Calm down "old timer". Now IS the time to hash out these differences. We have 2007 to argue ideas and be "idealists". There will be plenty of time in 2008 to vote for the lesser of two evils.
Now is the time to thrash things out; however, now is NOT the time to behave as so many here have, in childish and brutish fashion.
Your time line is out of whack. By early February of '08, if not sooner, most of the bottom tier GOP presidential wannabes will be gone. The primary comes before the general election, you know. :-)