An absolute Must Read from start to finish. Fascinating and horrifying.

This is for all the "purist" Repub/Conservatives out there who "showed" Romney and stayed home this past election! In politics, it is a miracle to get all that you want in a candidate, we need to concentrate on the most important items and let the minor ones go. In 2014, surely we can show up in such numbers, UNITED, with one purpose of winning many seats! I am so sick of the president and the Dems, I could scream. What is happening in our country right now under this administration is an absolute nightmare. Will we get another chance to take back our country? Only if we outsmart the Dem traitors! A MUST READ!

Great read-- but I don´t buy it.

I totally agree with the article. The Republicans get beat like a rented mule by the Democrats and it gets worse with each election as they keep fine tuning their dirty works. I so remember the Bush debacle in 2000 and couldn´t believe that something that happened years ago and of such small import could have such an effect on an election. I also remember Al Gorezeera and his phalanx of lawyers in south Florida where he intended to steal the election. News to me in the 2012 election was the judgment against the Republicans for being found guilty of VOTER FRAUD one time so they could never accuse Democrats of conducting voter fraud. Say what!? Sad to see that the Tennessee Tea Party may be making a big mistake. Author is correct. The left does dupe conservative voter.

Good read. Big big picture ... we have to quit letting TV pundits, reporters, and pollsters tell the American people their votes for President don´t matter unless they live in Ohio. That´s one of the biggest voter suppression lies out there and we let them get away with it election after election. How many millions stay home because of it?

Some people continue to look for excuses. I don´t buy it either. His premise that the Tea party members are political novices is bogus. I am a member of a Tea Party locally. Our group has people of all political stripes that have come together for a couple of major ideas. We want our leaders to be fiscally responsible and follow the Constitution when doing their jobs. We have been active in our respective parties, but not part of the political elite. I have volunteered in many ways for GOP efforts for many years. I am fed up and now consider myself an independent.
As to the election in 2012. The GOP did it to themselves. Romney was their man from the start. They went through the motions letting the little people feel they had some input but in reality the little people had no chance. The elite did not listen and the ones who were completely fed up stayed at home. IF the elites don´t get the message , the process will repeat as necessary. I did support Romney in the end. I admire his wife and I believe he would have been better than Obama. Others feel its better to have Dems get the full blame than a dem lite in GOP clothing get the blame when things go wrong. It´s not hard to figure out if people will stop trying to concoct excuses and actually listen.

Massive organized, sophisticated and determined voter fraud is the problem.

The left suckered the middle, got 90%+ of the black vote, huge numbers of latinos and women. In a close race that was enough.

In answer to the headline we conservative and tea party voters are not stupid bible thumpers and it will be that elisist attitude that will destroy the GOP.

Democratic dirty tricks clearly played a role in this last election--but it wasn´t the only factor. They managed to rile up their base in a way that had to be seen to be believed. I still can´t believe that many people bought every blatant lie and every exaggeration about Romney and the Republicans.

A 24-karat BINGO for Dunn! Single-issue purist voters have been killing conservative voting for years.

Rather than persuade voters to act against their own interests or to vote against their convictions, the left, with the aid of the media, manipulates those very convictions -- public morality with religious voters, conservative ideology with traditionalists or tea party voters, and various stances on single issues, to persuade voters to waste their votes on obscure or bogus candidates, to throw support to hopeless or seriously flawed "pure" candidates, and in some cases not to vote at all.

Too many Litmus Conservatives lost the last two elections for us by staying home or voting for the other guy.

Pro-life, pro Tea Party, anti-gay, anti-immigration, anti-global warming, anti-atheist, anti-Mormon, anti-youthful-indiscretion voters, who think they are voting for God, put their consciences above the good of the country. While it is admirable to "vote your conscience", it is supremely selfish when the rest of the country´s citizens´ lives are at stake.

...cont´d

...cont´d

I´m not advocating changing our core conservative values; I´m advocating getting some common sense so we can win first, change things later. You cannot change things for the better if you lose.

We cannot be Pharisees. We are not pure and have no right to demand such purity in our candidates. Should we continue down this purist path, we will never again hold power.

The world has changed. We who choose to live as biblically as possible must realize that we cannot change the current culture unless we first win, and we cannot win if 10% or more of us stay home on voting days.

We must realize that gayness, atheism, and yes, even abortion are here to stay. Even if Roe v. Wade was repealed tomorrow, abortions would still occur. And we are not going to change gay people, even if we wanted to, nor can we change the leftist media from the outside.

We are throwing the first stones at our own self-righteousness.

The article offers a partial explaination only. Until the republicans admit that massive, widespread and obvious voter fraud is taling place under their very noses, and than do something to combat it we will continue to loose elections. #7 is right. So far, with very few exceptions, the republican party is content to let dems steal elections. Soros´ plan is working.

this is why, in every election, I vote against the leftist democrat, no matter who is running against them. we lost this last election because of idiots who stayed home.

Ah yes. A certain Mark Levin and Sean Hannity comes to mind.

They´re ´real´ conservatives. Not RINOs.

Lots of people here too who bash McConnell, Boehner, and asssorted others who don´t meet the Ivory Snow test.

Be so nice when Pelosi is the Speaker again and we lose more votes in the Senate.

We´ll show our troops. We´ll have no influence on the USSC too.

Let the RINOs eat cake. That´s the ticket.

