"If conservatives stay home and don't vote, those who are elected will be beholden not to conservatives, but to moderates. You will then find candidates moving leftward to satisfy those dependable voters. The end result will be that the Republicans move leftward, and you will get less of what you want."
If a Republican runs on a liberal platform, with a liberal track record, and I vote for him, he will take my vote as acceptance of his posture and conduct. He will not get sworn in and say to himnself, "BOY, I'D BETTER CHANGE MY WAYS", now, will he?
As long as we are putting forth hypotheticals, 'What if Bush and the Senate Republicans accurately represented the will of the people. If their consciences are so seered that they cannot, then go to the lectern and convince conservatives that giving the country away to scores of millions of aliens is best for the country. Show us where the collective will of 85% of the public is off base on this issue and we will follow. They will not do it because there is not rhyme or reason other than perceived political gain to the goddamn politicians." To those who believe that loosing the next election is worse than loosing your country, you might want to ruminate on that a while. This isssue is more than a vote to increase your taxes, or earmark a billion for a bridge to knowhere. Or you might consider this: "Is there no issue which rises above the need for your party affiliation dominence of the political landscape? Are not your chosen leaders lying to you more unsavory than democrats lying to you? You know the dems are liars from the beginning. Now we find we are being fragged by our own. Which is the harshest cut? The choice of taking this senate and administration to the woodshed seems inevitable. They asked for it and now they will reap their own whirlwind. This is a 1 % majority country now. I believe the Republican in the senate have driven off more than 1%, if only to stay home from the poles. This is not the doing of the electorate. It is the doing of nefarious, self-serving Republicans, who are requiring voters to check their opinions at the door and fall in line or else. In the words of Harry Callahan, "I am afraid you have misjudged me."