Bates, don’t rattle my cage. I’m not voting for McCain. I’m a conservative.
If you look across the isle at the democrat party they are figuring out ways to peel off voters from the Republican (Conservative Party).
How have they started doing that, I only have to look no further than my own back yard; they have put up a candidate that is strong on defense, strong on social values, but still calls himself a Democrat. This man was once a one time proud Reagan Conservative and Secretary of the Navy - yes, I’m talking about James Webb. If you had told me ten years ago he would become a Democrat I would have laughed you out of the room. But, there it is, the first salvo fired in the war for the “strong on defense constituency,” and there will be more to follow — count on it.
Essentially, the Dems have pulled a page out of our play book and are now starting to beat us with what was once “our” issue.
And there will be more, they will continually try to find those issues in the middle or just slightly to the right of center (the low handing fruit issues) and they will continue to pluck them and beat us with them if we don’t rally around our candidate.
We (as a party) have to get strong here and not give in to the idea that somehow by not supporting John McCain, we will teach the Republican party a lesson for ignoring the Conservative base, because, we could possibly never win another election again.
The process is the process, the fact is we have to put better candidates forward that are electible, failure to do so will ensure many future trips to the woodshed — not so desirable (ala Bill Clinton).