Where’s it written we want “purity”? We want the most qualified conservative candidate. I realize I’ll never get all I look for, but I can try. And that’s what primaries are for.
These people are running real scared. They know there’s change, real change, in the wind and they don’t want to be left on the outside looking in.
Tell that to the legions of nitpickers who attack Pawlenty, Palin, and even Herman Cain.
Barbour is exactly right: Ronald Reagan isn't walking through that door, and even the Gipper wasn't perfect.
Considering the quality of people involved with state & national politics, I'm willing to live with anyone halfway decent.
“Where’s it written we want “purity”? We want the most qualified conservative candidate.”
That’s purity. You are either consercvative or you are not. We don’t have a middle ground. For lack of that candidate(Palin, Bachmann, Cain) you wind up with Romney.
The difference is conservatives are proud to be conservatives. Liberals have to lie about not being liberals.
Purity = strawman.
You can see it on several thousand FR threads. So-and-so is supposedly wishy-washy on abortion, or immigration, or unions, or gay marriage, or China, or whatever.... "He's a RINO, and he'll never get my vote."
You can even see that sort of thing on this very thread.
Barbour is right. But I don't expect many folks on this thread to admit it.