I think it depends on your definition of "We." Do you mean the voters, the GOP activists, or the GOP leadership?
I can only mildly criticize voters for not showing up when there are such miserable choices put before them and such nasty tactics employed that their votes are largely negated anyway. In California, we've had truly exceptional conservative candidates run for office and the GOP leadership actually work to undermine their campaign. If a football team loses because their quarterback is playing for the other team (throws the game), do you blame the team?
Can you expect GOP activists to get fired up about candidates who do not share their values? Do you expect them to be successful in recruiting others and creating a sense of enthusiasm? Ain't gonna happen. (I think you know and agree with this--I'm just trying to make my point).
But, I think tubebender's question had to do with a recent change in GOP rules that might have worked to further depress the Republican vote in California. In prior years, for Primary elections, those registered as DTS were allowed to vote either an (R) or (D) ballot. This year, no DTS voters were allowed to cast a vote on the (R) ballot while the Dems did allow it. Now, smart conservative freepers like SierraWasp knew this and changed their registration from DTS to Republican before the election so he could vote. I would guess that the majority of California DTSers were unaware of this and were given the choices of a) not voting for the presidential nominee or b) voting a Democrat ticket.
I don't know if the current rules are good or bad--I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, I think if the Republican Party is to choose a nominee, that candidate should be chosen by Republicans. On the flip-side, Republicans have become so disenchanted with the leadership in the GOP working against the Party platform that they have left in droves. 20% of voters are registered as DTS--a good portion of those are conservatives.
All of the above. It is the voters who fail to become familiar with the issues and the candidates. It is the GOP activists -- especially conservatives -- who failed to put up a good candidate. And it is the GOP leadership of Ken Mehlman, Karl Rove, and Mel Martinez that gave us nothing but RINOs.
Did you happen to hear the election nite stories of Alameda County and Santa Clara county voters who were DTS and showing up in hords demanding so many Democrat ballots that they physically ran out of Dem ballots and had to start photocopying them in order to satisfy demand?
Three judges got into a pitched battle to be the most accomodating in their commands to keep the polls open, especially in Alameda County where they were kept open an extra TWO HOURS!!! All because of this shortage of Dem ballots.
Now tell me, what does THIS episode clue us into???
Yes, Mrs. Wasp and I will be returning to DTS registration just as soon as we vote in the normal June Primary because we refuse to swell the ranks of a political party that ignores it's platform and continually craps on conservativism after decades of serving as a home to us conservatives!!! I never go where I'm not appreciated... never!!!