GOP = SUCK

I hated to read this. But I think Andrew McCarthy has it exactly right:

AWOL IN THE BUNNING BATTLE

It's depressing to know that a Republican victory in 2010 or 2012 really won't all that much difference in our march to tyranny.

My local group is steadfastly "non-partisan", but are planning to implement an endorsement process and policy that will vet and endorse local candidates who are committed to our values and principles: Limited government, individual liberty, low taxes, the free market.

Independence Caucus (see banner at right) is committed to the same thing, but they are only handling the National and Statewide races.

We've had the debate about "but what if our vetted, principled candidate is clearly not going to win? Should we instead give our vote to the RINO who has a better chance of winning?"

"Won't we just be 'wasting' our vote if we vote for Ron Paul or Tom McClintock instead of John McCain or Arnold Schwarzenegger?

Shouldn't we get candidates who can WIN and remove the nasty Democrats from office? Isn't the lesser of two evils still better than the alternative??

I think we've finally came down on the side of "NOPE, the lesser of two evils is evil." And it's false choice that we've let others make for us.

People, we are always trashing the Progressives/Democrats for not recognizing/admitting that their policies don't work. It's so glaringly obvious we can't help but imagine they are either stupid or downright evil for persistently pushing the same old loser ideas.

But, exactly how are we different if we continue to vote for the establishment RINO who "can win"...and keep ending up with bigger government, less liberty, higher taxes, socialism/progressivism.

Isn't it time we figured out that that strategy doesn't work...and stop DOING IT?

I think I have finally made peace with the idea that I will support the candidate that reflects my principles and values....no matter how unlikely he is to win. I will never again vote for the Arnolds of the world over the Tom McClintocks (California RINO governor most likely to win vs the true conservative candidate with less star power, money and name recognition.)

If my candidate is a minor name today...he will stay a minor name if no one has the courage to support him. If my candidate is a minor name today, and Tea Party patriots rally around him because of his core values and principles...he may end up a MAJOR candidate one day.

That is, from now on, the road I am taking. I will no longer give my support to suspect candidates just because I think they have a better chance of winning.

If they win, what, exactly have WE won??

It's not better to have a RINO destroying the county than a Progressive. And we need to see that too often, because we have lacked the courage to support lesser known candidates, those are the only choices we have.

Glenn Beck said: You never "waste" your vote when you vote your principles.

And I finally see what he means. It's not that we're taking a pointless, abstract, pretentious, philosophical stand—making the perfect the enemy of the good. That would be stupid.

We are taking a principled stand recognizing that the Victory Pragmatism is too often the enemy of the good.

And I'm no longer prepared to participate.

The Gunslinger
Constitutionalist