"For better or worse, we have a two-party system. And party trumps person. Either a Republican, George W. Bush, or a Democrat, John Kerry, is going to be elected president in November. No one else has a chance.
Not Ralph Nader, not the Libertarian candidate, nor the Communist, nor the Green. Minor party candidates are sometimes spoilers - like Nader costing Gore the presidency in 2000 - but they don't win presidential elections. Ross Perot got 20 million popular votes in 1992, and exactly zero Electoral College votes."
If Ross Perot can get 20 million votes, why can't John Doe get 200 million votes someday?
"A vote for Bush is a vote for the Republican agenda and conservative players in key posts."
It's also a vote for a prescription drug plan and a continued invasion by illegal aliens. It's a vote for Norm Mineta and Michael Brown.
We wonder why blacks continue to vote Democratic even though we think Dems do not help them. We wonder why Jews vote Dem even though Dems appear to not support Israel. Shouldn't we wonder why conservatives vote Republican even though Reps don't support conservative issues?
While the country has had a two-party system throughout its existence, it has not always been D and R. Either the R's will shape up or they will be shipped out.
While I will not vote for Menendez as New Jersey Senator, I haven't heard anything good about Kean, either. Someone else will probably get my vote. I am not going to vote against my long term interests.
But in _reality_ that's exactly what you'll be doing. See #17.
Not voting is against your long term interests. Tom Kean Jr. is certainly not the perfect candidate for a true Reagan conservative, but in the end he counts for the Republicans and on balance for the conservative coalition when the Senate establishes who will chair each committee. That does matter.