The GOP, like the DEMs, are basically monopolies. They have so little in common in principle, you can't consider them in competition. They are selling different products. Apples and oranges. And they both like it that way. They use the threat of the other party to keep their voters on the plantation. No matter how bad they are, to their base, the opposition is worse. And so they get to be unaccountable.
I don't see how to change that. It seems that you have to try to make a difference in the primaries, but even there, voters have differing philosophies. They want to pick a winner, and compromise on principle. To me, the primaries is the one chance to not compromise, but I think that's a minority view.
In the end, we get what we deserve, unfortunately. I really don't see any solution. I think we're basically screwed.
In the ‘10 MA Gov race, you have Deval Patrick (D, pal of Obama) with horrid poll numbers, facing a GOP challenger (either Charles Baker or Christy Mihos—Mihos ran as an independent in ‘06) and an independent, former Dem treasurer Tim Cahill (who is alleged to be a fiscal conservative). Some recent polls show that Cahill and the GOP candidate, whomever it is, would split the anti-incumbent vote and get Deval
back in, despite Patrick’s low numbers (while there is a lot of anti-tax sentiment in the state there are also lots of moonbats who will vote D at any cost, despite Deval’s current crappy poll numbers)
I'm in that boat too. And I sure as heck don't accept the "you must vote for one of the big parties" arguments. The nation is intended to be comprised of FREE people, and party politics is anathema to that. I'll vote GOP if I like the candidate, otherwise I won't. I hope my attitude gives some heartburn to the GOP-or-else cheerleaders. The GOP got us big spending, entrenched federal bureaucracy, etc. Just a dilute form of the same poison that is the DEM party.
To the title of the trhaead, I thought twice, and then some. I'm still going to vote my conscience over any party.