This subjective "principles" mantra is getting old. Principles are self defined and very often used to mask plain bull-headedness. Your "principles" are NOT necessarily MY "principles". I am as conservative as any sane person on this forum however I know the real world and the real world states that this country is not about to elect a foaming at the mouth "real conservative". Bush is doing just fine given what happened in the election, and cards that have been dealt to him. I am not willing to burn down the village to save it.
Yet the Democrats keep nominating foaming-at-the-mouth liberals. Sometimes they win, sometimes they don't. The point is that the Democrats DON'T LIVE IN FEAR OF HAVING THEIR PRINCIPLES KNOWN.