“When the McCains and Murkowskis and Roves of the world point out that the the Tea Party and Freepers of the world are very far to their right, they get scorn and ridicule.
I truly don’t understand the difference.”
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I think what you’re seeing is the battle for the soul of the GOP. This is a predecessor for the battle of the soul of the nation, which will happen in 47 days and in 2012. Those of us to the right of the “McCains and Murkowskis and Roves” happen to know from experience what happens when you compromise principles, like those people often do.
That is why we’re passionate about opposing their compromise. They can certainly point out that we’re to their right, or even far to their right, but that they say from their location squarely in the midst of squishy compromise.
See the difference? :)
Oh, I agree 100%. This is a battle. I for one am glad that the Tea Party candidates are sweeping the board.
Had this race gone the other way, I would have wanted everyone on this board to swallow hard and say, OK, I’m on board for RINO Castle. I’ll hold my nose and go vote for him.
I am pretty sure that wouldn’t have happened. And of course that’s the prerogative of everyone here. I just don’t see the point in righteous indignation that Rove is doing to the conservative candidate in DE exactly what Freepers would have done to Castle had the tables been turned.
I’m all in favor of a primary battle for the soul of the GOP. I’m all in favor of losing some general election battles in the short term in the pursuit of long term gains. What bothers me is POINTLESS losses. As members of the same party, RINOs and conservatives should feel free to pummel one another in the primaries, so long as they come together and support one another in the general.
I’m happy that Castle is out even though that likely means the loss in the general. I think O’Donnell has a shot and to me it’s worth taking the risk; and moreover, if there is a loss then next time around this clears the decks. Castle is just plain done and gone.
But Rove is a donkey’s hind end for the way he behaved last night. He is merely helping to seal the very outcome (a loss in DE) that he laments happening.
And yet ... his nonsense is no worse than a fair bit of what I read here.
Let’s have a battle royale for the soul of the party. I’m happy for that. I’ll sign up, with some reservations, for the Freeper side. But let’s never forget that the real adversary is the left.