What is the alternative? I say that as a self identified "RINO." In the real world, politics is about coalitions. Granted, on individual issues, one can and does mix and match. I least I do. The Dems well remain unattractive to me as long as that party is controlled and funded by trial lawyers, and public employee unions, with a bevy of entitlement minded folks looking for a handout, and idealists who are not realistic about many foreign policy issues, along with its own stable of protectionists.
Not just in the real world. Our parties themselves are coalition parties. A third party candidate's only role is draw votes from one party or the other.
Karl Rove is to be congratulated for holding the discipline for so long. Unfortunately in the real world we also experience diminishing returns and the old discipline is long in the tooth. It's time for a new discipline.
Granted, on individual issues, one can and does mix and match. I least I do. The Dems well remain unattractive to me as long as that party is controlled and funded by trial lawyers, and public employee unions, with a bevy of entitlement minded folks looking for a handout, and idealists who are not realistic about many foreign policy issues, along with its own stable of protectionists.
The Dems mix and match too. Yes, they are unattractive and yes they are not only the only alternative, but they are our countrymen as well. They have every right to be represented in our system and to have a dialogue with us. If the extremes of either party can't negotiate with us moderates then the moderates of both parties should get together and marginalize the extremes. If you ask me, the extremes are begging us to marginalize them. Look at what I've gotten here? And they have the temerity to blame me for their attacks on me?
A pox on their house.
I don't proclaim myself to be a "RINO". I see myself more as a traditional conservative as opposed to the current stable of "neo-conservatives" and "neo-conomists". I think the goals of the neos are great. Their roadmap for how to get there is unsustainable, radical, and not at all conservative.
I am not above playing both extremes off against each other. As for politicians, I have been around enough of them to tell you with great confidence that they are all the same thing. They are all bought and sold. That is the nature of things. Sometimes you get good ones, in their first term. But they either change into that same thing, or they're gone. I.e. Peter Fitzgerald here in Illinois.