Then you've missed the point.
We don't 'win' if the policies remain the same.
We don't 'win' if the core elements of conservatism are ignored because it is expedient to ignore them simply to put an 'R' behind the name of a state or major city.
In California we will probably gain ground by dumping the current lump of crap but unless Arnie swings well to the right we are only getting a band-aid.
I had decided on McClintock, but I was thinking last night that I'd vote for Arnold to keep Bustamante out. Then I thought about that fact they the only anti-abortion stance he's taken was against partial-birth abortion. (It's an arbitrary distinction, but it's better than nothing.) We do have to compromise on issues, so I asked myself what a reasonable compromise would be. I figured I could vote for anyone who opposed abortion after viability had been reached (generally at about 5 months), which I think is totally reasonable. Of course, Arnold couldn't even do that, so I voted for McClintock.