The problem is, my FRiend, is that politics has morphed by pressure from the fanatical left into a virtual war, complete with weapons of mass personal destruction, along with weapons of mass deception via the MSM!!!
Without solid anchoring in conservative/constitutional PRINCIPLE, we drift into mass confusion! Lawyers will be quick to remind you that their job is to confuse, then clarify! (on their terms) Political activists on the left are becoming even more deft at this!!!
The Rules Have Changed!!! We can no longer afford "Moderate" leadership! No Moderate has ever made sweeping improvements to the condition of mankind!!! All they know how to do is drift to where the ruthless, relentless and remorseless leftist activists pressure them to be...
"out of date platitudes"
Sez you.
Your argument is very persuasive. There are in fact nuclear battles being waged on both sides. But it's a very small percentage of people who are moved by such things. I know it's difficult to perceive when you spend all your time in this and other echo chambers, but it's true. Most people are not moved by, and do not believe, your type of rhetoric, regardless of whether it's objectively "true" or not.
Sure, you'll get calcowgirl and CarryOkie and NormsRevenge to nod in agreement, but, well, how you doing in the polls? Or in actual California elections? Some victories on initiatives, but lots of losses in the Legislature.
I expect that you and I would like to end up in roughly the same place. I think we will arrive there incrementally, by changing hearts and minds to reject liberalism, like I did (Caveat -- I was never very far to the left. Some people will never be convinced, but as I'm sure you've seen on this board, there are a lot of people who can be.)
You think that it will only be through the political equivalent of nuclear annihilation that we will arrive there. Neither one of us has any proof of which way is going to work better. In my opinion, people are waking up to the ruin of liberal rule, and will move rightward over time. You would prefer to throw bombs. I think that will only harden positions.
I guess we'll see who's right.