Purity or Strategy: The Debate We Need To Have: Would you rather put up with a RINO, or a Democrat?

Pajamas Media ^ | 02/22/2014 | Andrew Klavan

[SeekAndFind]

^[1]

Last week, there was one of those mommy-and-daddy-are-fighting moments on Fox News as two powerhouse conservatives debated one of the most important issues facing the right. In one corner, was the dagger-sharp and stunningly beautiful and did I mention beautiful Ann Coulter. In the other corner, was the valiant, good-hearted and, you know, perfectly presentable in his own way Sean Hannity. No one can doubt either the patriotism or the fearlessness of these two. You may sometimes disagree with one or the other, that’s fine, but it seems undeniable that both have the good of the country first and foremost in their minds. Plus Ann’s really attractive.

You can watch the video to hear the whole thing but the gist is this. Ann thinks we have to stop “shysters” who pretend to represent the Tea Party from luring us into endless primaries against “establishment” Republicans. The thinking behind this (as I’ve heard her say elsewhere) is that there is only so much campaign money to go around and it needs to be focused wholly on defeating Democrats, winning a Republican majority in both houses and using that majority to “repeal Obamacare, repeal Obamacare, repeal Obamacare.”

Sean took a more purist Tea Party line, saying there are some Republicans who “should be defeated,” and endorsing the idea that we should primary the RINOs where we can and — my words here not his — we should end the civil war within the Republican Party by winning it for the true conservatives.

What a swell party this is!

Just to let you know where I stand emotionally, here’s a true story. The first time I made a speech before a Tea Party crowd, I felt as if I were floating two feet off the ground. I respected, admired and agreed with the Tea Partiers so completely, that my heart rose up and I began to believe that despite the Obama debacle, the country would ultimately be fine. As I was leaving the rally, I got a call from a friend asking me to come by for a drink with a couple of the highest-ranking Republicans in Washington. It was me and them, having a glass together, eye to eye. By the time I left that gathering, I was so depressed by the establishment GOP’s blindness and philosophical corruption I could barely see straight. I phoned Andrew Breitbart for moral support. “I’ve just had a drink with [blank] and [blank],” I began. And he responded immediately, “Are they ***holes or what?”

All my sympathies, in other words, are with the Tea Party. And I would truly love to see the RINOs skewered on their own horns.

And yet… In general, Tea Party candidates tend to do well in congressional races where small, homogenous districts are in play. In Senate races where you need votes across an entire state, a primary victory for someone like Christine O’Donnell or Todd Akin may briefly fill the conservative heart with joy, but the loss of a Senate seat that could have been won is simply too high a price to pay for that momentary triumph.

We need to talk this out with good sense and without pompous ranting. Politics is the art of the possible. Writing belligerently purist articles, blog posts or comments is relatively easy. Winning elections is hard. Barack Obama is one of the most destructive presidents this country has ever seen, but a talented politician. If stopping him in his tracks requires stomaching some RINOs here and there, it seems a no brainer: It must be done. Ann may have put her case a little too forcefully in the debate above (she’s not exactly given to dithering!), but surely she’s right in the general principle that strategy — and victory — have to come before purity.

I’d rather put up with frustrating RINOs than continue in the minority with our country under attack from within. But let me know what you think.

[Timber Rattler]

No difference between the two.

[Mastador1]

From what I have seen the enemy has been in our tent for quite a while. I’d rather see an honest enemy than a smiling traitor.

[Norm Lenhart]

Yup. One of the reasons we can’t form a cohesive unit on this is that there are those who freely spread the GOPe Kool Aid with no repercussion.

We ALL stand for something or not. Time we all man the hell up and choose what side we’re on. RINO or Conservative. Shouldn’t be too hard.

[Jim Robinson]

You got that right. Voting in RINOs gave us what we have today. How many RINOs voted for or supported defunding ObamaCare? How may RINOs voted against raising the mega trillion national debt? How many RINOs support our tea party efforts? Any RINO who supports the GOP-e war on the tea party must be voted OUT!! He is our enemy as surely as any democrat.

[Blackirish]

Really you have any posts going after Hastert ir Delay for being RINO’s? Search mine and you’ll find plenty. I ask again the Republican party is much more conservative now then it was under W. So why the pass then and all the cautewalling now?

[Timber Rattler]

Do you vote for purity? Or the lesser of the two evils?

Purity. I'll never vote for evil, period.

[Gaffer]

I’m not ready to actually vote for a Democrat, but I am certainly willing to be silent on the matter (i.e., cast a vote for neither).

In my lifetime, I can only think of two Democrats for whom I’d cast a vote now - maybe. One was Congressman Larry McDonald, and the other was Zell Miller. But I voted for neither at the time.

[nascarnation]

We have to remember that in any election year when senate seats are up for grabs, typically only about 10 of them are going to be competitive.

