Sometimes you just have to go to election with the party you’ve got. Figure out a realistic way to win, for our candidate whoever that might be, and let’s do that, rather than lining up for a circular firing squad.

Now, I know what you are trying to say. Conservatives don’t want to get involved in a party that is too moderate. It’s hard to change a party, so they whine, moan, and let Democrats win. If the party were to “become” more conservative they would get involved, but to be a conservative party, conservatives actually need to get involved. So therefore conservative politics is impasse.

Now, you might think that a few conservatives showing every other year and adding a few planks to the platform makes the party conservative. But it doesn’t. Those planks don’t keep people from getting involved and making a difference. OTOH, you can if conservatives have control of the party make others uncomfortable or intimidated to be involved or vote for Republicans. Then you can have the candidates you want, and the platform you want.

But in the end, what good is it if you’ve restricted your voter base to a small subset of the voting population? You want to be like the Independence party and get 10-15% of the vote? That might make you feel good, but it’s not very effective politics. You think it is a problem having a super-minority in the legislature now, wait until you decimate the GOP caucus by only allowing perfect conservatives in.

So, my question is again, what “perfect” conservative candidate do you think can run for governor in 2010 and win? Not get 10%, not 20%, not 30% but actually enough to win the election?

Because I’ll tell you again, if the conservatives want the GOP to be a conservative ‘3rd party’ in MN just so that they can protect their ideological purity, I don’t think I’m interested.

So conservatism is dead, or maybe, the era of limited government is over?

You’re entitled to your opinion, but all I ask is that you just come out and say it and then turn around to the (R)epublicans who you defend willy nilly to do the same.

If the Republican party no longer stands for limited government fiscal conservative values, the party (and most importantly those leading it or seeking to speak for it) owes it to those of us who believe it does stand for limited government and fiscal conservatism (and are members because it says it does) to tell us we have to stop pushing for it, stop expecting it, or find a new political home.

Personally, I believe that Pawlenty is the last candidate that the GOP has that is electable state wide, but if you have any candidates that you think could win in MN, let me know. I really am curious.

He has to pick an issue or two, like photo id voter registration, and see it through, i.e., not fold as we’ve repeatedly seen of late.

And, he has to convince us that he’s actually thinking about issues, getting the best advice. That ain’t Will Steger. To quote Will Smith’s character in Independence Day, “Oh, no. no, you are NOT shootin’ that green s*%# at me!”

You’ve already admitted that for him to declare early would be to give the DFL a license to steal, so why do you want him to do that?

Finally, you complain that the GOP and its candidates haven’t been conservative enough, or “pushed” the conservative message enough. I think you are mistaking intentions for effectiveness, and good ideas for electability. In almost every case, our candidates were selected by the delegates to the various conventions, and were the most conservative people we could find willing to make the effort. It is TIME to quit blaming these selfless heroes, and to get on the same side with them to battle the REAL problems of the GOP: being vastly outspent, being lied about, and being constantly shouted down by Democrat cheerleaders known as the MSM. Solve those problems, and our ELECTED candidates will be conservative enough even for you.

And by the way, our “message” could be sold better if we could quit referring to it as “conservative principles.” Nobody knows what that means any more, and what they do know is that “conservative” is just as bad as “liberal.” Notice that liberals never define their ideas as such? Start referring to our ideas as “common sense solutions.” You’ll be surprised at how much easier that sells.