Welcoming the party switchers

[cygonaut]

The American Prospect’s Benjamin Weyl had a great item yesterday on what’s slowly become an important phenomenon: Republicans leaving the GOP and becoming Dems.


Kansas is the epicenter, with nine former Republicans running for office as Dems, including Gov. Kathleen Sebelius’ (D) running mate, who was no less than the former state GOP chairman. But Weyl notes that it’s not just Kansas. A prominent Republican in South Carolina recently switched parties; retired NBA star Charles Barkely is considering a gubernatorial campaign in Alabama as a Dem ("I was a Republican," he said. "Until they lost their minds"); and Senate candidate James Webb (Va.) was a Dem, became a Republican, and recently switched back.


When it comes to ex-Republican candidates, the question of Democratic authenticity — not to mention ideological acceptability — becomes even more glaring. But if the party is big enough to house everyone from Baucus to Boxer, surely it can welcome Republican converts, especially in places like Kansas and Virginia where Democrats need to become more competitive if they ever hope to regain majority party status.


"The more converts you get, the bigger the party you have. Are there going to be some people inside the Democratic Party who are resentful of switchers? Yes, there are people like that," said political analyst Stuart Rothenberg. "[But] of course it’s better for the Democrats to get those switches because it means: a) the party is attractive to people who it wasn’t attractive to in the past; and b) that’s how parties grow!"


Maybe some Dems will look askance at recent-converts to the Dem cause, but as I see it, the more Republicans who leave the GOP in disgust, and embrace Democrats for a new direction, the better.


Source

 

[cygonaut]

Making a difference is sometimes more important than party loyalty.

 

[krisy]

This really doesn't impress me personally. If they are switching parties,maybe they never really believed in the Republican/Conservative ideas in the first place. Maybe,they are switching because they THINK this will make them win because of the continuous bad press the Republican party gets in most of the media. I don't see how one can change his ideas so much to where he would actually switch parties. People don't suddenly change on gay "rights",abortion...issues like that.

I hope they don't let the door hit them in the a$$

 

[cygonaut]

If the GOP leadership would decomatize itself and actually DO something things would be different.

Their radicals, for example, are frustrated. Nothing is getting done. Changes, good or bad, must happen for radicals to be happy.

The only promise for the change-makers appears to be the Democratic party.

 

[Annie]

If the GOP leadership would decomatize itself and actually DO something things would be different.

Their radicals, for example, are frustrated. Nothing is getting done. Changes, good or bad, must happen for radicals to be happy.

The only promise for the change-makers appears to be the Democratic party.

What's the 'promise' you see in the Democratic party?

 

[Mr.Conley]

This really doesn't impress me personally. If they are switching parties,maybe they never really believed in the Republican/Conservative ideas in the first place. Maybe,they are switching because they THINK this will make them win because of the continuous bad press the Republican party gets in most of the media. I don't see how one can change his ideas so much to where he would actually switch parties. People don't suddenly change on gay "rights",abortion...issues like that.

The thing is that the 'issues' you listed are nothing more than pointless wedge issues that waste everyones time. The switchers probably realized this, and saw that at this point the GOP is either betraying the conservative principles it adopted 25 years ago or doing nothing. If I were them, I would change because if the Democrats win, they are far more likely to address the important issues. Plus the whole Abramoff scandal doesn't help either. Ralph Reed should have been a shoe in, but then again he was much more involved then practically anyone else.

 

[Annie]

The thing is that the 'issues' you listed are nothing more than pointless wedge issues that waste everyones time. The switchers probably realized this, and saw that at this point the GOP is either betraying the conservative principles it adopted 25 years ago or doing nothing. If I were them, I would change because if the Democrats win, they are far more likely to address the important issues. Plus the whole Abramoff scandal doesn't help either. Ralph Reed should have been a shoe in, but then again he was much more involved then practically anyone else.

Some conservatives are not too keen on someone like Ralph Reed, he's a bit too judgemental in my book, for a politician. (Then again, he was also caught by conservatives, being waaayyy too much of a politician regarding his letters for contributions.)

Abramoff is zippo, both parties were in on.

Again I ask, what do the dems offer to get me to switch?

 

[cygonaut]

The idea is to win elections so you can make a difference.

You have a better chance now as a Democrat, than as a Republican, of winning.

 

[Mr.Conley]

Some conservatives are not too keen on someone like Ralph Reed, he's a bit too judgemental in my book, for a politician. (Then again, he was also caught by conservatives, being waaayyy too much of a politician regarding his letters for contributions.)

Abramoff is zippo, both parties were in on.

Again I ask, what do the dems offer to get me to switch?

But we're talking about Georgia here. He should have won. I'm still in shock.

The key with Abramoff is that when the public thinks about Abramoff they 'associate' Republican. The damage is already done in the public eye.

They don't offer you anything. You get to chose between the failure of the Republican party to stand for anything it was elected on, or a party that, while you probably don't agree with a lot of what they say, is more marginally more likely to actually do something about the issues that are important.

 

[Annie]

But we're talking about Georgia here. He should have one. I'm still in shock.

