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You are thinking waaay too small. Like I said, conservatives can't do it alone. Look at all the different types of folks who are bank-rolling and voting for Romney. Those are the folks you need to persuade.

I'm thinking small? I'm talking about conservatives relegating the Republican Party to third-party status and you say I'm thinking small? Hardly. If there's anything we ought to have learned from 2010 it's that individuals can think for themselves. They don't need big money to tell them how to vote. They need to believe that their vote makes a difference and if the party doesn't give them what they want, they can effect real change.

Me? I'm voting for whoever leads the pack against Obama at the moment I walk into the voting booth. But for someone to lead the pack, they are going to have to look far beyond us conservatives. Conservatives as a voting bloc are easily outnumbered by all the other registered republicans, centrists, RINOs, right-leaning dems, libertarians, independants, north-east-country-clubbers, etc, etc, etc...

You're the one who needs to think big. You vote the pack mentality and once the GOP-E has told you who you have to support, you knuckle under. Sorry to be so blunt, but that's what you've done. That's not thinking big.

We're the base of the Republican Party. Without us they aren't able to win national elections. The phrase goes "Democrats fall in love, Republicans fall in line." When we fall in line, we get candidates like John McCain and Bob Dole -- who STILL lose.

Your unknown candidates won't go far enough via the conservative grassroots alone. All those voting demographics I mentioned above? The vast majority of them will vote like they are told to vote, by the MSM, the Dems and the GOP. It is entirely frustrating, but that's what we are up against. People no longer look at voting like they did in the 50's.

Tell that to Mike Lee and Richard Mourdock. I admitted that my way is a longshot before, but we've had success. Do me the courtesy of admitting that a principled group of conservatives can get a job done. But you're right, people no longer look at voting like they did in the 50s. Thanks in part to the Tea Party, they now think for themselves.

I'm not voting to make myself feel good. That's what the primaries were for. Now I'm voting for survival and damage control. At this point, I don't care who I vote for, as long as he stand the best chance of defeating Obama. I'll vote for the town drunk if he's out in front.

I'm not casting a feel-good vote either. I'm voting for a conservative because only a conservative can save the Republic. And Mitt Romney ain't it, sir. Others have said it, but it does need to be said again. This site exists for the advancement of grass-roots conservatism. It's on the home page. If voting for Mitt Romney, or in your admittedly far-fetched example, the town drunk, advances grass-roots conservatism, I'd love to hear how that takes place.

That being said, I'm also not against primary-ing Romney if he's elected. In fact, I hope we do find some candidate we can all agree on (pipe dream, I know) to primary Romney if he's elected, if only to keep the pressure on.

There hasn't been primary pressure on an incumbent President since Ted Kennedy primaried Jimmy Carter in 1980. And even that didn't last. As President, Romney will control the party apparatus, he'll control appointments, and he'll get his way. Opposition from the right will be useless by that point in time. That means 2020 at the earliest before we get another shot at a conservative candidate, who would presumably have to run against Romney's Vice President in the event he wins a second term. I'm sorry. That's not good enough. I'm not going to support that and I'm sure not going to vote for it. However, I respect your right to do so.

I'm talking about conservatives relegating the Republican Party to third-party status and you say I'm thinking small?

Absolutely! Your end goal is admirable, but you are aiming WAAAAY too small if you are relying on conservatives alone to get it done. To achieve any success, you would first have to increase the number of conservatives as a voting bloc by orders of magnitude. As things stand now, you would barely register on the radar screen or get labeled an extremist by all those other voting blocs on the right. You are a goldfish in a bowl full of sharks.

You vote the pack mentality and once the GOP-E has told you who you have to support

Wrong again. The GOP-E told all those Romney voters who to vote for in the primaries -and- they did just as they were told. I voted for Gingrich. Now, the choice comes down to two "most-viable" candidates: Obama & whoever the GOP runs. You want me to vote for someone other than the GOP candidate? Fine. Give me someone more viable than the GOP candidate and I will *DEFINITELY* vote for him. You have until Nov. 6th, 2012 when I walk into that voting booth to to get it done. Take your time.

I'm not beholden to the GOP, I'm beholden to whoever stands the best chance of beating Obama and I don't care who that is. If you don't feel the same, then I presume you are either desperate for some way to feel good about yourself (country be damned) and/or you actually prefer Obama for whatever reason. Knowingly voting for someone who you know darn well doesn't stand a snowball's chance is an act of futility.

Do me the courtesy of admitting that a principled group of conservatives can get a job done

They can, but name the last time a principled group of conservatives displaced the GOP's presidential candidate *after* the nominating convention? You can't. Local, State and US Congress races? Oh, heck yes! Presidential races? I admire your optimism, but wishful thinking won't get you anywhere and we lack the leverage to force it. Go fish.

If voting for Mitt Romney, or in your admittedly far-fetched example, the town drunk, advances grass-roots conservatism, I'd love to hear how that takes place.

If the majority of likely voter polling indicates the town-drunk leads all others opposing Obama, then that's who I vote for. Don't like the town-drunk? Then get your guy out in front. I don't care *who* it is as long as Obama is gone. We have three or four SCOTUS justices in their 80's. Given those appointments are for *LIFE* and we already know Obama favors lib/prog/lesbian/whatever Justices (Kagen & Sotomayor), I won't vote in any way that gives any statistical advantage to Obama that might lead to him picking one or more replacement justices next term. You can give him all the advantage you like, but don't even bother trying to sell me an infeasible long-shot. For the nth time, I'm voting for whoever stands the best chance of beating Obama at this point, whoever that may be. Currently that's the GOP candidate. Don't foolishly presume that indicates I support the GOP. If you get your candidate ahead of the GOP candidate, I'll switch in a heartbeat, GOP be damned. It is just that simple.

Opposition from the right will be useless by that point in time

What? A moment ago, you were all gung-ho on the miraculous power of a "a principled group of conservatives" doing the impossible. Get them together and make it known wide and far that we are seeking a primary challenger for the next election. We'll have 4 years - *YEARS* - to get our act together and apply whatever pressure we can bear. Right now we only have 4 months. You couldn't even get conservatives to agree on a candidate in four months. That's why the most viable candidate is the only sane option.

You are talking about abandoning Romney to get some stealth candidate out in front and you can't even name an alternate candidate that a majority of conservatives will agree on. Now, if there was such a candidate, we would not be having this conversation and you know it. We would all be united behind *OUR* candidate and we'd all on the same sheet of music (or the clear majority of us would be).

Look, I don't care to hear about your fantasy candidate. I don't care to hear the same old retreaded complaints about Romney - you're preaching to the choir. All I want to hear about is a specific candidate and how we convince all the needed voting blocs to pull the lever for that guy over Obama. Then we need to see some polling of likely voters indicating that they are buying what we are selling. I don't care if that's the GOP candidate, some stealth candidate or even the town drunk. You get him in the lead -- I vote for him. Plain & simple.