[sully777]

How conservative are you? Are you secular conservative? Religious conservative? Libertarian? Hamiltonian? Adamsian? Jeffersonian? Do you accept the precepts of Roosevelt's progressive reforms? Are you a Nixonite social-architect?

If Dean was a Republican running the same campaign and Bush was a Dem, would you vote for Dean or Bush?

I agree that a third party is a vote splitter. But if the Dems go full-throttle socialist, then they effectively become obsolete. Would you vote straight newGOP or a future new conservative party?

Just an academic exercise, thats all.

[Mo1]

. Would you vote straight newGOP or a future new conservative party?

Depends on the canidate and what they have offer our country

[Howlin]

Just an academic exercise, thats all.

That's the whole point; it's ALL an academic exercise to you all since you've never been able to get anybody in office to put all your grand ideas to the test.

All talk.

[My2Cents]

Just an academic exercise, thats all.

An academic exercise, and a meaningless one.

I'm philosophically, socially, economically, politically, and religiously conservative. I would prefer to vote for conservatives. But I find that many conservatives are heartless, tedious dipwads. Unfortunately, we don't vote for ideologies; we vote for people. And there are some people on the right whom I'd never vote for, because of their sour dispositions, their contrary and dour view of the world, their stridency, and because of their uninspiring and pessimistic view of the world.

I suppose I'll always vote for the candidate who leans toward conservative principles, but I'm not so naive as to assume that I will find perfection this side of heaven.