[cajungirl]

I think it is a poor strategy. The truth is a big constituency of Bush was people who are not antiabortion. The prolifer repubs need the prochoice pubs and vice versa.

The risk when pro lifers out of hand stay home to defeat a republican, as what happened with Bush the elder is that the republican party will move to the middle, picking up democrats, some of whom have their biggest objections to republicans who are very conservative.

I am rambling but I think the conservative wing of the republican party could be made marginal by the party moving to the middle and picking up conservative dems. And then either extreme of the pubs and dems are out in the cold, a permanent minority.

All this, "I will stay at home if the candidate is not pro life" makes it likely you will end up at home with no reason and no one to vote for and more importantly no one who represents you.

[bahblahbah]

There are hardly any conservative dems who aren't socially conservative. That plan will not work.

[Dan from Michigan]

I am rambling but I think the conservative wing of the republican party could be made marginal by the party moving to the middle and picking up conservative dems.

Reagan did that. My state's known for Reagan democrats.

However, the conservative dems for the most part are pro-life and pro-gun. They are liberal on "big business" issues. Populists.

And with manufacturing jobs moving outside the state, both parties need to address plans for that.