[WOSG]

“I said that conservatism has lost in this election. Show me a conservative amonst the 3 likely presidential candidates. There isn’t one.”

I am not speaking out of context. your comment is pessimistic and fatalistic. I was jumping out of my chair trying to fight the tide - SINCE BEFORE IOWA - that was crystal clear to me ... a Huck/McCain double team that was taking down the Thompson/Romney combo ... but guess what. it’s a done deal.

This is now - mccain got a 65% ACU rating last year, lifetime is 83%. prolife, good on spending, not good on nanny-statism and immigration. right on iraq.

2008, with mcCain v Obama *CAN BE A VICTORY FOR CONSERVATIVES* if we make it so. you say conservatives lost. I say we lost only when we give up.

Which would be the crushing defeat for conservatives?
a moderately conservative RINO or the most liberal senator in the country as president?

Since when is pessimism and fatalism a conservative virtue? we always have the choice to advance the cause as best we can. what are the top 5 things conservatives need to achieve in the next 5 years? Are they more likely to happen with a Republican or Democrat president?

Instead of dismissing my questions, why dont you actually consider them. Consider the question: How can conservatives make silk purse out of this 2008 election?

“And as far as your question goes, my top issues “ ... which are ????

“Gridlock is our best bet for the next 4 years.” Dem President + coattails does not equal gridlock. it equates to the total destruction of everything we believe in. see, you *can* be foolishly and unwisely hopeful about things when you set your mind to it!!!

[CottonBall]

Instead of dismissing my questions, why dont you actually consider them. Consider the question: How can conservatives make silk purse out of this 2008 election?

I'm not dismissing your questions - you just didn't like my answers and are dismissing them yourself. The 'silk purse' moment is long gone. The best conservatives can do at this point is limit the damage. Get as many conservatives in Congress as we can. (I'm no longer using 'Republican' or 'Democrat'. The terms are now meaningless w/r political orientation.) And although you have a point about judicial appointments, if McCain is the next president, we'll have even more liberal legislation than with a Dem. The Rs will back McCain (just as they have Bush) no matter how liberal the policies (amnesty, spending). They will oppose a Dem, however, on the exact same policies.

Another issue is the long-term affect on the party. This is probably similar to your SC nomination scenario in how it can devastate the country. The GOP has been advancing left for decades. With a McCain win, the GOP establishment will consider that that's the correct path and that they don't need conservatives. But beyond that, with tens of millions of new Democrat voters (illegals), a leftward shift for decades will be inevitable. And the backlash of a McCain presidency advancing this agenda will drive the WH back into the arms of the Democrats. Not that it would matter that much, since we'll have 2 liberal parties to 'chose' from.

So our choices are pitiful, no matter how you spin it.

And as far as the justices being over 70 - McCain's there himself. If that's too old for an SC justice, it's probably too old for a president. (If the next president is a one-termer, it'll likely be the one after that that appoints more justices. Most wait to quit until they are extremely ill or very, very old.)

[CottonBall]

see, you *can* be foolishly and unwisely hopeful about things when you set your mind to it!!!

Gee, the McCain cheerleaders surely know how to get people to their side! Insults certainly attract.

Go ahead and vote McCain. It's your right. And go ahead and bash everyone here who won't vote for him. It makes no difference to me.

But I'm done here. (meaning with you, not with FR)

[CottonBall]

2008, with mcCain v Obama *CAN BE A VICTORY FOR CONSERVATIVES* if we make it so. you say conservatives lost. I say we lost only when we give up.

I don't see the conservative in that mix (McCain, Obama). You can't possibly spin this enough to make McCain appear to be one.