[what's up]

President Bush was not perfect and I did not agree with all that he did, but Republicans (many on this board included) have been as guilty of bashing President Bush as was the media

There is WAY too much of a purist strain on our side. People tend to get euphoric about a person, then when one flaw is exposed they drop him/her like a hot potato.

No one on earth can live up to those standards and the MSM will always always find that one flaw that kills our candidates (and delight in doing so).

[chimera]

I hear you. As much as people on FR want to bring up Reagan, I'm guessing that a significant number of FReepers would consider him a “RINO”. The liberals understand that Step One in advancing a political agenda is to gain power and hold it as long as you can. They don't run perfect (from their viewpoint) candidates all the time, but they sure as hell vote for them anyway, and that gains yardage for their side. That is a concept that seems to be beyond the understanding of many conservatives. They'd rather lose and go home than win and get most of what they want with a less-than-perfect candidate.

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

I am hated and excoriated here on FR for saying this very thing. I am called a squish, a mushy RINO, you name it, I'm hated more than Obama.

As a matter of fact, Romney and Bush are hated more than Obama, and that's a fact.

There is no virtue in losing and that means using the primary to select our candidates and then, after that, it's full speed ahead to stop any, and ALL RATS!!!