Rest assured that I have the least bit of interest in teaching the GOP a lesson like many of the conservatives who refused to vote in the last election. If the GOP surrenders it's morals by selecting a social liberal as their candidate, they are no longer the Party of Lincoln but simply a party of greedy jerks looking for a name and a home.
But, after the primary, you're going to have two candidates -- and only two candidates -- to select from.
If you want to elect the socialist, it's your right.
But, if that's what you want to do, you need to vote in the Democrat primary.
You say you've been a GOP voter for forty years. My first presidential vote was for Barry Goldwater. Over the course of my life, only two candidates have been in general (but not total) accord with my views: Goldwater and Reagan. Both were Republicans.
Over that same period, the Democrats have offered nobody that came even close to meeting my standards. Indeed, those who were elected were all proven disasters. All three of them -- Johnson, Carter, Clinton. Each ranked among the worst presidents this country has ever had to suffer through.
Nixon, GHWB and GWB weren't all that great, I'll agree. But they were a helluva lot better than what the Democrats were offering up.
When you punish the Republican party, you're punishing America.
Think about it.