That is certainly true, and is the reason I feel more tolerant of people like Chafee and Snowe (where the only alternatives are probably Democrats) than many on this board. However, in this case, I think Pirro is not only more liberal than Spencer, but also a horrible candidate and no more likely to win.
Incidentally, on the topic of liberal New England Republicans, did you see that William Weld is considered one of the leading candidates for governor here in NY?
This amazes me. Of course, he was the first Republican (of sorts) who started the current Massachusetts string of Republican Governors. This may come to an end as Romney still waffles about running for President (which he proabably shouldn't bother).