[Consort]

My duty is to utilize my vote in a way that I think best preserves my freedom...

If you don't vote — for any reason — then you don't have a vote. If you don't vote against the enemy of your ideology, your are abetting them. If you let your principls trump politics, you will likely end up to be a principled runner-up (as in loser). Your opponents prefer a loser, principled or otherwise, patriotic or otherwise, with a sense of duty or otherwise.

[outlawcam]

Who are you to tell me how to best utilize my vote? You may try to influence it, and as components of the process I believe responsible citizens in pursuit of freedom must, but the fact of the matter is that principles are a a large part of politics. Your principles seem to be victory for the party. Mine are for just and fair legislation that is conducive to secure freedom and defense--together the primary purpose of government. Legislation that falls outside of the boundaries of the social compact, or that disrespects the principles that comprise just governments as articulated in our Declaration of Independence, is an enemy to liberty. Anyone therefore that habitually supports such legislation is likewise an enemy to liberty, and thus the people. It is the pinnacle of ignorance and subjection to vote for someone who supports such legislation.

As for me, I never have knowingly voted for my enemy, and that includes the Republicans who support the aforementioned legislation, while there was a choice to be made. If you have, then you have abbetted them in the destruction of respect for the Constitution and the principles that built this nation. We will never recover that respect by casting our votes for others who have shown no or insufficient reverence for the Constitution. I'd prefer we face the wolf if we know who he is, rather than face the wolf in sheep's clothing. The latter case is more dangerous, because it is just as deadly, but it is more liable to sneak up closer before it strikes, and we don't see it coming.