If you're a "principled conservative" who thinks that the entire GOP is doing more harm than good to the country by selling out to Trump (who is anything but conservative or sane on a lot of issues) and putting him in power, voting for the person--progressive or otherwise--who can actually keep Trump from gaining power seems completely rational to me. In a world where either a Democrat or a Republican will be President at any given time, if the Republican is viewed as spectacularly unqualified and a disaster for the country, voting for the Democrat becomes the default choice. One might say that you're sacrificing your principles in the name of your own career by doing anything other than that. And if you look at other conservatives who do sacrifice their principles for their career, you might conclude that they shouldn't be in power either.

My issue with the vast majority of mainstream GOP politicians is that I think they actually believe that Clinton and Biden were/are the better options in 2016, 2020, and 2024. I bet some of them even voted as such and were dismayed by the outcome in 2016 and pleased by the outcome in 2020. They were just too cowardly to say that publicly. People on this board don't have to worry about damaging their political careers.
[Post edited by CMUHoo at 04/15/2024 2:24PM]