That’s the title of Dennis Prager’s latest column.
I’ve got a long-running debate with a conservative friend of mine. He believes we have to put up “moderate” Republican candidates, because those are the only ones who can win. He says this despite the all of the evidence to the contrary. People who stand for the right things, like Ronald Reagan, are the most electable of all. OK, sure, make adjustments for being in a heavily blue state, but the principal still holds.
But once the candidates are in place, my firm belief is that you vote for the most truly conservative candidate who has a chance of being elected. Even if he/she isn’t particularly conservative. And work from within the party, the legislature, etc to move it rightward.
Sure, I get emotional. Like I swore I was not going to vote for President Bush in 2004 because he signed that unconstitutional abomination, McCain-Feingold “Campaign Finance Reform.”
But I voted for him anyway. Did Bush deserve my vote in 2004? No. But he got it because it was absolutely critical for the United States and for Western Civilization that he, and not John Kerry, be in the White House.
There are some conservatives now who are so angry with Republicans for being little better than Democrats on border control, immigration, government spending, throttling the first amendment (oops, sorry…”campaign finance reform”), standing up to political correctness, and a whole host of other issues, that they are talking of staying home en mass to send Republicans a message from the base. I perfectly understand…believe me I do.
There are times in history when I might go along with such a move, risking, perhaps hoping, to put the opposition in power in order to shake up those who are supposed to represent us.
This is not one of those times. Either of just two issues should be enough for you to vote Republican next Tuesday:
Federal judges, and World War IV.
(OK, everyone still calls it the “War on Terror” even though they know it isn’t, but (counting the Cold War) it is World War IV.)
We cannot afford to have those who look down their noses on Western Civilization in power, either conducting foreign policy, or appointing our judges.
Which is why I voted for Bush in 2004. And why you must all get out on Tuesday, and vote Republican.
And don’t think that it doesn’t matter in a blue state. Kerry Healey is certainly behind, but not nearly as much as the polls show. We’ve got some strong Republicans running for the state house, and we need more than the 25% we have there. And don’t think the Dems in the state house don’t look at how much they win by. 75% Dems in the state house will vote a lot more cautiously over the next two years, and will be more inclined to vote to let us vote on the Marriage Amendment, if their election day margins are thin, than if they are fat.
For a very eloquent (as always) and educational run-down of why even the most die-hard conservatives should get out and vote Republican in 2006, read Dennis Prager’s latest column at Townhall.