What I wrote: “What I want to know is whether or not you think you and I can sit in the same tent if it were economics that is the place where the compromises are made, not life and not national security.”
What I answered: “I realize your question is not directed to me, but I will give you an answer anyway, an answer that I believe is shared by most true conservatives.
No.”
My follow-up question: You don’t think we can sit in the same tent. Should I, then, cease posting here on FR? Should I re-register as a political independent, leaving the Republican Party behind?
Regardless of whether your party registration is "independent" or "republican" or "socialist" or "green" or "constitution" or "reform" or "communist" or "Let's ..." the only realistic choices we have in a Presidential race (and with very few exceptions congressional and gubernatorial races as well) are between the democrat and republican nominees. Given those choices, in general you can count on the democrat candidate to support a position of higher taxes, higher government regulations of just about everything (except they will oppose any and all regulation of abortion on demand), and gun control legislation. You can also count on the democrat candidate to support legislation strengthening the organized criminal institutions known as labor unions. If you want to register as a member of any of those other parties, that is fine, but just remember that if your vote choice helps elect democrats then you are voting for higher taxes, more regulation, more restrictive gun control laws, and in general an economic and political system that leans more toward socialism than toward free-market capitalism.
Whether you cease posting on FR is something only you can decide, the same as your question on re-registration. Right now, I would say you and others [somewhat] similarly situated are in the drivers seat. It is the GOP Big Tent that has abandoned conservatives--it's your tent now, not ours. Haven't you noticed all those empty seats where conservatives used to sit? Most of us are long gone as a consequence of the hijacking of the Republican party by the big government/expanded entitlements/open borders/NWO yahoos. If we don't see some prompt and dramatic course corrections, we won't be returning. I'm not interested in supporting a Republican party that is tainted with the diseases of European socialism. In other words, it is we conservatives who should be asking whether we should re-register, not you. It's your Big Tent--at least for now.
Having said all that, I would be quite disappointed to see you depart. It is undeniably true that FR is a conservative site (as strongly reaffirmed by Jim Rob on 3/02/07):
" The words of Jim Robinson on pushing a liberal like Rino Rudy. “How many times must I say FR is a conservative site? We do not support abortionism, homosexualism, feminisim, environmentalism, gun control, liberalism, socialism, etc, etc, etc. When I say I suspect we will become even more conservative than we already are, possibly via attrition if nothing else, what do you think I’m referring to? When FR starts pushing hard and I mean hard against abortion, gay marriage, homosexual education forced on our school children, pandering to illegal aliens, gun control, McCaine-Feingold type usurpation, global warming, etc, etc, even if supported or advanced by the GOP, then I fully suspect certain types of moderate/liberal Republican supporters are probably going to be a little uncomfortable here. We will be fighting for traditional American conservatism no matter who we have to fight against and I’m afraid that’s going to piss off some folks.” Jim Robinson, 3/2/07
Nevertheless, your posts here are always on point, articulate, and sometimes brilliant. I look forward to seeing what you have to say on various issues of particular interest to conservatives. While you haven't changed my mind on the issues, I (and others, I believe)have benefitted from your always well reasoned and thorough analyses. I would hate to lose that.