In 2008 Sen. Collins won with 61.5% of the votes, at least 1/3 of those voting for her were “conservative” leaning democrats/independents. Had Sen. Collins not been considered a ‘moderate’ those votes would have gone to Tom Allen a very liberal democrat. Had Rep. Allen become Sen. Allen there would have been even less of a fight in the Senate than was seen!

In Sen. Collins we at least have a chance of swaying her vote, with her opponent you would have had a snowballs chance in….whichever warm place you can think of!

I’m a good example; first born son of old Southern family was ordering people around when I was still in diapers and haven’t stopped since. I couldn’t get elected dogcatcher because a lot of people are really, really scared of people who can deliver organized thoughts in simple declarative sentences, especially if that person has outdoor plumbing. I’m not bragging, just stating a fact, but in my normal orbit, when I walked into a room, nobody wondered who was in charge. Even though I’m no longer a dashingly handsome and powerful political appointee, just a paunchy old retired guy, I still can take over your room.

I don’t know what it is or where it comes from specifically, but America, at least media, moderate America, really, really, really doesn’t like strong personalities, men or women. Everybody knows I don’t like Sarah Palin, but I don’t like her for specific, policy reasons. Most of the people who don’t like her don’t like her for the same reasons they wouldn’t like me; we say what we think and we dare you to argue with us about it. It ain’t new in America, High Noon didn’t come from nowhere, but it sure is worse.

As to the progressives there a lot of little wannabe Strelnikovs over there having masturbatory fantasies about riding their armored train through flyover country with Lara sharing the train with them. It won’t bother me to kill them if they want to start the fight.

The problem is that our folks from conservative states do not embody conservatism the way that their folks from liberal states embody progressivism.

Jesse Helms was a counterweight to people like Kennedy. In the Senate, we don’t have the kind of leadership that we need.

I get the point of the early primaries – prove that the candidates can draw money and talent and build an organisation – but being the big boss is not about ability to organise, it’s about ability to *lead*.

Don’t get me started on “open primaries” – although Operation Chaos wouldn’t have been possible without them that’s sorta like getting a tax refund.

Mew

Now tell me: given the choice between buying marijuana from Lil’ Jose and the boys in a dilapidated, violent ghetto for $100.00, or buying that same quantity from a clean, for profit venture for $3.00, where do you think most people would buy their drugs? Following that, what do you think would happen to the funding for the criminals who sell drugs?

The leadership positions in the Senate and House have, for decades, been held by Southerners and Mid-Westerners with a smattering from the West. The northeastern Republicans have basically been no big deal. A couple have been a major pain, but other than with party switches haven’t “hurt” us – Specter not included in that group, he did more damage to the party and to the cause of conservatism than any one man in the last 20 years.

Mew

Since Redstate has already had these fruitless debates several times I would invite you to search them in the archives and refrain from bringing this up again.

Now then, as for the tripe you’ve got posted here, you “want” a whole bunch of stuff. There’s nothing particularly wrong with your want list, it’s your “how you get there” list that’s the problem. Oh yeah, you don’t have a “how you get there” list.

You blather on about how much you trust Republican primary voters and then piss into the wind about John McCain getting the nomination in ’08. We had any number of knock down drag outs in the months leading up to the primary. McCain had pretty much NO supporters here and they got roundly pounded on issue after issue when they did stick their heads up. And still, McCain won. And ran a lousy campaign in the general. It’s called politics. And there’s no point in whining like you’re doing about it. See Bill S’ comment below for more detail.

What we need to do is implement a strategy like Cold Warrior’s and take the party from the ground up – see Utah. That requires time, planning and manpower. It also requires going to war with the army we’ve got. Your statement I’m not going to support moderates ever again. is the absolute height of stupidity. You are going to take your ball and go home rather than support a Snowe or Collins in Maine and give two Senate seats to Democrats when there are no challengers on the horizon who are credible in a state wide election there.

The strategy is to build from a conservative foundation and groom candidates. That takes time. And if we abandon incumbents who can win who vote against us once in a while we’ll have no party to work with.

Conservatives in the primaries, Republicans in the general.

Sometimes the choices just aren’t great. in the case of 2008, we would have been far, far better off with John McCain in the WH than the current resident. And if you think otherwise, well, you should probably find another site to spread your stupid.