IMO, you are missing the forest for the trees. You believe that a vote for the top of the ticket is all that is needed to send a message that your wishes are being ignored in politics.
Well, the reason your demands are not being heeded is that you lack the political clout to have them heeded. And that is your fault!
Right now, the current political culture in America is that people(those who vote - not those who carp) believe they have a right to entitlements.
You are advocating a change at the top as a solution to your political problems.... I believe a change at the top, whether it be Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Constitutional Party, Green Party, Tightwad Party, or You Ain't Getting Another Dime From Me Party will not solve a thing. The government will continue to expand... the entitlements will continue to roll. FDR started a huge tidal wave 66 years ago... and America likes the ride.
What is needed is a grass root reeducation of the American electorate. After living off the government "tit" for so long... they need to be given reasons why it is, in the long term, detrimental to both the country and themselves.
If you can't vote for Bush because of legitimate reasons... and you are gleefully hoping that the conservative base will desert him to "teach him a lesson," know that you will have sent a message alright! Because Kerry or some other Democrat will be placed in office... placed there by the "center" (who actually determines elections, sorry but true). And the people's message will be to keep the entitlement training rolling if you want to stay in office.
In Ohio, Howard Metzenbaum only had to run one ad on TV during the last week of any election. It can be summed up like this: "That mean ole conservative is going to take away your social security." Worked like a charm. The people (and they are the ones that matter) don't want their social security taken away. They want their Medicare. They want their prescription drugs... and they will vote for those politicians who will give it to them. Conservative after conservative died in Ohio. Finally, we have two centrist Republicans... lesson learned. Keep the entitlements flowing and you keep your seat.
When I was young, one of my jobs was to rid the yard of dandelions. I thought that I could just mow them down. But they grew back, and they had multiplied. So, I had to go to each one... stick a tool in the ground and pull the dandelion out by the root. That took care of the problem.
Same thing here. Until the "conservatives" who scream for accountability begin the reeducation of America to the fiscal disaster that we are facing, this country will not stop their feeding frenzy on public money. If you can make the electorate understand that their continual voting themselves money out of the public treasury is leading to the slow death of America, you may finally get a politician who will stand for conservative policies... and the people to vote him into office. But until "conservatives" are willing and ready to begin the reeducation process, you will get no sympathy from me when you vote your third party candidate or stay at home and deliver this country back to the democrats. (Yes, I know...spare me your tirade about there not being any difference between the two... if you can't tell the difference between the two...I have to doubt just how politically perceptive you are.)