I propose a simple set of rules for Conservatives for the Senate control.
1. Campaign for and support the most conservative candidate in the Republican primary. Especially those candidates who align with Cruz and Lee.
2. Work hard to defeat Graham because he should be an easy target that will send a message to Rinos. There needs to be at least one Rino defeat every cycle to keep the jerks somewhat honest.
3. Going for all Rinos at once might spread us too thin to get maximum effect. So pick the other targets carefully.
4. Once the Republican candidates have been chosen, throw all your support behind the conservatives aligned with Cruz and Lee. Let the Rinos win on their own.
5. In your state, vote for the Republican candidate no matter how distasteful it might be. An establishment Republican might be controlled by conservative leadership whereas a Dem or Independent cannot be controlled.
6. If we can get a large enough conservative contingent in the Republican majority, perhaps the conservatives can seize the leadership control and keep the Rinos in line. Rinos are by definition rather weak principled so they should fall in line with the leadership to get committee perks etc.
The leadership of the Republican majority in the Senate is the key. If Cruz and Lee can support enough winners in this cycle, they might be able to seize the reins of the Senate away from the GOPe.
I agree with all but # 5. In some areas of the country (the Northeast, or Pacific coast), I would agree. But not in Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, South Carolina, Missouri, etc. Here, a RINO can do enormous damage by occupying a seat that really should be held by a conservative, if they were to represent their constituency.
But you are essentially right. The occasional RINO isn’t the big problem. The big problem is that the party is dominated by RINOs. I would vote for Susan Collins in the general, given that it is Maine. But in any of the aforementioned states, I would actually vote for the Democratic opponent, just to get the RINO out. In 6 years, get a real candidate, and win the seat back.
The damage done by the Grahams, McCains, McConnells, etc. are far greater than the damage a democrat could do.