You can take chemo and be uncomfortable, but survive, or you can die of cancer.
I’ll take the RINO over the Marxist. With one, there is still some room for improvement. A RINO is less likely to coerce our personal values and beliefs, while a Marxist is guaranteed to do so. Besides, a Conservative, having to run against 70% of the population, will always lose, so there simply isn’t any rational argument.
There is the emotional argument, however. It’s just that it has no real upside in the real world. People go on about Third Parties, but look at all the countries that have multiple parties. They end up being coalitions, so even when the relatively more conservative parties win, they must negotiate and end up indebted to the extremists. They don’t last long in power, either.
If the True Conservatives cannot sway the majority here, on FR, how much chance do they have out there in the big wide real world? It simply won’t happen, so it is a waste of time to continually rant hatefully against anyone who doesn’t meet a rigidly held list of requirements.
I suppose there is personal satisfaction in absolutism. It certainly works that way for the smug absolutists on the other side. I think it is better to live one’s most deeply held values and act as an example to win hearts and minds. Eventually, that might go the furthest towards countering the inculcations of the Left. Simply attacking anyone not up to one’s standards only away pushes even the people who are sympathetic to your POV. Calling someone a heretic sends total chills down the spines of many because it implies some sort of State Belief System which is no more attractive from the Right than from the Left.
The Left is learning that it is not possible to successfully legislate values and remain popular. It is destroying their own coalition. We could learn from that.
You are more than welcome to vote for the Ruling Class Democrat running at the top of the GOP ticket and feel like you saved the nation with your vote. I won’t be joining you. This has to stop somewhere. At least it’s going to stop with me.
We’ve been following your prescription nearly to the letter for over 20 years and 5 election cycles. We continue to devolve Left - where today we have a choice between a Democrat Socialist in Romney and an America-Hating Marxist in Obama whereby tomorrow, on our present course it will end up between A NeroHitler and a StalinMao - and I venture to say the same argument you made for the ‘lesser’ of evils will be shouted and demanded again.
I won’t do it any longer. I’ve learned we are going to be judged on what we have done with the little things, even something seemingly innocuous as voting. A little leaven, leavens the whole lump - as the Apostle Paul warned, and I will maintain my principles and refuse to leaven them in a choice for a man with a record anathema to biblical and Christian principles.
One never wins hearts and minds by compromising core values and principles with those that disdain and even hate them - which is what you and others like you advocate. The world sees it as weakness to exploit and the rest see it as having no value in itself worth following.
I believe we are near or have arrived at the place where a majority of people in America no longer share or believe in the principles that forged and established us - and while it might seem prudent to compromise with their new vision for America - I won’t be contributing to the fatality that will ensue even if I’m the only person in the country that refuses to walk in lock-step. If that is deemed a waste of time by the enlightened among us - then we no longer share the same priorities in this life.
If my own position sears the conscience of others, then that is of God - but to frame that as an advocation of a State Belief System is doing what the Left does to anyone who stands on principles and faith.
But, we CAN!
It is merely not happening FAST enough for some; so they give up!