Roamer is a true conservative and I credit him with holding the right positions on nearly every issue.
Thanks for that. It means more coming from an opponent than from my own... And like-in-kind: We ain't as cross-threaded as we seem to be.
Unfortunately, his idea of "unity" on the Right is nearly identical to the Dems idea of national "unity"...in that it means...unity in total and perfect agreement with their positions ONLY.
Well in the first place : it is working for the Democrats. They are winning on every front, and they serve their most extreme in lockstep. No one among them is calling for compromise. No mealy-mouthed need to eschew their basic values for popularity's sake... They got the balls to the wood all the time.
And no... I am fine with differences. I recognize factional conservatism... And I am fine with compromise, beyond the principled framework.
And your statement has a philosophical discontinuity - You are basically saying that SOME principles (truths) can be sacrificed in the service of unity... That is dissonance itself, and a rabbit trail that should be followed to it's end, just for giggles.
But winning an election can never be so perfect...it requires a coalition of likeminded folks who DO disagree on a number of issues. Without such a coalition, its not possible to win a national election...roamer's approach locks the right into that position, in which the positions we take are so narrow that winning 50% of the populace to our side simply can't be done.
Rejected outright. If Republicans actually performed according to their promises (which are all always conservative on the stump) there would be no worry getting elected. Conservatism has worked every time it's tried. Every major movement of the right has been Conservative - In the 90's the talk was always about whether a candidate could harness the the three factions of Conservatism to bring forth the Conservative juggernaut - And the only time Republicans have done anything is when that juggernaut moves.
And it can be done - After all, Democrats seem to be able to perform.
Burn the damn big circus tent down, and fill the Congress with true believers. see what happens next.
Akin to the old Reagan axiom...we have to run the MOST conservative candidate who CAN win....not simply the most conservative candidate.
Not when the 'most conservative that can win' is a McCain't or a Romulus... Or a NYC liberal...
