Republicans Running as Democrats

[struggle4progress]

Desperate to hold on to Congress amid declining polls, enveloping scandals and the deeply unpopular Iraq war, Republicans are trying a new tactic in 2006.

by MARGIE BURNS

.. Regardless of where they live, these newcomer Dems tend to share a few arresting characteristics. They switched from Republican to Democrat in 2005, often late in 2005. Their switch was quiet and without fanfare. The switch took place without vocal protest or attack from the national Republican Party. They immediately or soon declared intention of running for office as Democrats. Even in a heated election year, their candidacies have not drawn attacks or accusations of treason, betrayal or other name-calling typically beloved by the great noise machine. Often they have functioned in their respective elections as spoilers of a Democratic candidate or of a Democratic primary, and predictably they have chosen to run in a district or state either predominately Democratic or trending away from the GOP ..

The most prominent example of this phenomenon in Maryland is Joshua B. Rales, running for the U.S. Senate as a Democrat after a lifetime of commitment to Republican politics and after donating many thousands of dollars to the GOP in several elections. Indeed, so dedicated a financial supporter of Republican candidates at all levels was Josh Rales that he donated several thousand dollars to the ill-fated candidacy of Ruthann Aron, who later became internationally famous for trying to hire a hit man to carry out attacks on her husband and an attorney ..

And in Florida, Clint Curtis, veteran of a different kind of war, the massive Florida scandal over election fraud allegations, recently switched to run in the Sept. 5 Democratic primary in District 24. If victorious, he will challenge Florida Rep. Tom Feeney.

Florida has had its share of apparent party switchers, rather than genuine converts, in the past. The 2004 election in District 5 was influenced by a ringer. And local can become national in a hurry, when it really matters. Theresa LePore, Supervisor of Elections in Palm Beach County in 2000, was a Republican who had switched to Democrat, her county majority, only shortly before playing her role in regard to those butterfly ballots ..

http://baltimorechronicle.com/2006/090306BURNS.shtml

[TheCowsCameHome]

1. And running scared as well. Very nice to watch.

Pass the popcorn, please.

[magellan]

2. Wait, isn't Clint Curtis the whistleblower on the FL election scandal?

He wasn't formerly a politician, he was a computer programmer. Who can blame him for turning Dem after the way he's been treated by the Repugs?

[John Q. Citizen]

3. An interesting article. I hope the voters are paying attention...n/t

[yurbud]

4. just as the DLCers would go the other way if they had no chance

of being elected as Democrats.

For some pols, the label is just a label, but they serve the same masters no matter what they call themselves.

[michreject]

6. Exactly

Bloomberg is a good example of a life long Dem switching parties in order to get out of a crowded field.

This practice is not all that uncommon.

[NJ Democrats]

9. And Ray Nagin the other way

He went to Dem just before the primary when he was elected for the first time, cause he couldn't win as a R.

[wyldwolf]

11. just as the greens would call themselves Dems...

...if they'd have a shot at winning.

[Zorra]

15. Maybe, but no Democrat would ever call themself a republican,

no matter what the case.

[wyldwolf]

16. which kind of makes post #4 irrelevant

[karynnj]

17. Bloomberg - as someone said upstream

was a very major Democratic contributor.

[rodeodance]

5. well, ---will they vote as Dems IF elected?

[dragonlady]

7. A similar case in a local election

Our county sheriff in Milwaukee, a self-described Democrat, was appointed by the Republican governor at that time and has been very cozy with the Republican party during his term. He has refused several direct invitations to join the Democratic party. He is being challenged in the primary by a real Democrat, and the Milwaukee Democratic Party has taken the unprecedented step of endorsing a candidate (the challenger) in the primary. Since the Republicans have a hotly contested primary for state attorney general and a few other local seats on their ballot, they may not want to cross over and vote in the Democratic primary to help the sheriff. We hope.

[TheDebbieDee]

8. I read an article that called these candidates "stealth repukes",,

Also, some Christian fundy groups also encouraged their members to run for political office, ANY political office, without revealing their devoutly fundamentally religious beliefs until AFTER they were elected!

[PresidentWar]

10. Wow, I thought Christianity taught against lies and deceit?

But then again, these people are no Christians.

[TheDebbieDee]

14. Omission of a fact is not exactly a lie...........

But, I agree with you about it being deceitful!

[rhett o rick]

12. An important point here in DU, not all Democrats are good. nm

[and-justice-for-all]

13. Wolves in Sheeps clothing....

You have to be very careful who you vote for, do some digging on the canidates so you know what your getting...

This action by Repukes of party swopping is due to the fact that they are going to get their asses handed back to them in November. The ship is sinking and the rats know it...