There is absolutely no need to be pragmatic when voting in the primaries. (That's what November is for.) I wish more people understood that.
Bob:
Yep, I wasn't pragmatic at all. I voted RP, and he didn't win my state just like he didn't win anywhere else.
But pragmatic in November? What good does that do?
My choices:
McCain - pro-illegal immigration (despite whatever he says, his actual legislative history says otherwise), anti-1A, anti-2A.
HillBama - spend us into servitude, tax us into submission, take our guns away.
Forgive the crudeness, but it's like being asked if you want to be gang raped by a bunch of 260 pound prison convicts or a bunch of 280 pound prison convicts. Why can't I just say "no thank you, I would rather not be raped at all?"
Granted, the rape will still occur in the case of this metaphor, and it will still occur in the case of the election. Writing in Mickey Mouse or some other fictional character... or a person who isn't officially running for President (Fred Thompson at this point, Ron Paul by November), won't accomplish anything. Even if 200 million americans united and wrote in Richard Simmons for President in 2008, he can't win since he never initiated the process to become President. Humerous write-ins are pointless.
We need an "I object to all candidates" box. Somehow, I think that box would win this time around.