[Clintonfatigued]

It's a good point, but there are cases where conservatives can pick a third-party candidate if that candidate has a chance in the general election.

Jim Gilchrest, who's running for Congress in a California special election, is a good example.

[HitmanLV]

People also need to remember that the idea of political leadership is to build consensus and work towards goals. The fact is that the average American (that we can build a consensus on) isn't nearly as conservative as we on FR are.

The truth is that to build consensus, it's we (the most conservative 10%) who have to compromise more with the rest of our constituency (say, 40+% of the electorate) to get influence and move policy in a direction we like (which isn't to say a perfect fit).

Otherwise the other side (most liberal 10%) reaches a consensus with enough of their constituency (40+%) and influences policy more than we do.

[billbears]

but there are cases where conservatives can pick a third-party candidate if that candidate has a chance in the general election.

And yet I can find nothing from the Framers stating that we should vote for someone based on their electability. Voting our consciences and that the candidate follows the Constitution is covered but voting for someone only if they can get elected? That's what has given us the two facet one party system we have now. No thanks