Which is better: a "liberal" republican or a conservative democrat?

[ithinkmyliverhurts]

Or, more precisely, for whom would you vote? Issue example: pro-choice republican senator vs. anti-choice democratic senator. Real-life example: Licoln Chaffee vs. Zell Miller.

Here's the kicker these days: do you vote for the democratic candidate out of loyalty to the party and with the hope of regaining the house or senate?

False dichotomy? In most cases, yes. I'm just curious. This is democratic underground after all.

[bullimiami]

1. depends on their record.

[still_one]

2. a liberal republican is a oxymoran

especially with the new definition of the republican party

[Oerdin]

21. James Jeffords

James Jeffords was the closest thing we had to a liberal Republican even though he really was just a centrist. Still he got chased out of the Republican Party for demanding the budget stay balanced and for refusing to sign off on Bush's tax cuts for millionaires unless corresponding cuts were made to prevent the deficit from exploding. Republicans said that trickle down economics would prevent a blow up of the deficit but just as during the Reagan years that was proven to be a complete lie.

Hell, I'd be happy if Republicans would ditch the neo-conservatives and go back to old fashioned conservatives. You know the really old fashioned conservatives who demanded small government and a balanced budget. They'd still be wrong on most issues but at least they wouldn't be running the country's finances into the ground the way Bush and Co have done.

[Stephist]

3. How about a write in?

Sorry but I am convinced there is no such thing as a "liberal" Republican anymore. Are there less Conservative Republicans? oh sure, but prove to me there is such a thing as a "liberal Republican" in 2005. Hell I'd settle for a "liberal Democrat" they are the last of dying breed.

And by the way there are a lot of words I would use to describe Mr. Chaffee... liberal isn't one of them.

[ithinkmyliverhurts]

12. That's why I put "liberal" in quotes. You'll notice I didn't do the same

thing for conservative democratic--because this species actually exists.

[NewInNewJ.]

4. To me

they are the same. I'm sick of electing a Democrat and expecting
someone that will stand for our and in the end getting a Repub. lite.

[NewInNewJ.]

5. To me

they are the same. I'm sick of electing a Democrat and expecting
someone that will stand for our and in the end getting a Repub. lite.

[RoyGBiv]

6. Tough Choice ...

I am a political animal, which in present context means my party loyalty is profound. Since my choices never fall along these lines (it's usually conservative Dem vs. Neo-Dumbass), I've never had to face such a choice.

However, I could never bring myself to vote for someone like Zell Miller. If he ran here, I'd work my ass off to defeat him in the primary, and if that didn't work, I'd go third party, assuming there is one. If he were running against a pro-choice Republican, I'd hold my nose and vote with the issue and then embark on a furious campaign to demand answers from my local party leaders about the choice they gave me. If it cost the party control of the House or Senate, I'd consider the problem as one of the party itself.

[theHandpuppet]

7. There's an old saying

"A difference which makes no difference IS no difference".

[Pirate Smile]

10. Who they vote for for Majority Leader determines just about everything

in the Senate - what bills are brought up to be debated, if Judges get a vote, who controls the Committees, whether there are any INVESTIGATIONS!

[im10ashus]

11. Funny.

Vague and complex, all at once. :-)

[Pirate Smile]

8. I don't think Zell is really a Democrat. Could we put Ben Nelson in there

instead? He actually is a Conservative Democrat.

Zell is just friggin nuts.

I'd pick Nelson over Chafee because Nelson is a vote for Reid for Majority Leader.

Chafee has really never sided with the Dems during any of these filibuster fights and he didn't vote against any of Bush's wacko RW judges.

Chafee is worthless. He votes with BushCo on almost everything.

Does anyone have the stats - % of time Chafee votes the way Bush wants him to or the % of time he votes with the Republican Majority vs. the % of time Nelson votes the Bush wants him to or the % of time he votes with the majority of Dems?

I still think we come out way ahead with Nelson.

[tedoll78]

9. In the Senate, I'll take the Democrat.

We NEED control of those committees, the agenda, and the ability to STOP bringing judicial nominees to the floor. A liberal Republican will do NOTHING for us in that realm.

[pitohui]

13. we gotta get back the congress

zell miller questionable example, he may be a fake, he went to the gop convention, this is a suspicious individual, you wonder if he could be prosecuted for fraud

but we gotta get back the house and senate, even if a given dem is more center than ideal

[VPStoltz]

14. I would say a conservative Dem

because at least you know they still have a brain to work with unlike a Repug in any configuration.