Also, maybe the republican party needs to field a better contender. I am tired of having to vote for the RINO like establishment guy, lesser of two evils. Neither McCain nor Romney were or are conservatives. Both ran a lackluster campaign. In both cases the VP pick made more sense as being presidential.

I think this was an Excellent article! Dunn hits the nail on the head. I would add this to what he said, I think that if Republicans had any balls at all they would have jumped all over those voting machines in Ohio. I truly believe they were tampered with. Don´t tell me it´s impossible. I don´t buy it. There has to be some kind of card that can be tampered with in those machines and I think the Democrats found someone they could buy that was smart enough to do the job. Republicans ALWAYS just sit by and take the loss without a fight. We saw it in the Franken win in MN. We should have been in there with the meanest, dirtiest lawyers we could find to counter the same who were backing Franken. We all KNOW he didn´t really win that election, but eventually we backed down and let him have it. Until we´re willing to get our hands DIRTY fighting the Democrats, we´re going to continue losing elections at every level.

Who came to the defense of Allen West in FL when voter fraud there is quite apparent. NOBODY except those Conservatives/T.E.A. types. Did the RNC-heck no.

Voter fraud in all of the swing states was more than rampant-----Too, Romney even lost the Mormon vote to the Fraud in the WH.

To this clown, the author, and to all those upset at the "purist" conservatives out there, you are learning a very tough lesson, but learn it you will.

If there is ANY group of people on the face of the earth that are gullible, slow and apt to be fooled, not only by the left, but by anyone, actually, who tells them what they want to hear, it´s the republican voters. A more brain-dead faction there has never been before, in history.

And, guess what? The conservative "purists", who are the only actual patriots remaining in this country, are DONE with your ridiculous party, whose politicians are spineless jellyfish greed mongers who bow before the left, while they line their pockets with lobbyist money and LIE to you, the same idiots who keep propping these clowns up.

From what I see of what´s left of the republican party, the people that comprise it and the dishonest and gutless politicians who have no principles, no care for their fellow man, and no desire to protect the laws and institutions of our republic who make it "function", ( what a laugh), it´s not worth a hill of beans if you ask me.

Continue your war on conservatives, republicans. Since you are ALL about winning, and wish to ignore the qualities of virtue, honesty, integrity and COURAGE in choosing your candidates, again, you and your party can continue to complain and whine, but you won´t be winning elections, and you won´t have conservatives to blame.

#11, you have said it eloquently! When we run purity contests, we defeat ourselves. For no one, no one is 100% ´pure´ in the eyes of every single Republican voter. And those who won´t get behind someone who is 68% ´pure´ simply because he isn´t 100% ´pure´ - well, you might as well go put a Democratic sign in your front yard, because you are encouraging the other guy to win.

Similarly, trying to claim Boehner shouldn´t be a Republican, or Colin Powell isn´t really a Republican, does not help any Republican cause. Because there will be Republicans who identify more with Boehner and Powell than with Mark Levin. If you choose to run them out of the party, then you will have a ´purer´, but far smaller and far more ineffective, Republican party.

#4, it wasn´t voter fraud. The poor libtards claimed they had made people prove they lived where they said they did when they registered - a libtard judge thought that was terrible and voter suppression.
Not remotely the same thing as voter fraud.

See:http://www.brennancenter.org/legal-work/dnc-v-rnc-consent-decree
for an explanation.

With the media in its pocket the Dems will win elections until this country goes down the tube. Too bad that will still take a bit. My guess is somewhere between 2020 and 2030. All of the items in this article could be exposed by the MSM if it wanted to. It doesn´t. I just don´t see the point in voting anymore.

"We must realize that gayness, atheism, and yes, even abortion are here to stay."

Yes, so while we´re at it, let´s just admit that big, intrusive government is here to stay. Then we truly can make peace with the Dems and, why, we won´t even need an opposition party! Peace, sex, and benefits for all!

We were already tired of the condescension of the GOP establishment elites, yet so many of us swallowed hard, walked into the voting booth and pulled the lever for a decent man who we knew from the start could not win (some, like me, had a fleeting moment of hope before the end).

Yes, there were those who kept their vow -made after the McCain fiasco- to not vote for another non-Conservative. Next time there will be many more of us. But I guess the establishment elites will have purified the party of their ignerant relijus shoddy 2nd cozins and they can proudly coast to another lost election.
Ramona (the Pest)

Me thinks many readers have lost the point being made here; that conservative candidates WIN. Problem is that the left knows it and puts tons of money into either a)creating enough doubt through false political scandal that the right stays home, OR 2)falsely creating a "most conservative" candidate so politically-low information conservatives vote for what they perceive is the most conservative, while in reality the left has put up a dummy weak/false candidate who they then can destroy.

Either that happens or the Republican establishment works against our true conservative strong candidates and pumps big bucks into their RINO´s to defeat the upstart conservative. In the case of Rubio, Rand Paul, and Ted Cruz (and more) these Republican Establishment efforts failed, thanks to the Tea Party. These candidates are our future.

Republicans can´t even agree to vote Republican.

The only question is whether the elctorate will turn on the Dims when it dawns on the electorate that they have voted against their own interest. I guess the real, real question is whether it will ever dawn on them.

The underlying problem is that Republican candidates are afraid to fight back. The examples are legion. For example, in 2000 Bush should have immediately denounced the DWI story as a dirty trick by Algore operatives. Republicans are like Charlie Brown - always surprised when Lucy steals the football.

