Here's a little unsolicited "tough love" advice for Sharron Angle supporters which I'm sure most will blow off - while others will want to blow my head off for even daring to suggest.
Yes, most Nevada Republicans will now vote for Angle in the general election, if only because they can't stand the incumbent alternative. That's not the point.
The point is it will take more than just Republicans to defeat Harry Reid. Angle has to get a majority of independents and a fair chunk of Democrats, too. And to this date the campaign has yet to credibly outline such a path to victory.
Put aside your rose-colored glasses for a moment and consider the fact that Angle has yet to get a majority of GOP votes in a primary election in her last three races. So Sharron's electability in the general election is absolutely a legitimate question to raise ... unless "everybody hates Harry Reid and, therefore, anybody can beat him without really trying" is your campaign strategy.
But if that's all you got, then all the whispered doubts from here to the Potomac are well-founded.
And those doubts mean many a Republican volunteer and/or donor is going to publicly proclaim "Go Sharron, go!" but will otherwise devote their time and money to what they believe are more winnable races - particularly the Nevada governor's race against Rory Reid and Joe Heck's challenge to Rep. Dina Titus.
You Angle supporters can get mad at me all you want, but that's the reality.
Which brings me to my little piece of advice for Angle-ophiles: Get mad privately, but bite your e-tongues publicly. Don't make the same mistake some Ron Paul supporters made in 2008.
As you may recall, the more zealous, sometimes rabid, Ron Paul supporters were so convinced of their candidate's moral, intellectual and philosophical superiority that any nay-sayers who dared raise the question about Dr. Paul's electability were adjudged traitors, criminals, comrades, terrorists and worse. Not exactly the way to win friends and influence people.
This small band often won the argument in the blogosphere, but ultimately their candidate lost the election, not to mention the good will of many potential supporters. Pyrrhic victory.
You win elections by addition, not subtraction. To beat Harry Reid, Sharron Angle is going to need all GOP hands on deck. Do you Angle supporters want to win the argument ... or win the election?
If you want to win the argument, go right ahead and tell the world how stupid those of us are who aren't yet convinced Sharron can win in November. Go ahead.
But if you want to win the election; if you want more than "lip service" support from skeptical GOP voters, you're going to have to get it the old-fashioned way. Earn it.
• Chuck Muth is president of Citizen Outreach, a limited-government public policy organization.