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As you said, the Leftists control the Democratic Party. They forced the Democrats to pay more attention to them by being the difference in the Bush/Gore election. Before long they no longer had to settle for Nader and pushed Clintonites aside for the Deanies. They now control their party completely and have their nominee. They spoiled Gore and made their party listen to them.

They didn't "spoil" Gore. Gore "spoiled" himself by losing the 2000 election. Losing that election just energized the left. Bush and the Iraq war played into their hands as well. You haven't explained to me yet what the Greens have to do with all of this.

The remnant of the conservative movement left in the US is here because of Reagan. We tried to reassert under Gingrich's leadership but he was demonized and his own party tossed him to the wolves. Since then Republicans have put conservatives into the corner and we have been forced to either pretend someone is a conservative who is not, or settle for "the lesser evil".

I think the conservative movement will survive this election just fine and will probably flourish.

Third parties haven't figured in before for Republicans....but a few more "moderate" nominees who fail are likely to change that. I am getting on board early....Republicans can earn my vote back by returning to Reaganism and nominating people not afraid to say his name.

I think they have. Independents and third parties have given failed politicians something to do if they can't get the vice presidency or even an ambassadorship to a third world country. The "third party candidate" that Reagan faced in 1980 was a "Republican" named John Anderson, and Reagan trounced him along with Carter because 1) Reagan had a winning ideology as far as most of Republicans were concerned 2) Reagan didn't let his 1976 loss change his strategy, much less cause him to bolt the GOP and 3) Carter seriously pissed off the entire electorate. When Theodore Roosevelt went third party when Taft sought reelection, he helped get Wilson elected. Lincoln got reelected despite the actions of hotheads like Fremont. See a pattern here? Third parties are the kind of thing you should wish on the opposition. A "ground floor opportunity" always turns out to be a scam.

They didn't "spoil" Gore. Gore "spoiled" himself by losing the 2000 election. Losing that election just energized the left. Bush and the Iraq war played into their hands as well. You haven't explained to me yet what the Greens have to do with all of this.

The leftists felt betrayed by the triangulating no-core Clinton administration.

Many leftists voted for Nader because Gore was not leftist enough.

Had they not voted for Nader Gore would have won.

The Democratic Party was forced to pay more attention to them.

They threw Dean a position of power as a bone to satisfy them.

They now have the nominee of their party and the levers of power.

Thats about as simple as I can put it for you.

My original point was that one does not have to abandon the Republican Party forever.....but neither does one have to accept that they have "no place left to go" and be taken for granted.