My previous post was in reponse to other posters who seem to say that our core social values don´t have a place in the political discussion (even though our opponent´s social views do). But like Poster #25, I do support the author here - that there must be a more sophisticated way of hitting back against the very dirty tricks pulled by the DNC (running faux Tea Party candidates, unearthing old and unimportant "dirt" on candidates. The GOP has been abysmal in this category as well. Milquetoast does´t appeal to the masses.
RtP

Agonize if you must, but make no mistake: If you can´t defeat probably the most incompetent and half baked sitting President in our lifetime with a candidate of proven executive and governmental experience, you have appealed to a bunch of people who didn´t deserve to be trusted with the vote.

It was a simple situation; you know when the vote is scheduled; you know where your polling place is; you know who is running;you go and vote for the peron who most nearly represents your views and aspirations.

Osk no what you can do for your country; Rather osk what kind of jackasses we have voting ( or not voting) in this country. And then hide your head in shame.

I am quite sure the left is relishing the fact that all of this flowery and deep thought is going on to attempt to figure out what went wrong with the Republicans in the loss of the 2012 election. Fine, keep guessing, that way they will never catch on to the massive fraud.

While the right has any number of single issue voters, the dims have just as many themselves, many of whom are on the opposite side of the same issues. What unites the dims is their overriding belief in the necessity for Big Government to advance their agendas. So even if a particular candidate isn´t pure on the particular issue, say an anti-abortion Catholic, the Choice crowd still votes for that candidate because they trust him to protect the expansion of the federal government. Not so on the right side of the equation.

Pubbies have their own version of lo-info voters. I remember the NRA giving high scores to Murtha who could run on guns & a war record but had some of the highest liberal scores ever! I begged the NRA to revise their system or give footnotes, but I don´t think anything has changed-unfortunately.

What the "Good Ole´ US of A" needs in these trying dark times is simply another General Of The Army Dwight David Eisenhower or a Sir Ronaldus Magnus type sitting in The Oval Office at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Surely in a nation of over 300,000,000 souls, there must be another principled conservative leader in our midst who possesses the qualities of a Sir Winston Churchill, General George S. Patton, Coach Vincent Lombardi or Attila The Hun?

Massive voter fraud

Wow...FANTASTIC piece, and amazingly clear. Thanks, Mr. Dunn. Also, thanks for this snicker:

Speaking for myself, about the last place I´d want to be caught on Judgment Day, apart from a whorehouse or an adult bookstore, would be the U.S. Congress.

I ask myself -- repeated -- what happened? It´s a good read and has some of the answers....

LZK

RE: #17, et al - The RNC is prohibited by a consent decree they signed in the early 80s from protesting any voter fraud. J. Christian Adams explains this in an article or two...Bing it and learn.

Yada, yada, yada. Judge Napolitano has this problem identified.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FLrK9NmfM4


Girl´s Hubby

Oh joy, yet another hit piece on Conservatives. This is red meat to so many of you posters. I am sure it made your day. Yep, blame all the GOP woes on Conservatives. That is a sure fire way to win the next election.

The only reason Akin became an issue was because Obama´s media slaves made it an issue, exactly like they never made "57 states" into an issue that could have sunk Obama. Akin´s gaffe was meaningless compared to the outrages that daily emerge from Democrat mouths yet, oddly enough, never get trumpeted from the rooftops by the media slaves.

The root problem here is that Democrat-run media is 100% immune to any accountability whatsoever, no matter how corrupt they prove themselves to be. They get away with what they know they are allowed to get away with.

Not liking the fact that the mainstream elitist republicans don´t do their jobs and let a lot of garbage go unanwered for from liberals is not being a ´purist´. There are unfortunately, a lot of moderates who comment here who are content with the squishes that they elect year in, year out. And the point about the 2 VP candidates being more presidential is right on the money. How can we flip that in the next election?

It was very predicatable how the Obama campaign was going to attack Romney as a rich, white, evil businessman, who couldn´t say anything about ObamaCare since he´d passed his own version as a Governor.

You all can howl about people staying home, but the result was what many of us predicted with a bad candidate, which mitt Romney was.

While certainly the press helped (along with a bunch of voter fraud thrown in), I need to point out that what the Repubs keep trying (a "moderate" - meaning center to center-left candidate) that ends up not being able to differentiate themselves from the Dem candidate, only to blame the voters.

Get it through your thick skulls - it is the candidate, not e voters. If you don´t get ´me up off their butts, it´s your fault, not theirs.

They may have manipulated the Aiken primary but they certainly manipulated the Romney primary.

Interesting article but I believe it is voter fraud and huge. I read about a Democrat woman in Ohio that voted by absentee ballot and as she was worried the vote would not be counted she voted again. Her granddaughter did the same.

How come we do not hear about these two people that they were found and put to jail? The problem is that we are living in a country in which the laws are applied depending if you are a liberal or a conservative ...

Mrs NotaBene

"like a cyborg sent back by Skywatch to destroy the GOP."

It´s Skynet

If the Republican Party becomes a Democrat lite party, what´s the point in even supporting it?

Interesting how many articles have come out the past few days supporting Rove and his PAC in a round about manner. This article being one.

