Bring on the hysteria. I personally could less about the MSM, what matters is that voters from the mushy mainstream middle do care. You're living in dreamland if you think you're going to win any elections without them.
MSM is going to have a field day anyway. Their best weapon against conservatives is making them ashamed of themselves.
Wow, now that is truly ironic. It seems people like you and many on this thread are doing a bang-up job toward that end yourselves.
How is it hysterical to state that your need to compromise, driven by the liberal press, is a part of the problem that we need to recognize and to therefore choose not to do?
It’s not true that you could personally care less about MSM. You are advocating making a strategic decision based on their acceptance and what they will and will not “have a field day” with.
In response to your other point, its really quite the opposite. I do not think conservatives should be ashamed of themselves. But whenever we cave on a candidate or an issue because we are afraid of how it will be perceived by liberals and the liberal press, I do think we are making both an ideological and a strategic mistake. Ideological because we are compromising with those who truly wish us harm. Strategic because conservative principals are best served bluntly.
For example, can you describe to me the best conservative way to be tolerant toward terrorists?
How about the best conservative way to allow illegals to live here illegally?
What the best conservative way to have the government make sure everyone in a capitalist society makes the same amount of money?
These questions and others are questions that those who decide to compromise with liberals try to answer. In fact they are not able to be answered, and should not be able to be answered for the simple fact that conservatives do not want to answer those questions. They are the ideological equivalent of the question: “So is it true that you still beat your wife?” They are not able to be answered without contaminating your principals.
That is exactly where the danger has been for conservatives in the past, and exactly where it will be in the future. Rove understands the need not to compromise principals. It would be great if the rest of us could learn the lesson once and for all.