I vote ideology as well. I vote to defeat the vile and destructive democrat party ideology the best way I know how.
The primary is the time to vote FOR someone. For the general election, if you can't vote FOR the republican, vote to defeat the democrat.
See my tagline. I think republicans are often wrong. Democrats are nearly always wrong. So democrats need to be kept out of office. First, destroy the democrats. Then work on the republicans.
Cracker Jack,
In all liklihood, if my state was close like Florida in 2000, then I would vote for McCain knowing that I had a potentially important vote to cast.
That said, if I know beyond a reasonable doubt that I can’t affect the electoral outcome with my vote, then I would make the protest vote.
A lot of people who will vote third party here at FR would do exactly the same thing. So, you see, in no way could I fathom letting HRC win if I knew that my vote was potentially a decider.
If the outcome of my state is not in doubt, however, then I like the third party option because it says that “I’m not happy with any of you.”
So, instead of trying to get conservative Freepers to vote third party, I would encourage them to vote strategically. If you’re in a state that’s too close to call and winning that state could mean the difference, then you need to think long and hard about it at the very least.
On the other hand, protest votes, when used in the correct places, can be effective tools for sending a message.
I hope that I’ve made you feel better and I do encourage anybody who’s a conservative to use that same strategy.