I am in no way a "purist" or a "one issue voter"; however, if the Republican Party once again nominates Jeb Bush or the likes of McCain or Romney; I will NOT vote for them. That is my right. I am not a serf to the Republican Party and no one should be.

I think the damage done by the GW Bush Presidency to the Republican brand is so severe that many GOP supporters just do not want to face it. The man was horrendous and after voting for him once I felt as though I was duped. GW Bush walked us right into the Obama Regime and that is a legacy the Republicans are just going to have to accept and hopefully learn from.

What the author of the article pointed out is history, and history has a way of repeating itself. In that respect the liberal media is already out there shaping American public opinion as to who the future Republican candidates should be, and there is only one reason for that, to set them up for defeat.

As far as Romney is concerned, there is no doubt that a couple of million usual Republican voters, most of them who believe themselves to be very conservative, just stayed home, rather then vote for a Massachusetts RINO, then add on the innumerable biased people who no way would ever vote for a Mormon, and you can see that the Republicans congered up their own recipe for electoral defeat, thus ensuring that the most liberal Democrat presidential candidate ever got four more years in the White House.

So, #46, you voted for Kerry in 2004?

#45 proves the author´s point. Types like #45 apparently prefer Obama to a "RINO." Throw in the losertarians and those that make protest votes at the "pure" primary candidate, letting dopes like Akin through. We take the bait too often.

But until recently, it worked the other way. Republicans won with single-issue gun rights or pro-life voters, the so-called Reagan Democrats: upper midwest Catholics who had always voted Dem but couldn´t abide the far left turn the Dems took on social issues.

So next time, instead of posting cutsey names like "williard" and "mittens" or ranting about Ron Paul, you might consider where your country´s real interest lies. Remember our beloved Reagan, who raised taxes (although he lowered them more) accepted a lot of stupid spending to get bills passed, signed a pro-abortion law in Calif but, on balance, did far more good than bad.

Unfortunately we will have to learn to fight fire with fire. We need our own PsyOps. The world has changed and we can´t continue to be hamstrung with Marquess of Queensberry rules. In 2012 nice guys finished last. In any case we should be able to discourage their voters as well.

This is a war and the conservatives better get their act together. Seriously, we should have an attitude of take no prisoners.

Let´s face it. The LAST time Republicans had ANY kind of organization was back in the late 60s/early 70s. The Left took their beating and LEARNED all of the dirty tricks and created even MORE illegal ones. They are the masters at the Primary level to the point where THEY choose OUR candidates.

Conservatives - no, scratch that - Republicans worry TOO MUCH about what the State Controlled Lapdog Media will say. So much so that the Left winds up successfully controlling the discussions and issues (see Rubio´s drink of water). Conservatives MUST take back the party and the Media be damned.

I could go on but everyone here knows everything that I would say.

#48 I voted for ´None of the Above´ in 2004. So because I didn´t vote for Jorge that instantly means I voted for Kerry? LOL @ Republicans.

During the last election cycle Rove made it abundantly clear that he doesn´t know what he is talking about. So why listen to him? I also don´t understand why Ailes put him back as a FOX contributor. My TV goes to mute when he comes on.

Don´t buy it either #3. Voter fraud is not all that complex.

And if the gop candidates were worth their salt, they could overcome the fraud.

It´s the candidates that lose our elections...not the so-called "purist voters". Enough already.

Refusing to vote has the same exact result as voting for a liberal. No matter, you can then spend hours on Lucianne complaining about the winner.

THIS ARTICLE IS CRAP!..democrats MUST cheat to win..this is fact..75% of their voters are stupid..3rd party candidates are set up, or supported by democrats to split the republican vote for a democrat win..example..egomanic american traitor ross perot..state republicans must vet ALL candidates in state elections & expose them..tell karl rove to stay out of state elections & attack national democrats with the same viciousness used to attack republicans..to expose how democrats funded by george soros have infiltrated the republican party to give HORRIBLE advice to republican candidates that are then attacked 24/7 for that advise..DO YOUR JOB REPUBLICANS..when this happens do like democrats do..EMBRACE IT.. SHOVE IT BACK AT THE DEMOCRATES WITH A SIMILAR ATTACK..example..47%..list the long list of democrat "victims" & the billion$ of tax dollar$ costing the USA for welfare..run the list & expenses 24/7 as democrat voters..or..dog - romney took his on a fun family vaction - obama ate his..& run it 24/7 with pictures of sad puppies..the stupid democrat voters will cry & vote for democrats..single issue republicans will get angry & might vote AGAINST the democrat & 3rd party candidate..at least try to sabotage democrats the way they sabotage republicans..NEGATIVE ADDS WORK..THAT´S WHY DEMOCRATS SCREAM SO LOUD ABOUT THEM..instead republicans are passive, spineless, karl rove, status quo, don´t rock the boat cowards & do nothing..when republicans EXPLAIN how the 2012 election produced the LONGEST LINES IN VOTING HISTORY..but..obama & romney received a SMALLER vote total than in 2008..then I´ll consider the crap in this article..until then..the presidency was stolen from romney by massive democrat voter fraud by hundreds of thousands of illegal & acorn voters voting multiple times in blue cities..& millions of electronic votes were stolen by george soros in red states.. REPUBLICANS KNEW THE ELECTION WAS STOLEN & DID NOTHING!

