"what for, so we can lose by 40 pts with dignity?"
To build up a credible alternative?
It'll take time, yes, but why shouldn't it?
If mean 'ol conservatism won't play in the NY senatorial race, then how about paring back on the conservatism, and not rejecting it completely? Guiliani has his liberal views, but he "focused like a laser beam" on at least one conservative issue - crime. If general social conservatism won't sell, then how about someone whose otherwise "moderate" but is, say, a staunch tax cut advocate? Or pro-tort reform, anti-Kelo decision? Being Hillary-like is no solution.
but abortion is always the #1 issue the conservatives line up with. don't line up as pro-life, you are instantly a RINO. its the defining issue for that classification. and add gay rights to that.
so take someone who had the other positions you mention - tax cuts, fiscal conservative, pro judicial reform, etc - add pro-choice and/or gay rights to that, and they are instantly branded a RINO. you know it as well as I do, so don't tell me we can define a non-RINO candidate based on "other issues", we can't, we are trapped behind those two issues. that may be OK in a presidential race, but in a state like NY, it doesn't play - there is no massive "silent vote" waiting out there over that.