Ditto regarding ideological purity. Politics is the art of the possible. We fight hard for our principles, but when not enough people agree with us, we are faced with a choice. In Massachusetts it is Scott Brown or Elizabeth Warren. Well, that damn Scott Brown just said he is pro-choice. I am going to show him. I will hold my breath. I will stomp my feet. I will not show up at the polls and let Elizabeth Tonto Warren win the seat. And so instead of getting 80% of what we believe, we get zero. The other side has consolidated its grip on power. But we showed them.
In Missouri, only a fool, such as the candidate himself, believes Todd Akin can win. Yes, it is unfair what happened. The leftist media has too much control. The game is rigged. So voters in Missouri are faced with a choice. Stand on principle, continue to support Akin, and let McCasKILL have the seat. That seat may make the difference in control of the Senate. Or they can demand that Akin get out and actively work toward that end. Akin is an arrogant ass who believes only he can advance the pro-life position. He says it is not about him. Yeah, Todd.
If I may, here is an analogy about ideological purity. A guy who lives in a high crime area does not believe in violence or guns. We may disagree on self-defense and think he is foolish, but we can respect him because he stands on principle. In a home invasion robbery he cannot defend his family and they are murdered. He can feel proud of himself for standing on principle. But he has a dead family. What did he accomplish?
But then you always hear that if an Akin or an O’Donnell loses, its because the Republican Party did not support them enough. Some conservatives think that they can run a 100% pure candidate and if they lose, its not because of their positions or the candidate, its because the establishment undermined the candidate. I have no love for the GOP establishment but as you said, you have to be realistic. As unfair as it is, Akin is now toxic. If he loses, its not going to be because the GOP didn’t support him.