[Ignoramus]

15. A liberal anything over a conservative anything

If we are using liberal to mean in favor of social justice and democracy, and conservative to mean authoritarian. So, that would rule out for example a supposedly liberal republican who is going to fall in line when republicans tell him to.

The division between republican and democrat is false. The real division is liberal vs. authoritarian. The real battle is for social justice, not for giving power to anyone with a D next to it's name.

People have to think big. Constantly compromising is the path to failure. We need to think in terms of generations, not one election at a time.

Right now, the general tone in society idealizes giant trucks, muscular men with guns etc. How can we build toward a culture that values knowledge and respect, not in 2 years, but in 20 years?

Diversions can be taken to be practical, but the eye should always stay on the prize. Promote what is liberal all the way up to the last moment until it's time to make a vote, at which point you can do what is practical.

[TomInTib]

16. Independent for Integrity...

I am registered as an independent with liberal positions on most issues, so I hold the Dems accountable (Biden, D-MBNA) and asked Hillary (because I have sent her money and she keeps asking for more) and the fabuluous Ms. Boxer (because she is my Senator) to shake the hands of George Voinovich (OH-R with a conscience) and Walter P. Jones (NC - R "formerly Freedom Fries who has since apologized and who truly does support our troops") on my behalf.
Also contacted Hillary, Barbara, Voinovich and Jones via e-mail and called their offices to make sure my voice was heard.

If I lived in their districts, I would vote for the above-mentioned Repubs. Also, Arlen Specter...fighting cancer and fighting for SCOTUS judicial integrity at the same time...

Issues and Integrity rule...well...they should, anyway...

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

17. *Shrug* - either way I'd be voting Green.

[TomInTib]

20. Oh yeah...

...because...well, name one Green candidate that anybody knows of...does any of this really matter to you? Get serious, or keep pissing into the wind...hemp clothing is not an appropriate response to Karl Rove.

[annabanana]

18. Today, a "lib" repub is well left of a Conservative Dem.....

no contest

[WildEyedLiberal]

19. Really?

Then why do most "liberal" Republicans still vote with the party line the vast majority of the time? The most liberal Repub only betrays his party about 20-30% of the time - the rest of the time, they vote party line.

[annabanana]

23. there AREN'T any anymore

Eisenhower & Rockefeller are dead...

[TomInTib]

25. And yet...

...we want the liberal Repubs in OH to vote for Hackett, because that is our best chance and he is a war hero speaking his mind. We need to keep our minds open too, and open the dialogue with whoever might get elected so that our issues are in play.

Again...if we are going to be smart about this, it is about the issues, not the party. And - in order to further our issues - we need to win over the other side, not on party lines, but on issues. The Christian, fundamentalist base is a lost cause, but there are plenty of RW'ers that are not beholden to that. Let us together find the best candidates with the postions that we can support.

Remember, we are at (a totally elective) war and screwing it up badly, and we lost the election based on gay marriage and abortion...

P.S. This is Beth, Tom's sweetheart. Have to get my own DU thing set up 9because his is set up on my computer. He askes that you do not attribute the above to him, for fear of getting flamed...

[mmonk]

22. In a contest between

Chaffee and Miller, I would take Chaffee. No way in hell I'd support Miller for anything.

[JerseygirlCT]

24. Really depends on the situation

In your example, Lincoln Chaffee wins easily. Miller it a nut-case.

I'd have to take it one at a time. Generally speaking, the Democrat. But there are a few Democrats who truly have nothing to do with the party's ideals. Just calling him/herself Democrat doesn't make it so, you know?

I happily voted for Lowell Weicker over Joe Lieberman years ago, and would do so again in an instant. Besides, Joe would vote with the GOP far more than Lowell would, I'm sure!

[Dem_Doin_Business]

26. Neither....

No matter what you call it...A rat is a rat!!!!!

[Redstone]

27. I, actually, vote for whoever I think is the better candidate.

Being a lifelong registered independent, I have the luxury of being able do that without having to worry about any other issues.

Be damned if I'm going to let EITHER party tell me how to vote, or to think.

Redstone

...But I will say that, ef everything else is pretty much equal, I'lll go with the Democratic candidate every time.

[TomInTib]

29. Yup

Me too...

Bethyl

Glad that I don't live in Delaware...

[Piperay]

28. Conservative Democrat is better

cause they add one more 'D' to Congress and I would just never ever trust anyone who is a repug. A liberal Repug is still a repug and TOTALLY untrustworthy, they will AWAYS show their true colors.