Do Not Attack the Unelectable for Being Too Conservative

There will be primary fights in both parties.

That is the nature of politics and human ambition.

If a primary does ensue, it is vital that primary voters choose the conservative who is the most electable.

Of course, I am writing to Republicans, but if there are Democrats out there who are willing to listen, that's all for the best.

From Delaware to Washington State, from Texas to New England, Republicans and conservatives need to rally around the candidate who is electable, not just conservative, or freedom-fighting.

Back to Delaware, 2010. Congressman Mike Castle was a shoo-in for the Senate Seat. Was he the  most conservative candidate? No, he was not. Was he the most electable? Absolutely.

Along came Christine O'Donnell, a crack-pot politician who had a dubious record of suing conservative think-tanks, misusing campaign funds, and misrepresenting her previous record of running for US Senate.

Notice how I did not attack he because she was too conservative. I outlined the many reasons why she was not fit for running for office in the first.

This line of criticism must dominate every primary fight. Never should one Republican attack another Republican because he or she is too conservative. If distinctions must be made, they must be based on on a record of caring, competence, and character.

For Republicans to savage one another as too conservative or not conservative enough has placed the Republican Party too much on the defense in general elections, or forces winning primary candidates to backtrack toward the center, often at their own peril, losing votes in the process.

Romney tacked too far to the right in order to carry the nomination, but then he spent more time explaining himself or denying previous comments, when he needed to be attacking President Obama. Tory lawmaker Margaret Thatcher understood the crucial importance of defining the debate so as to beat one's opponent, but no one can set the parameters for the fight if he is too busy defending himself.

The GOP needs to stop defining itself and start redefining the Democratic Party of today, a group of entitled corporatists who spend other people's money at the expense of poor, working class, and minority voters, all while keeping minorities in the party through a series of lies, bailouts, and out right race-based peer intimidation.

Conservatives should never criticize conservatives for being too conservative. The issue must be competence, experience, and electability -- always.