l. I didn’t say “Republicans” in general were making a conscious decision, I said it was true of some social conservatives, which it certainly is.
2. As to the polls, the description of some respondents as being “less likely” to vote for a pro-choice candidate includes me among them. By this, I mean that all things being equal, I would support apro-life candidate against one who was not. This does not mean I would do so if things were NOT equal: for instance, I would vote for Joe Lieberman over Sam Brownback, or another Republicanwho was not strong on the war.
3. I would draw your attention to the straw poll at CPAC, which I briefly attended. This was a convention of super-conservative people, who surely knew all about Giuliani’s background, issue positions, and personal dramas. Yet, he came in a strong second to Romney, and was first when the first and second choice ballots were totaled. If these attendees could do this, so could the voters. Weought to keep these things in mind.