Knife to a gunfight?!
I think it's more like coming to a gunfight not believing in using guns.
I wouldn't use a gun, so I wouldn't join a gunfight. Yet if i had to I'd choose a gun I can agree with like maybe a glock.
I don't believe in parties so I don't vote. Yet If I did, I'd pick a side I can agree with, the green party is the one I agree with most.
As for parties showing what you believe in, I feel your statements can do that better. If every candidate just said what side they stand for on each topic rather than blanket terming it, it'd be better for the people who grow to hate people of another party because without the party label they will know what specifically each candidate is talking about.
For instance I am mostly democratic yet I believe people should have the rights to their guns. Yet people who hate democrats for their hatred of guns, they will have lumped me into that category wrongfully.