I have been on somewhat of a hiatus from blogging the last two weeks, partly due to a limited amount of free time, but mostly due to my frustration with this years Republican primary. As I watched the likes of Fred Thompson and Duncan Hunter drop out of the race for lack of support from Republicans, I began to realize a horrible truth. The average Republican voter is what we in the conservative blogsphere would refer to as a RINO (Republican In Name Only).

John McCain’s continued support in this years Republican primary has proven to me beyond a reasonable doubt that I am no longer a Republican. For those of you out there who will inevitably ask how I could abandon the Republican party, my reply to you is simple. I am not abandoning the Republican party, the Republican party has abandoned me.

Over the course of the last decade we have watched the Republican party lean more towards the left. Wether it be the $3.1 Trillion budget President Bush has requested, or the disaster of an immigration bill authored by John McCain in partnership with ultra liberal Ted Kennedy, the Republican party seems to have lost it’s principles. Republicans can no longer be critical of Democrats for being the “tax and spend” party as it seems during the Bush years Republicans have become known as the “borrow and spend” party.

On the Democratic side the war cry this election season has been “change”. Hillary Clinton promises a change, Barack Obama promises a change, and liberal bloggers are demanding change. While no one on the left has outlined exactly what that change they so desperately want is actually going to be, for myself I know where the change lies, and it is not with the Republican party. It is for this reason I have chosen to leave the Republican party.

I am fully aware there many conservatives out there who will disagree with my decision, such as Captain Ed who said:

I’m supporting Mitt Romney because I think he is the better option. If Mitt doesn’t win the nomination, I plan to support John McCain. He will have won the support of more of the party, and that would make him the man to carry the banner. I will still oppose some of his policy stands and acknowledge his apparent animus at times to the party base, but he will still be a much better choice for the nation than Hillary Clinton.

This logic used by Captain Ed is that he will vote for McCain not because of policy or principle, but simply because McCain is not Hillary. This is the lesser of two evils approach to choosing a President, and I refuse to take part in it any longer. Unfortunately it is too late in this election cycle to do anything about the disastrous candidates Americans will be forced to choose from come November, so it is now time to start looking forward to 2012.

Wether this year’s winner be Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton or John McCain, I am of the belief that the country will be in worse shape four years from now, not better. As we watch more and more voters register as independents I have come to the realization that our two party system may finally become a 3 or even four party system in the years to come.

Under this premise, Bill Quick has initiated a grass roots movement to start the American Conservative Party. Although the likelihood of this party being any factor in the 2012 elections is remote, I have decided to sign up. I would rather be on the losing side of a battle in which I fought for my principles, then be on the winning side of a battle in which I abandoned my principles.

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Election 2008, Features, Fred Thompson, Politics