[Chi-townChief]

"Thus, when the only goal is to get Republicans in power in an effort to deprive the Democrats of power, they sometimes forget why they wanted change in the first place. "

Kyle obviously misses the point that this is a pretty good reason to get the Pubbies in and then we can work from the inside to sway them more to the right. Putting a Democrat in to punish the GOP for not being conservative enough is like pounding your head against a brick wall to get rid of a headache.

[Iconoclast2]

And just how do you "work from the inside to turn them to the right?" In my experience concerning Western environmental issues, they all have no principles and no interest in fixing things once they get to D.C. And I specifically mean the Bush Administration higher level appointees in D.C. . .

[roughrider]

"Kyle obviously misses the point that this is a pretty good reason to get the Pubbies in and then we can work from the inside to sway them more to the right."

Now, you people say this election after election. It is a variation of the "hold their feet to the fire" argument. Well, "holding their feet to the fire" means nothing if all you want people to do is BLUFF the Republican Party. Just by posting the remarks you made, you TELEGRAPH to that party that any attempt to "move them to the right" is just a BLUFF on your part. You'll never get them to move right by saying: "I'd sure like you to move to the right, but if you won't, I'll vote for you anyway." Your desire for them to "move to the right" is hollow in their eyes if there are no consequences for continuing to move left, which only incites the Democrats to move FURTHER left, as the GOP has given them the excuse, and the reason, to move further left to maintain their voter base.

If the Reagan victory and the 1994 takeover of Congress did not convince these professional vote seekers that "moving more to the right" brings success, then a TOOTHLESS demand from voters that they do so will not impress them at all.

Besides, when anyone TRIES to hold their feet to the fire, you people tell them to STOP, at least until the next election cycle starts, when we are all told how "possible" it is to reform the Republicans, even though there are never supposed to be any real consequences for them if they don't.