-—”them principles look good, all polished and up on the mantle piece, gathering tarnish and rust during the next eight years of hell”-—
You’re right, who needs principles?
They only get in the way.......
However, sitting out an election because the candidate is insufficiently conservative does nothing, absolutely nothinmg, to advance those same values. Rather, it guarantees just the opposite, further slide to the left. But you know that, or I hope you do. Do you?