Selling your political beliefs out in order to gain a victory isn't much of a victory is it?
I think you're listening to Rush Limbaugh to much.
Don't listen to him anymore (haven't for a few years now). If he thinks Bush is selling out, then I might have to start listening to him again. Thanks for letting me know, I'll have to try and catch him sometime.
The main voices of criticism that are being launched at President Bush, are coming from those million or so, dissatisfied members of the Reform Party, Libertarian Party, Constitution Party and the Natural Law Party. They dwell in substantial numbers, here on FreeRepublic, but outside, in the real world, have no power or influence whatsoever.
I'm sure Gore and the elder Bush believe those third parties have no power or influence either. Those third parties that have no power or influence, the ones with candidates named "Nader" and "Perot" didn't have any influence in two out of the last three elections, now did they?
It's all about victory! The Founding Fathers knew that too, when they created our system of governing and politics, and the same is true today. First off, I'm not selling out my political beliefs, not for one minute. But political reality dictates, if you want an opportunity to control the reins of government, you must win election victory. I'm not satisfied sitting on the sidelines and being a political back bench bomb thrower. May be you are.
As Ronald Reagan said:
"When I began entering into the give and take of legislative bargaining in Sacramento, a lot of the most radical conservatives who had supported me during the election didn't like it. "Compromise" was a dirty word to them and they wouldn't face the fact that we couldn't get all of what we wanted today. They wanted all or nothing and they wanted it all at once. If you don't get it all, some said, don't take anything.
"I'd learned while negotiating union contracts that you seldom got everything you asked for. I have no expectations of making a hit every time I come to bat. What I seek is the highest possible batting average.
"If you got seventy-five or eighty percent of what you were asking for, I say, you take it and fight for the rest later, and that's what I told these radical conservatives who never got used to it."
Ronald Reagan, from his autobiography, An American Life
... candidates named "Nader" and "Perot" didn't have any influence in two out of the last three elections, now did they?
Perot did hurt Bush41 and cost him the election in 1992. I think people have seen what a mistake, the Reform Party was. I don't follow Nadar or the details of ultra-liberal thinkers, but I don't believe you'll see old Ralph receiving 2.7 million votes again. The left hates President Bush and will work for strict unity in 2004.
Those conservatives who are aren't satisfied with Bush and choose to vote third party, will be offset by independent voters, who view George W.Bush as an honest and trustworthy leader. Remember, conservatives aren't a majority and conservative candidates must appeal to the independent voters, in order to win elections.