Thank you staff and Ms. Lucianne for making this a Must Read. On Durdge yesterday and today a story from Fox News shows an Ohio woman, Melowese Richardson, a veteran poll worker, who admits she voted for Obama twice on November 6th. She also cast an absentee ballot. Investigators are looking into the possibility that she may have voted in the names of four other people in the 2012 election.

How many other Melowese Richardsons are there. Evidently several investigations are going on. I hope that we get some preventive measures put into place by election day in 2014.

A couple of thoughts after re-reading:

The GWB DUI was stupidity on the part of the campaign. By allowing it to come out when it did, they created the impression that Bush was someone other than who they portrayed him to be. Since Rove was his campaign manager, according to this analysis, Rove cost Bush at least 4 states and of course the painful Florida recount. But the author blames the stupid voters.

The author directly or indirectly seeks to marginalize the following groups or individuals:

religious believers
gun owners
tea party movement
Those who oppose big government
Fundamentalists
Evangelicals
NRA
Those who oppose abortion
Those opposed to Homosexual normalization

This represents a significant portion of the population. Way to go. So who is left in the “big tent?” Well it seems that only atheistic, anti-second amendment, pro-abortion, pro-homosexual marriage, big government “conservatives” are left. Way to fill the big tent. Your party looks just like the other one.

God bless America, I am so sick of holier-than-thou Purist Decriers. So oblivious in your superiority that you don´t see the hypocrisy of the "purist" epithet spewing out one side of your mouth as your oh-so-wise political analysis and my-way-or-the-highway logic bilges out the other.

News flash to Zippity at #2 (and friends): NOBODY STAYED HOME! Do you realize the bait hanging beneath your upturned, big tent noses was dangled before you by the lying liberal media, and you swallowed it hook, line, and sinker?

According to Real Clear Politics, more people voted for Romney in 2012 than voted for McCain in 2008 (48.1% vs 44.5%). More!

FEWER people voted for Obama (48.8% vs 52.1%). FEWER !! Somehow the liberal purists who apparently stayed home in 2012 were unable to lose the election for Obama, yet you severe Republicans keep up this bizarre claim that the mythical conservative purist who did NOT stay home lost it for Romney. Huh?????

Obama won with a final vote of 48.8% vs 48.1%. Instead of looking to TEA partiers et al to comprise that slim .7% difference between victory and loss, consider the possibility that maybe - just maybe - with the numerous accounts of voter fraud across the nation . . . . from the long-dead to the multi-ballot voter . . maybe THEY (as tools of the well-known voter fraud that has distinguished the Democrat machine for at least the past century) played a not insignificant role.

While I wouldn´t dream of telling you to just shut the hell up, I do recommend, as a fellow Ldotter, that you stop behaving like stupid, brainless parrots of the liberal media. Worry more about conservatISM and less about whether conservatIVES belong to your particular country club.

May I take the opportunity to remind all that the only perfect man to ever walk the face of the earth has been gone for over 2 THOUSAND years now? So if you´re looking for one to run for any political office, forget it.

And another reminder. The men (yes, old, white men) that wrote the U.S. Constitution did so after a lot of arguing and comprise. And that required comprise on their personal convictions. But they got it done.

The only way to defeat the direction the Dims are turnning this country to is to use some of their own tactics against them. Someone, and I don´t mean Karl Rove, with national recognition needs to quietly put togather an organization to come up with plans to destroy the dims using their own tactics against them. Of course it would require a lot of money, but I would gladly contribute to such an organization.

So, let´s stop fighting amoung ourselves and get togather and help turn this country back into what it was orginally intended to be.

The Left stays focused. The Right gets distracted. The article misses this point.

I am continually astonished at how the Left will continue to spout complete B.S. no matter how deep it gets. Nancy Pelosi is a master at this and like her or not, she is extremely effective.

The Left will support their people no matter what! As they have with Anthony Weiner and now Bob Menendez, they either defend their people or ignore the accusations against them. We’re going to need another Brietbart to take down Menendez. Breitbart knew how to focus! But you let Todd Akin say something dumb and conservative talk radio hosts absolutely come uncorked!! (at least some of them do – kudos to Rush on his restraint.)

The Left does not hesitate to ignore a story when it suits them to do so. We should learn from this. We should have completely ignored that absolutely stupid CBS interview with Obama and Hillary. That would have really baked their noodle! But, no, three to four days of airtime that could have been used for something productive, wasted. I think Obama knew this when he did the interview.

The Right has become fearful while the Left is fearless, because they are shameless. The Left is busy implementing an agenda and the Right is busy being afraid of the Left. Instead, we should be actively addressing the consequences of the Left’s failures. Look at the victims of hurricane Sandy! Look at the rate of black unemployment! These are meaningful issues that hit home and no one is talking about them. The Left won’t, and the Right is too distracted to care.

My niece lives in OH. Went to vote, touched the screen for Romney. The Obama box checked. She cleared the selection then touched for Romney again. Again, the box checked for Obama. She called the Voting Monitor over and showed him what happened. He offered a paper ballot and showed her over to a table to complete it. He then summoned the next voter over to the same machine. He did NOT lock down or remove the machine. And I am so sure her paper ballot got counted. Massive. Voter. Fraud.

# 50 and 51, your posts are excellent and surpassed by #58.

We need an IO campaign that actually answers allegations made by the leftists. Turn their own words back on them.

Instead, we do not say a word and allow the MSM to define the ill-spoken words from the leftist, radical socialists that are the dem party and this administration.