The MSM can apply tremendous resources to attack candidates in these. What is depressing is when the Dems reveal their strategy (via journ-0-lists), Limbaugh talks about it for days on end, and these upstart challengers get suckered into making what is effectively a Democrat campaign commercial.

[dfwgator]

What strategy is it to vote for candidates that are no different from the Rats?

[Norm Lenhart]

Are you blind or lying? There are about 5 solid conservatives in office right now. The rest Just voted in a blank check that dwarfs anything Bush era did by 10 orders of magnitude.

To start with.

[Darren McCarty]

Preferences

1. Conservative Republican candidate who is capable of winning.
2. Not conservative Republican candidate (GOP-E) who is capable of winning
3. Conservative Republican candidate who is a longshot at best of winning against a democrat
4. Non conservative Republican candidate (GOP-E) who is a longshot at best of winning.
5. Third Party Protest Vote
6. Complete RINO
7. Anyone Else
8. Democrat
9. Joe Schwarz, my ex congressman. Special kind of RINO.

[SeekAndFind]

RE: Purity. I’ll never vote for evil, period.

Won’t the end result (if enough people think like this) be for the GREATER evil to prevail ( e.g. Obamacare )?

[Manic_Episode]

Voting party over principle is the reason the GOP is FUBAR.

[Norm Lenhart]

Good. Those that would vote for lesser evil only bring greater evil. Which should be obvious to all since we live with the result of lesser evil voting every day.

[Darren McCarty]

And yet… In general, Tea Party candidates tend to do well in congressional races where small, homogenous districts are in play. In Senate races where you need votes across an entire state, a primary victory for someone like Christine O’Donnell or Todd Akin may briefly fill the conservative heart with joy, but the loss of a Senate seat that could have been won is simply too high a price to pay for that momentary triumph.

Andrew, you bought into the false premise. Todd Akin is NOT tea party.

[workerbee]

Barack Obama is one of the most destructive presidents this country has ever seen, but a talented politician. If stopping him in his tracks requires stomaching some RINOs here and there, it seems a no brainer: It must be done.

The RINOS we have have now won't fight him!!! And yet... more RINOS is supposed to be the answer.

Let's stop the canard of the "lesser of two evils." We have two evils, and then there's conservatives.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

RINO vs Democrat

Presumption that they are two different parties - I used to think so. I no longer do. We have one Central Party with two wings. Each wing uses wedge issues to electrify the segments that make up the wing, but only during elections. Once in office, it is back to crony capitalism and milking the system while the country goes deeper in debt and deeper into socialism.

If you do not believe me yet, please think...

1. Each wing has had complete control of elected national gov’t and neither has led us out of debt or towards more freedom, etc... despite campaign promises. I can only conclude we have exactly the kind of gov’t and limited freedom they want us to have. We have more government, less freedom, less money, fewer rights.

2. The next election cycle, they promise the same things to each “interest group” - and that is how RINOs who run the R party see conservatives, as a small special interest group they have to promise something to.

3. Each uses fear of the other to get you to vote for the “lesser evil”.

I realized this (and more) during the Dole era - final straw for me. I changed to independent. Conservative, but off the plantation. I did not vote for RINOmney. Wouldn’t have mattered in my state anyway, because Zero won by 10 million votes.

Those who are “true believers” refuse to believe or understand what I just wrote. There call.

In the next primary, they will hold forth on why there are “real conservatives” who can win, while RINOs work behind the scenes to steal the primary win (as RINOmney admitted). True Believers will condemn those of us who dare tell the truth about RINOmney, Dole, etc. - and it will be a huge waste of their energy. We are off the plantation. They are on it. They will vote for the RINO again and again and again. Nothing will change.

They will tell us if we do not vote for the RINO, there is no hope for change. Really? What change occurred under the two Bushes - a 12 year period, some of which controlled both houses of Congress?

It has become a lousy system.

[workerbee]

The RINO’s are the ones who demand purity more than anyone. Oh No, that candidate is right on the issues but he said something dumb in a debate, “UNDER THAT BUS we need to vote RINO instead”

Like Democrats, they only want "compromised" from conservatives and NO ONE ELSE.

I'm done with them.

[Cen-Tejas]

........so Klavan and Coulter are arguing for “moderation” in “principle” and that as long as it (moderation) is done in the name of “politics” it’s ok.

Thomas Paine and I disagree.

Maggie Thatcher, no moderate on principle, once said “the trouble with spending other people’s money is that pretty soon you run out of it”.

Arguably, the same can be said on this issue, to wit:........when the Mitch McConnels and John Cornyn’s of the world start spending “my principles” pretty soon they run out of them”.....

Then what?

[DanZ]

“I ask again the Republican party is much more conservative now then it was under W.”

1. Both Bush’ were/are RINOs
- Read My Lips, No New TAXES
- Who did JR try to appoint to the Supreme Court?
- How did JR’s Supreme Court nominee turn out?

2. Do not conflate Conservative with the current spate of Adds being run by the RINOs