[papertyger]

Pluralities only count when there are more than two candidates.

Sorry. Sloppy phrasing. I meant a plurality of total voters. I don't think there are as many voters interested or motivated to "stop" conservatives as there are conservatives. i.e. Running a true conservative will bring out more than will come out to oppose.

As for DeWine, I'm not too familiar with the particulars, but is there any reason to believe there isn't an analogy to the Specter situation?

[reformedliberal]

I think it was about the same as w/Specter....DeWine got 74% and Pierce, the conservative, got 14%, so the RINO won against the conservative, again.

I spent my time on the left. They hate conservatives so much that the demands for punitive action against Bush and the Cabinet will extend to us if they win.

Conservatism alone is enough to mobilize the left against any candidate. RINOs can and do pull votes from moderate Democrats. In some districts, any Republican can win. In most districts, no conservative can.