The problem is, I understand it all to clear, and was blindly being led around until I came to that understanding.
You see, the GOP has had plenty of times over the past 30, 40 years, when it was in control of the White House, or Congress, or the Supreme Court (well the SC doesn't really count in this matter) to do all of the things you or I would like them to do.
The GOP has had ample opportunities over and over and over to try and govern more closely along the lines of the Constitution, to wean people (and corporations) off of welfare, to setup a better tax collection system (or perhaps get rid of it), to trim the size of the federal government, to give us back more control, more freeoms, more rights, more privacy, to make this a Nation of the people, by the people, for the people.
But they didn't. Time after time the GOP had the power for real change. But they didn't. But it didn't matter because they had people like you and me making excuses for them, saying they had to compromise, or the timing wasn't right, or it was an election year.
You keep fighting the fight by compromising more and more with the liberals. I'm not. I've got the guts to try something new for a change. You can say I'm going to fail from the start. That's fine, I stood up for what I believed and didn't cave in and compromise. I can more than live with myself for that. You may consider compromising on things you really believe in to be some kind of victory in the fight, but if it's a victory, it's a hollow victory.
I see no point in discussing this any further - you keep right on compromising and calling it "staying and fighting" I'll do my own fighting with a different party. It maybe an underdog party, but I don't mind "losing" elections as long as my conscience is clear.
That's simply not true and you know it too.
For the last 20 years, we've basically had political gridlock in Wash-DC. In the last forty years, Republicans have controlled the full Congress during two very short periods. 1952-1954 and 1995 to 2001. In the years of the mid-1990's, Republicans were beginning to make some significant changes, but with a Democrat President and without a substantial majority in both chambers of Congress, it was impossible for Republicans, to do what they really wanted to do. Newt Gingrich and the Contract with America, led to some bold legislative accomplishments. Those days are over. Now with Republicans in control of the House only and with very slim margins to boot, it's back to political gridlock.
I don't advocate employing compromise at every turn. It should be used sparingly, if at all, but compromise does remain an important political tool.
I also believe it takes more guts to stay and fight, then to cut and run.
>>>... I don't mind "losing" elections as long as my conscience is clear.
Well, that's the BIG difference between us. I want to see as much political change brought about, as is humanly possible, but losing elections will not accomplish anything. As far as my conscience goes, I don't lose any sleep at night. I suspect you do.