[WOSG]

“I didn’t mean the harm done could be easily corrected, but that a Dem win, whether it’s Hillary OR Obama, could help to resurrect the conservative movement.”

Ah, that is different, and a bit more valid ... But again, I would
1) Put our country first here. What’s best for USA, nor our movement/party?
2) I heard that argument (’we can win by losing’) in 2006 when conservatives started getting in their funk - toss the Congress to the Democrats and the GOP would wisen up and conservatives would get back on top. Did it work? Not in this primary! We never win by losing. We end up losing, then losing more, then having no power, leverage or voice at all.

I am afraid that the real consequence of an Obama victory is a permanent left-ward shifting of the political landscape. When Bush won the media was intent on make America seem divided. When Clinton won - poof - there was no ‘red state’ he was president of all, and the dissenters were ‘angry voices’ on the ‘right’ who were just “a VRWC”. They will do that again to us.

“However, when the enemy is in our own party (ie., McCain) then it’s more likely to be destructive, not unifying.”

Understood. It’s why I speak of us being a ‘loyal opposition’ if he wins. We cannot and will not be silent if and when he crosses conservatives. But with McCain we have leverage we will not have in the new ObamaNation.

[CottonBall]

Ah, that is different, and a bit more valid ... But again, I would 1) Put our country first here. What’s best for USA, nor our movement/party? 2) I heard that argument (’we can win by losing’) in 2006 when conservatives started getting in their funk - toss the Congress to the Democrats and the GOP would wisen up and conservatives would get back on top. Did it work? Not in this primary! We never win by losing. We end up losing, then losing more, then having no power, leverage or voice at all.

I put the country first of course. The part can go to hell after what it's done. BUT, in order to put the country first, I put conservatism right up there as well. Without a conservative movement, the country is doomed. As are all the socialist countries out there.

Having McCain in will do very detrimental things to the conservative movement, even more than Bush has done. Thsoe that sat out 2004 did so with justified reasons. However, it backfired because we lost congress. I would never sit out an election because congress and local governments are too important. But I will never again vote for a RINO 'hoping' the party will get the idea and magically change. If they don't learn the hard way - loss of donations, loss of votes - then they deserve to go the way of the Whigs. Another will rise from the ashes. Keeping the status quo by encouraging them by supporting them no matter now much they stray from the party principles just makes them veer farther left (ie., the fact that McCain is the nominee is unbelievable. In 2000, he didn't have a chance.) Who's next? Is there another 'Republican' more liberal than McCain? Perhaps Kennedy will be on 'our' ticket in 2012...