I continually fail to see the logic behind libertarians, constitution party, or other conservative leaning people not voting for conservative candidates just because they have the word "Republican" in front of their name.

Are you kidding me? Unfortunately, you aren't.

Get off the damn "I'm going to blame people who voted third party for my candidate not winning" bandwagon.

You want to blame libertarians and other TRUE conservative third party voters for not selecting a candidate because they're labeled republican? Well guess what, that might not be the case if the party actually cleaned up it's act and differentiated itself from the leftists. You might as well vote for a Libertarian candidate if the Republican is going to legislate like a Democrat.

I voted for Hoogendyk for senate because I know he isn't going to legislate like a Democrat.

I voted for Cliff Taylor because I know he'd legitimately exercise his power on the bench.

I however voted for Ron Paul in the primary, and only voted for McCain because I hoped he wouldn't be as bad as Obama.

I voted for Michael Badnarik, the LP candidate in 2004. Obviously Bush won. Look what we have: a Republican president that gave the free market system the big middle finger.

The one I see listed seems to be adhered to by most Republicans.

Not every bill that comes across congress is clear cut.  If we want to perform one of the other pillars of the platform (Win in Iraq), then we have to increase military spending - which then isn't fiscally conservative.

Hell, you and others disagree with the Libertarian platform.  We can all disagree on a particular issue - that doesn't make any of us RINOs or "not living up to the party platform".

You supported a LP member in 2004 - because John F'in Kerry would've been better than Bush?  I'd rather support someone who might meet me 70% of the way than default lose to someone who will meet me 30% of the way.  And if you want to say that's not "sticking to my principles" - then let's see how far our principles stick in the next four years.

"Vote for conservative Republicans next time instead of voting third party or staying home."

Great! Care to cite some examples from the top of the ticket that you can hold up for examples?

The current top of the party ticket pushed for EXPANDING prescription drug coverage for seniors, farm subsidies, a government hand out to Wall Street and Detroit. He also would pardon (and later revoke) a pardon for a party donor, yet fails to consider pardoning Ramos & Compeon for doing their job? So much for that party plank about:

Our determination to
uphold the rule of law begins
with more effective enforcement,
giving our agents the
tools and resources they need
to protect our sovereignty...

Yes, take the word of a convicted drug dealer over the word of a border patrol agent...great job sticking to principle!

The top of the ticket for the 2008 election supported AMNESTY for illegal aliens (so much for secure borders...I thought that was on Pg. 10 of the 2008 platform), campaign finance "reform" (so much for limited government), and had his hands dirty from the S&L scandal back in the 80's.

Do I need to mention the republicans in Lansing (yes, I used a lower case "r" on purpose...I'm getting tired of referring to them as RINO's) who supported a tax hike on Michigan Residents and Businesses last year. To make things even worse, republicans even allowed a vote on the floor of the Michigan Senate, WHICH THEY CONTROLLED!

So, I'm supposed to feel some kind of guilt for not voting Republican, simply because because voting for a Democrat is bad, yet fails to cite any clear concise examples of how voting for a Republican candidate would be any different this time around?

And nice try attempting to blame everything on those of us who split our ticket.

For the record: I did vote for Cliff Taylor.

I didn't buy the "sleeping judge" B.S. that was being touted about as fact, and even cited examples of the people who made statements to the contrary as a reason TO vote for him to the people that I've spoken to leading up to the election.

So go ahead.  Use your unassailable logic to talk about the top of the ticket to disparage her, while the entire time proving her point that you voted - DOWN TICKET - as a conservative Republican.