The key with Abramoff is that when the public thinks about Abramoff they 'associate' Republican. The damage is already done in the public eye.

They don't offer you anything. You get to chose between the failure of the Republican party to stand for anything it was elected on, or a party that, while you probably don't agree with a lot of what they say, is more marginally more likely to actually do something about the issues that are important.

Such as? For me, the number one issue is WOT/Homeland Security.

 

[manu1959]

But we're talking about Georgia here. He should have won. I'm still in shock.

The key with Abramoff is that when the public thinks about Abramoff they 'associate' Republican. The damage is already done in the public eye.

They don't offer you anything. You get to chose between the failure of the Republican party to stand for anything it was elected on, or a party that, while you probably don't agree with a lot of what they say, is more marginally more likely to actually do something about the issues that are important.

fair enough....name the top five issues facing america and what the dems are going to do......

 

[cygonaut]

We all know that running a campaign means big bucks.

You want to win.

So, some Republicans compare parties, see the Dems are more likely to win, and change parties.

Sometimes making a difference is more important than party loyalty.

 

[dilloduck]

We all know that running a campaign means big bucks.

You want to win.

So, some Republicans compare parties, see the Dems are more likely to win, and change parties.

Sometimes making a difference is more important than party loyalty.

even if it's a change for the worse ??? Nice rationalization but you're nuts
Democrats offer nothing.

 

[Bullypulpit]

This really doesn't impress me personally. If they are switching parties,maybe they never really believed in the Republican/Conservative ideas in the first place. Maybe,they are switching because they THINK this will make them win because of the continuous bad press the Republican party gets in most of the media. I don't see how one can change his ideas so much to where he would actually switch parties. People don't suddenly change on gay "rights",abortion...issues like that.

I hope they don't let the door hit them in the a$$

Perhaps they were true conservatives and Republicans, but were sickened by the road to hell the current GOP leadership has set this nation upon.

 

[dilloduck]

Perhaps they were true conservatives and Republicans, but were sickened by the road to hell the current GOP leadership has set this nation upon.

Right--and they see the Democrats to more more representative of how they feel.:teeth:

 

[Mr.Conley]

Such as? For me, the number one issue is WOT/Homeland Security.

WOT/Homeland Security will probably stay on the same course as always. It's not a partisan issue. (And personally I think the WOT is overdone)
The Dems will hopefully reform NCLB. The Republicans have idolized it, but it's flawed.
With the Dems in control of the House I doubt we'd see any more posturing about flag burning or gay marriage.

I'm not saying the Democrats are going to ride in a golden chariot and right all wrongs, I just think they'll be slightly less shitty then the Republicans have been.

 

[Mr.Conley]

Right--and they see the Democrats to more more representative of how they feel.

Actually that's exactly what the former head of the Kansas GOP said.

 

[Annie]

WOT/Homeland Security will probably stay on the same course as always. It's not a partisan issue. (And personally I think the WOT is overdone)
The Dems will hopefully reform NCLB. The Republicans have idolized it, but it's flawed.
With the Dems in control of the House I doubt we'd see any more posturing about flag burning or gay marriage.

I'm not saying the Democrats are going to ride in a golden chariot and right all wrongs, I just think they'll be slightly less shitty then the Republicans have been.

I disagree with you about their reforming NCLB, they are more beholden to the NEA.

As for the bolded, they have different issues. I would NOT be comfortable with the current democratic leadership and WOT, and I think it's underplayed, not over.

 

[Bullypulpit]

Such as? For me, the number one issue is WOT/Homeland Security.

Then ask yourself, and be honest, "Just what has Chimpy...er...George W. Bush and the Republican leadership in Congress done to make America safer?"

Our ports remain unsecured. Chemical and nuclear facilities in and near major metropolitan areas remain as secure as a package of Oreos with a bunch of stoners. Iraq, rather than the stable democracy promised by the administration, has become a training ground for terrorists and is spiralling ionto the chaos of civil war, threatening the entire region. Our armed forces are so overstretched as to be unready for any new situation which is likely to crop up. Our borders are a sieve.

Can you honestly say anything has been done by this administration, since that awful day of September 11, 2001, to make this nation safer? Stop, look at the evidence, examine the facts, put ideology aside and think.

 

[Annie]

Then ask yourself, and be honest, "Just what has Chimpy...er...George W. Bush and the Republican leadership in Congress done to make America safer?"

Our ports remain unsecured. Chemical and nuclear facilities in and near major metropolitan areas remain as secure as a package of Oreos with a bunch of stoners. Iraq, rather than the stable democracy promised by the administration, has become a training ground for terrorists and is spiralling ionto the chaos of civil war, threatening the entire region. Our armed forces are so overstretched as to be unready for any new situation which is likely to crop up. Our borders are a sieve.

Can you honestly say anything has been done by this administration, since that awful day of September 11, 2001, to make this nation safer? Stop, look at the evidence, examine the facts, put ideology aside and think.

I've been more than a bit vocal on all those. The question is, have I observed anything to make me think the dems would do better? No. Is their evidence that they would do less? Yes.