Continuing our "thread," yes a lot of officeholders holding themselves out as Republicans are guilty of false advertising. Yes, Republicans are losing popular support faster than the Mississippi can flood adjacent farms. But do we throw the baby out with the bath water?

Just this morning, the news broke that Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, which has been solid Republican since the Civil War, just went Democratic according to the latest voter registration count. Most of you know Dauphin County as Three Mile Island, although it is also the seat of the State Capital, Harrisburg. While the capital city and its suburbs are a miniature version of Washington, D.C., the balance of the county is red-neck rural.

Dauphin County is within the 17th Congressional District, represented for many years by Republican George Gekas, who was one of the House impeachment managers. He was ousted in 2002 by Democratic Congressman Tim Holden, when redistricting threw both of them into the same pit. Gekas’ shockingly lopsided loss foreboded the GOP’s problems more than people are willing to acknowledge.

First, Holden portrayed himself as a conservative, one of the Congress’ Blue Dogs. Second, Gekas’ campaign was man-handled by the so-called Washington experts, who had absolutely no idea where Central Pennsylvania was, let alone what it was like. Third, Bush did nothing to help him (this was long before George W. became politically radioactive).

Fourth, and most important, RINOs had already taken over Dauphin County, one of the major counties in the Congressional District while Republicans were fighting among themselves in two other major counties, Lebanon and Schuylkill. The Dauphin County Courthouse was (and remains) rifled with unbridled political putridness and incompetence. The Tom LeMay hardball power-grabbing school of politics was already well entrenched.

I phoned one of Pennsylvania’s leading conservatives, Lowman Henry, a former Dauphin County Commissioner who (like myself) underwent Pennsylvania’s unique political baptism by fire (but that is a column for another day). Henry made two extremely cognizant points: first on how the local GOP was "so tightly controlled by a small group of insiders that [the party] can’t grow." Henry’s acute observation about the GOP’s prevailing culture is what most academics have known as the Jo Freeman Theory.

The second point is that Republicans are abandoning their principles at every level while the Democrats are successfully appealing to theirs. No matter how misguided Democratic principles may be, at least, according to Henry, we must concede that the Democrats are being "principled."

But the salient question at the moment is this: do conservatives hold their nose and vote Republican because America can’t afford the peril of Democratic control? Or do we allow the Democrats to take charge on a hope and a prayer we can return two or four years from now? The latter option is akin to AA’s belief about alcoholics, sometimes someone has to hit rock-bottom before they realize they need help.

As a former firefighter, I find Henry’s metaphor apposite: do we stop the fire then repair the house? Or do we allow the house to burn down to the ground and rebuild from scratch?

There are considerable risks to letting the house burn down completely before rebuilding. First, the GOP defeat could be so great it would relegate Republicans as a permanent minority, just as it was from FDR up until Reagan. Second, would a total meltdown actually rid the party of RINOs? If the powerbrokers are so entrenched, what assurances are there that they will be dispatched and grassroots conservatives regain control? And finally, there is the all important public policy question. Can America actually afford to have one of the most liberal Presidents ever in American history with an equally left-wing Congressional leadership? What happens to our economy? National security? Our schools? The war against terrorism? Think of the consequences of liberal Democratic judicial appointments, who remain on the courts long after Obama leaves office?

When you dial 911, you expect the Fire Department to stop the fire as fast as they can, because of the risk of the fire spreading. Yet, it is a valid firefighting strategy to allow a structure to burn down completely, because it can’t be saved or the undue peril that firefighters would face. You see forest firefighters light "backfires" to eliminate brush so as to slow down the forest fire. But whatever strategy the chief implements, the bottom line objective is to stop the spread of fire, to prevent it from engulfing additional homes, buildings or forest.

The choices for all true-blood conservative Republicans are this: Option A: do we work for all Republicans because America can’t afford the Obama-Pelosi-Reid left-wing troika?

Option B: Do we work only for McCain, writing off Congressional RINOs as hopeless (preventing Obama from winning but putting up with Pelosi and Ried)?

Or Option C: do we allow the GOP to suffer a total meltdown, realizing the risk it may take years or even decades to rebuild?

I firmly believe we must go with Option A. But what option do you choose?