, and clogs up what should be a place to discuss how we defeat the middle-of-the-roaders and get the conservatives to voice their positions, which we can then promote when the Schumers of the world whine "Where are the Republican ideas???"
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for sarcasm and humor...as tools for communicating. But you can't communicate much when any step outside the lines is met with "RINO!" while "our" favorites get their blemishes ignored because we LIKE them. Politicians don't "like" you, they use you and me and everyone else.
Fine. We should be just as ruthless and intellectually honest, all the time, with everyone.
“I want 2010 to be the year CONSERVATIVES take control of Congress,”
That’s the whole point. Support conservatives and offer no support to those who are not.
And don’t let fake conservatives drum up support here.
“So, if I want to kick the statists out, how is screaming about them going to do that? Isn’t it better to praise them for those few conservative positions they have, and show them (or more importantly, their followers) WHY they are wrong to “just get along”? “
The problem with your sentiment is that we have been burned by the vry candidates you describe. Liberal Republicans like Romney NEVER grow more conservative in office. They, like Bush, start to push liberal programs like the prescription drug benefit bill to show their so called compassion. What we see in the public pronouncements and past governance should be viewed as the high water mark for conservative governance. As I said before, we have been burned too many times to support someone like Romney that starts out so far to the left of the political spectrum. If you disagree then tell us why Romney will be different.