One problem with this corrective action. It was purely symbolic. The CP didn't change any real policy or position. All they did was state what they believed prior, and what everyone knew they believed. (And I guess they made it harder for conservative jews to support them.)
Rinos will give us symbolic acts too. Dole allowed a very conservative platform, which he promptly denounced. We want the party to believe that the conservative way is the winning way, both for winning elections and improving our way of life.
(with all due respect)I think that you misunderstand the nature of the problem. Rinos think that they are the base, the majority. They honestly believe that moving left is the key to victory. Would losing in a liberal district encourage you to move to the left(to attract liberal voters?) I don't think so. Nor would I expect losing in a moderate or conservative district would prompt any Liberal to move to the right? Did Bob Dole's 96 campaign cause any liberal to conclude that they were too far to the left? No they really think that the Repubs lost because they were still too conservative. (Dole lost for a lot of reasons, one was moving left.)
The only way to get to get the conservative agenda passed is to have conservatives in control of one of the national parties, and to get a majority of conservatives elected to office. We are very close to doing that with the Republicans. It conservatives leave, we may never achieve it. You mentioned that the Repub might reform if they lost a lot of members to the CP. That's not going to happen. If conservatives leave, liberals will dominate the party. What the liberals will see is liberal democrats winning. They will conclude that they are not liberal enough. If we want to fix the Republican party, we should work to fix it. Not try to get the Rinos (who only want our votes, not our agenda) to do the work for us.
In conclusion, your post is yet another reason why conservative voters who now consider themselves Republicans should immediatly join the Constitution Party
Why not join the AHP instead? After all they were the first to declare themselves a "christian" party. Or why not just stay home?
Just being conservative is not a good enough reason to join a party. I'm just as conservative whither I vote or not. If a party wants my vote and support then they must offer me the possibilty of advancing the conservative agenda. The CP isn't about to elect anyone to the senate, let along take over it. How many times has phillips ran for Prez? Is one more time going to make any difference? At least with one 3rd party, the New York Conservative Party, they can influence some moderate to liberal repubs to make some conservative votes.
I would be more open to a third party if they followed the example of New York's Conservative Party. They don't run candidates, they endorse Repubs or Rats. They will only run a candidate if both the R and D reject a couple basic conservative issues. You mentioned that you thought that the AHP wouldn't run candidates against CP candidates? Why? Does the CP not run candidates to avoid harming conservative Republicans?
-----------------------
In one sense, they are the base. Both parties have alinated so many of the people that the turnout is low on election day out of disgust. Instead of appealing to those people they have disinfranchised, the parties squabble over the increasingly few they haven't alienated. There hasn't been a decent turnout since '92 when Perot, like him or not, brought millions of voters into the polling booths.
I agree with you that the goal is to advance conservative ideas. You think the best way is to stay in the Republican party and try to change its course, I think it is time to build up the Constitution Party.
We could go back and forth on this for a long time. Let me tell you though, I am a former Vice-Chairman of my counties republican committee. I was STATE vice chairman of the Young Republicans chapter. I have twice been a candidate for office in a state where even most Democrats are pro-life. I know what I am talking about.
Conservatives do not have a chance of changing the Republican party. The elites who run it are waiting for the very first opportunity to throw cultural conservatives to the wolves.
I am absolutley sure that, absent an act of God, it is too late to turn the tide for the GOP. I think W will be the last Presidnetial nominee even as conservative as Bob Dole.