Lemme see .. we´re stupid and naive. We´re the ones being played. It´s our fault for demanding principle from our candidates. We need only accept the corruption of the RNC, as imperfect as it is, march in lock-step to Karl Rove´s commands, and all will be well.

Baloney. More GOP apologist finger-wagging.

The only valid point implied in Dunn´s piece is that we need to carefully vet conservative candidates before the primaries. Mr. Dunn conveniently overlooks all the "duds" backed by the Establishment - including Mitt Romney, John McCain, and Bob Dole. They´re all good men on a personal level, but none were suited for the arena.

The Tea Parties were doing fine in 2010. They gave the GOP a House majority they otherwise wouldn´t have had. Then the Agenda 21´ers moved in, along with the RNC shunting them aside in 2012. Exactly how many national TP rallies were held in 2012? The result should have been predictable. Re-read some of the post-election articles describing the funds wasted on overpaid and ineffective professional consultants - things like Project ORCA. Where were the RNC challenges to Democrat election fraud - especialy in places like St. Lucie county? Crickets.

Sorry, apologists: we´re "Dunn" with you. You have no credibility with us anymore.

Blaming the dogs for not liking the food...that´s the ticket. Rove is to conservatism as an anchor to a swimmer.

#63 - That post is a darn good start to "Anti-Alinsky Rules for Conservatives".

It´s too late for an electoral solution.

I think the article is spot-on. Here is the best line:
-The fact that the Republican and conservative establishments chose to regard them [the tea party] as an annoyance rather than potential allies left them wide open to exploitation by the Democrats.-

The author savages Karl Rove, and rightly so.

"Purity" is such a subjective concept. How about a test on the candidate in the lab?(kidding).

Purity aside for now, one good start on purity, would be to stop running former democrats who have governed blue states in a blue/liberal fashion. Hint: forced statist healthcare is not considered a conservative virtue/concept a la Massachusetts state-run healthcare.

Next: get that ridiculous judicial ruling that forces pubs to look the other way on voter fraud overturned. Obama has literally opened the corral on voter fraud and if some traction/progress isn´t made soon in that arena, the democrats have a blank check for some time to come.

Fill in the blanks from then on: comprehensive ground game, logical time release on campaign funds(hire a marathon runner who knows how to go the distance if need be), answer every false charge quickly and effectively, good vp pick, some software other than Orca that has been field tested, door knocking, email, regular mail, door knocking, real person outbound phone calls to the public etc etc. It really isn´t all that hard, all that is needed is a politically savvy consultant with a logical structure, flow chart.

Some green twenty something year old consultants would probably do better than the way the 2012 pub campaign was managed.

Sorry for the second post, but the article isn´t about blasting "purity" voters. It´s about how the Democrats manipulate these voters and cause them to stay home (see GWB DWI in 2000). It is also about how the Democrats manipulate liberal and "mainstream" Republicans--for example, by supporting ultra-conservatives like Todd Akin in the primaries, knowing that they are unlikely to win the general election (and tarring the entire Republican party with their their gaffes).

(BTW #20 and #35: the "consent-decree", if it is really binding, is an argument for a new political party not so bound.)

I´m wondering if certain posters actually read the whole article (I did.) I don´t believe the article isn´t so much how some "single-issue", "purist" (whatever that means) voters may have cost the last election, but rather how manipulative the Democratic strategists (and the Left) are.

I now admonish "certain posters" (and I believe you know who you are) to first define "purist" for us. And then I ask these posters to reread the final paragraphs addressing Karl Rove, because they are instructive.

LOL! I´m looking forward to the responses. Make sure they are intelligent ones.

And dittos, once again, to Ms. Ramona.

If we all follow this article´s main point to its logical conclusion, then it must be assumed that even THIS illustrious and beloved web site has been infiltrated by Democrat operatives! These sheep hiding in wolf´s clothing quickly become site pests by whispering in our collective ears that our conservative positions are wrong for any one of a 1,000 reasons. And many here will fall for it!

Stay true to your principles everyone, articulate yourself when and where possible and slowly you will get people to follow by quietly leading. Yes, it may take awhile but conservative ideas (less taxes, less government & more freedom) work.

I see our biggest problem as being easily disheartened. A point also made by the article. Don´t allow the perfect to be the enemy of the very good! As Reagan said, if you agree with me 85%, don´t concentrate on the 15%! We are more friends than enemies. And as we say when we pray: "Look not upon our sins but on our faith".

I think I have a good enough understanding of why Romney lost: Media and the "progressive" machine that caters to all sorts of filth and panders to the lowest human impulses; Low information voters who are easily persuaded by the media/machine. An American populace turned soft by generations of pandering to "healthy self-esteem"; who happily expect their government hand-outs. A media/machine, who with complete malicious abandon vilified an honest, decent, competent and admirable man. Corrupt Congress. A despicable self-absorbed ("high self-esteem") American Idol President and his equally vapid wife.

The USA that many of us knew for decades is gone. It is never coming back. Best I can ever hope for, and I do not imagine I will see it in my lifetime, is that the courageous among us, and our children, will effectively carve out a regional portion of the old USA, fight to defend it, and then live there in peace while the rest of these pathetically soft, amoral bunch of parasites destroy themselves.

