[Howlin]

just had quite enough of 'moderate' Pubbies, and way more than enough of bait-and-switch.

Snotty reply; how does it feel to be out there with no chance of EVER having power or the chance to pick a nominee?

[SAJ]

Nothing snotty about it. It's a simple and completely true statement. I have had quite enough of bait-and-switch, from any and all politicos.

'Moderates' of either party are useless, too; one either believes in one's political philosophy and will act upon such belief or one does not and will not. If the latter, then why is the person holding office at all? The salary, the perquisites, the power, the ego trip -- why? Blowing with the prevailing wind, esp. when the wind tends to emanate from the LSM (although, thankfully, less now than formerly), isn't governance by any known definition.

As to 'not having the chance to pick a nominee', well, at this moment, I don't really believe that you or I do have such a chance, now do we? Oh, we can write e-mails and letters, and send faxes, and buttonhole politicians when they come within reach, and attend rallies and so forth, and there's some non-zero probability that such actions might affect a president's decision on a nominee.

It's way the short end of the bet, though, certainly many thousands to one against. In a republic of nearly 300 million, and perhaps 130 million who care about a given issue, no president can possibly have the time available to even listen to any but a comparatively tiny number of voices -- and yours and mine are almost surely not on the list.

This isn't criming any particular president; it's just the way it is, a condition of contest if you like.