The time for party unity is AFTER the primaries, and yes, that includes helping the GOPe win if they unfortunately survive their primaries. We can’t afford to sit the election out if we don’t get our preferred candidates. A candidate that votes with us 50% of the time should definitely be challenged in a primary, but if they survive it, a half conservative is better than no conservative.
Again, fight them for the seat in the primary, but don’t sit out the general election as an act of revenge if the GOPe candidate wins. I say this even if they refuse to back our conservatives in turn, because we cannot afford to let any Democrat—those who vote in lockstep against us time after time—to win.
Some here want to go third party or sit out elections if we don’t have solid conservatives running. Sorry, but that’s simply a sure way to lose. Our best chance to gain power is through the GOP even if some quarters resist us. Divided (after the primaries) we fall.
Ronald Reagan said 80-85% of the time.
I don’t think a 50 percenter is on my side. In fact, I consider him wishy-washy and absolutely unreliable, “blown about by every wind” that comes his way.
If you go to war with a 50% chance that the left wing of your Army is going to join the enemy shooting at you, then you’ve got real problems.
If the GOP-E followed this rule, I'd cut them some slack. But if a conservative wins a primary, they have repeatedly made it clear they prefer Democrats. I fail to see why I should make peace with someone who considers themselves to be at war with me!
You get what you vote for. If no one voted for RINOs, they'd all soon disappear. People who think your way, are empowering the very thing they claim to resist.
Lotta good that does in the long term (see Bush 41, Dole, McCain, Romney...).