Thank you #10-11. You are so right. The GOP never used to care if people were gay. And the party certainly didn´t demand that every candidate be 100% ideologically pure one way or another. We only cared about the CORE principles of the party—i.e., equality under the law for all; smaller government;, upholding Constitutionally protected rights; placing the individual over the collective (protecting individuals against the collective); fiscal & economic responsibility; protecting private property; free-market capitalism with minimal government interference; lower taxes; etc. Only when that "moral majority" group in the 80´s started pushing religious zealotry into public life did the GOP lose any chance of remaining a serious party. The left loved it, used it against us & took control ever since. Yes, we’ve won some elections, but not many, because we’re going against our true party principles & forcing specific brands of morality into all party decisions, although not everyone has the same views. Social conservatism is fine, but should not be a litmus test requirement. It should also not be major talking point during elections. We have to win elections first before we can make any social changes. But we will NEVER win if we run on social changes. Let´s win some elections first. Then, we can talk about social issues and how we can approach them without alienating 70% of the population. It’s hypocritical to be the party of small government then demand government control people´s personal lives.

#22, if we don´t get over trying to control people´s personal behavior and setting unrealistic litmus tests for our candidates, then yes, big government will be here to stay because we will never win any significant elections again.

#78 -- Define "unrealistic litmus tests". 1, 2, 3, go.

The Left displays "religious zealotry" and ideologically purity on a scale that would rival -- nay, surpass -- conservatives.

By the way, I think that FRAUD was a much bigger problem during this last election than the social conservative issues. Although we did have a lot of people stay home or vote for 3rd parties, fraud was more than rampant this last election.

Still, I believe the party needs to stand by its true core principles first and worry about social issues after we get elected. It is not social conservatism purity that defines the "true patriots" as one poster seems to imply. It is the true core principle conservatives (who stand by equality, freedom, individual rights, private property, less government, fiscal responsibility, etc.) who are the true patriots holding this country together. That is what the TEA Parties were initially chartered to uphold--our core principles (not religious and moral issues).

Anyone who wants to argue that purists have marginalized Colin Powell in GOP is not even trolling well. The man endorsed Zippy twice, he marginalized himself.

Sorry, I missed #79...the left is zealous, yes. But they don´t present their ideas as such. They know how to manipulate and persuade--we don´t. They know how to make it LOOK like they are for more freedom even though they are not. It is all about perception. Until we learn the art, we need to use the tools we know.

I have noticed a lot of posters complaining that the problem with ´conservatives´ is that they are one issue voters, or social issue voters and then they throw up the litany of ´gay marriage, anti-abortion, evangelical/theocracy´, etc.

What I have also noticed is that the only people touting these issues are the ones claiming that ´conservatives´ are not voting because of them. What I do see is ´conservatives´ (since there seems to be some disagreement as to what constitutes a ´conservative´ I will refer to us as radical Constitutionalists) calling for major cuts in government and major cuts in government spending. I see radical Constitutionalists demanding strict adherence to Constitutional rights and mandates. I see radical Constitutionalists expecting action from their representatives to enforce those rights and mandates and to stand up to an overgrown and out of control executive branch.

And, rather than address the issues that are actually being brought up by the radical Constitutionalists, I see the same posters declaring them ´purists´, ´100 per centers´, ´my-way-or-the-highway´ types.

Yes, we are being duped.

Above poster said: "...get that ridiculous judicial ruling that forces pubs to look the other way on voter fraud overturned" From what I read at the time, every time there was an election someone from the Republican party would try to get that order reversed but the original judge (80+ years old) would be there and get it stopped so at least they are trying. I had never heard of that order before and what a laugh the pubbies got caught ONCE when it is a known fact the democrats have been playing that game for years. Remember all the liberal judges Slick Willie salted away during his eight years. I wonder if the only way for the pubbies to win is for them to start doing smack down just like the other team but I´m not sure that´s the answer. I remember the old adage ´you have to fight fire with fire.´

Duped by the MSM,only if you are stupid or have been asleep for the last twenty years or too lazy to vote.

Conservatives are principled. Republicans often are not. Conservatives generally don´t object to gay marriage, liberal education, birth control, Muslim schools, etc., just don´t do it with our money. Don´t force us to accept it, participate in it, or call it good. We are not Democrat-lite, and we never will be.

We don´t object to immigration. Let each applicant undergo, at his own expense, a quarantine period, a background check, fingerprinting, voice and facial recording, a DNA sample, and a temporary implanted GPS locator chip, receiving no tax-funded benefits until he has contributed at least a year of poverty-level income into the tax fund.

Then let everyone immigrate. In fact let the whole world come under the umbrella of American citizenship. As long as our Bill of Rights is clearly affirmed and enforced, we conservatives welcome everyone.

Religious freedom? Absolutely. Just don´t make me support someone else´s religion. And don´t tell me I can´t express contempt for the atheism, Humanism, perversion and anti-science attitude of the liberal elite and their public-school mis-educated acolytes.

If that´s too much idealism for the Republican establishment, then that´s too bad. They won´t get my support by betraying the high ideals of the conservative movement.

I started reading this article and stopped. I don`t even care anymore. The GOP has shown no desire to learn from their past mistakes. If they don`t care to win why should I help them? If they started fighting back in earnest right now it would take 25 years to get where the dems are today. They don`t have it in them.

Like moths to the flame, works every time! I don´t understand the gullibility of people until you look at the education system of this country! My teacher (in the 50´s) said every socialist system has brought people down to the point a slave labor force is need because somebody has to do the work! So if you want to be a slave, stick with the Democrats!

The real problem is the bias of the MSM. We do not have as many resources to get our message out, and the blank-kissers in the media try to marginalize our folks, and make fun of them. Just like Maureen Dowd has done for years towards Repubs. Then it´s hard to take them seriously. It works. Great thoughts to many of you, especially #86. Sorry, #76, if what some say doesn´t measure up to your supreme intelligence, but figure you can understand what "purist" means if you try.

“Republican” and “conservative” are not synonymous. Kudos #61.

The author gives a history of the dirty tricks used by the Dims since 2000 but blames voters for being naive and prone to this type of manipulation. There is no discussion of the eternally lame response from the GOP. Many posters here have given great advice on strategies and tactics. Things constitutional conservatives have been suggesting since at least 2000, yet the professional politicians and operatives of the Republican Party can’t figure this out for themselves? Apparently not as they would rather blame the media, not being in the majority in the Senate, supposed single-issue voters, or sunspots.

For decades the grandees of the GOP complained that their base was not energized and didn’t engage like the Dim voters. In 2009 the Tea Party laid nation-wide grassroots movement in their lap. They responded like they had been dumped with a bucket of cold water, jumped up shrieking and couldn’t run away fast enough.

Is it because the Republican Party is made up of gentlemen who abhor hardball politics? Is it because they are too stupid to figure out how to win? Many patriots no longer buy these excuses for inaction, and see the refusal of the GOP to really fight as becoming close to criminal malfeasance with our Republic in mortal danger from the Obama regime. Obama went to bed the night of the Benghazi raid and was derelict in his duty, but the GOP has been just as derelict in their duty for decades. I believe it is because they also like Big Government for the power and the money, but just think they’d be better managers. The GOP is as “progressive” as the Dims.

I cannot understand the media´s fascination with Tokyo Rove. I must agree with reply #60. However, the funniest line I´ve read all day is FTA: Speaking for myself, about the last place I´d want to be caught on Judgment Day, apart from a whorehouse or an adult bookstore, would be the U.S. Congress.)

Basic "divide and conquer" strategy. High time conservatives got wise to it.

"How the Left Dupes Conservative Voters"

1. Serious problem with the headline... The left may "dupe" some people, not conservatives... We got where we are by paying attention, studying, and thinking.

2. If GOP continues to lose voter fraud challenges, GOP must disband and reorganize... [It´s not rocket science] with three guiding principles: smaller government and lower taxes, personal responsibility, and love America and what it has stood for [until last 10 years].

3. Our candidates must be fearless and focused... like Ted Cruz and Sarah Palin, who know who they are and what they believe.

Oops... add Allen West!

#93. isn´t it just possible we should wait until Ted Cruz has more than 60 days as a senator in his resume´ before we anoint him our next candidate? And Sarah Palin has not indicated an interest in leading anything, much less a political campaign.

Let see who surfaces between now and the next election. It may be someone we haven´t yet taken seriously.

I hope Mike Pence decides to run in 2016.

So many points and so many posts...
so little space and time.

GWB was too dumb to know he needed to get out news of that DUI around June 2000 or so
to recover from its impact over the course of months of fall campaigning, etc.

The writer´s interesting claims manage to overlook the California Guber race when
Gray Davis got re-elected by knocking Richard Riordan out of the GOP nod by
publicizing his moderate positions so that right-wingers would vote for Simple Simon
to be the GOP Guber nominee.

Davis easily whipped dumbo Simon, only to get recalled soon after. Davis spent about
ten million dollars in the GOP primary to defeat Riordan, as Davis was unopposed in
the Dem contest as the incumbent.

McCaskill and others like her just did the same as Davis and others have done.
Divide and conquer. The incumbents´ strategy.

Rove ticks people off. He´s too clever by half and an egghead who riles.
He wallows in data. People instinctively dislike him. Thank Dubya Bush.

If only Ronald Reagan had never anointed the Bushes (GHWB) and had taken a veep
like Jack Kemp instead.

Just wait until The Jebster steps up to the plate to divide us all over again for 2016.

The American experiment was destined to work so long as we had a nation of God-fearing and moral people.

Take a look around you. Is that what we have today? Turn on your TV. What do you see? Go to a local public school. What do you see? Go to a nearby church and listen to a lesbian preacher. What do you hear? Talk about Jesus Christ at Christmas time. How do people react?

The American experiment is in its death throes.

The GOP has two anchors around its neck: evangelicals and warmongers. As long as the GOP has these two factions, which is really only one faction, the GOP will be treated like lepers. You don´t have to be an evangelical to oppose abortion.

In addition to the evangelical/warmonger problem, you have the GOP establishment, which guarantees a loser candidate every four years. Remember, Bush squeaked by against two unimaginably horrible candidates, Gore and Kerry. Against Hillary Clinton the Rovians will have no chance.

#86: On what "Conservative" planet do you live on? I think your perspective is "Libertarian" Just say´in.

Sticking with my religous principles is part of being a conservative #99. Tired of feeling like it is my problem that I believe in standing by my principles and living a good life. I will not accept all the rot that is in our culture right now as being ok just because it´s there. I am tired of being criticized for not wanting to vote for the rot.

I second (or third) it that the title is wrong. It is not conservatives who are duped. It is the moderates who go along to get along who buy what the media shovels.