WAVE OF PARTY SWITCHERS HITS REPUBLICANS

[powergirl]

I hope all of this holds true or I am going to have a NERVOUS BREAKDOWN!!!

"A trend of local, below-the-radar party-switches is undercutting Republicans as they face the sternest challenge in a decade to one-party control of Congress and several state legislatures. Such party-switching by elected officials often indicates that the label they are shedding has lost appeal and foreshadows poor performance at the polls.

"Some recent switchers are exiting GOP ranks with a bang. Distorted priorities, the federal deficit and the Iraq war are common themes in their announcements. And in a direct swipe at the far-right ideology that has become a governing credo in the Bush years, they cite intolerance in the party as the chief reason for leaving.

"“The moderate Republican has been pushed aside for the extreme right wing,” Oklahoma state Senator Nancy Riley told the Associated Press in August, when she became a Democrat. Riley represents a district in suburban Tulsa and has served as minority whip in a chamber that her former party was looking to take over in the fall election. She announced her defection after years of what she described as “abhorrent” treatment by Republican leaders who suffer a “lack of compassion for people.”

"In central South Carolina, county prosecutor Barney Giese also switched parties. The law-enforcement pro is the son of Warren Giese, a longtime GOP state senator and revered football coach. His announcement upset Republican leaders, struggling to maintain one-party control in a state that Democrats added to their roster of early primary battlegrounds for the 2008 nomination."

Entire article at:

http://www.inthesetimes.com/site/main/article/2823/
:argh:

[Monkeyman]

1. Its true but they still need to be watched

[liberalmike27]

7. It isn't so hard to imagine

I agree, we can't totally trust them. But since the ideological spectrum has moved so far to the right, it isn't surprising that Republicans are becoming uncomfortable with this Fascist White House, who pushes vote-stealing, rich tax cuts, and perpetual war without end, and lies to get whatever means. A lot of conservatives aren't happy with environmental stances either, as well as the general idea of corporations writing law for themselves.

[ooga booga]

20. True....but we should be watchin' everybody all the time

I'm in favor of goving party switchers a chance.

(1) It's one way to grow quickly in historically Republican areas. Remember, the GOP grew itself that way quite succesfully. Naturally, those party switcher applicants need to be vetted.


(2) The party switch announcement is normally a press conference with beaming party officials welcoming the newcomer publicly. Sort of a political baptism. If you don't like 'em or don't trust 'em, don't baptize 'em. For instance, Delay's former dog robbers need not apply.

(3) A lot of local officials down the ballot became Republicans just because it was required. Local judges are a good example. Don't pass on a good judge just because he was a Republican. He was probably forced into it in the first place to get on the bench. Let 'em know that if they aren't good Democrats that the party will recruit someone else to run against them in the next primary.

(4) I'd be a lot more weary of the "360's" -- the ones who were Democrats who switched to the GOP and now want to switch back. In Texas, I'd bet that Carole Keeton Strayhorn might try that move. She's such a shameless opportunist I bet she's probably thinkin' about it.

[Tiggeroshii]

2. They could switch back if the Dems fail to take the house. Or, they

could simply switch parties giving the Democrats a bunch of state legislatures and the hosue of representatives all together. Just this could be the one thing that shifts control of congress.

[CarlVK]

3. I have no doubt the moderates are being disenfranchised for the whackos

The question is - to what proportions? We'd all like to think that extremists are but a small minority of any party, but....are they?

[Imagevision]

4. Herad Repugs proudly claim to be republicans, but the war has to stop!

If all else fails with people common sense for the lucky ones will prevail.

[samsingh]

5. better late than never i guess

[auburngrad82]

6. That's actually a good sign

They don't have faith that their party will maintain control. Remember 1994? There were a ton of Democrats who jumped ship and went to the GOP. I would never support someone who jumped parties but I take it as a good sign for Democrats.



Liberal bumper stickers

[DUBYASCREWEDUS]

8. In Ohio

we have the "Republicans for Strickland" group which sites the same reasons - Blackwell is way too conservative and too far out of touch with main stream Ohioans. There are many notable Republicans on this list. Hope it keeps growing.

[Demeter]

9. You Can Take the Candidate Out of the GOP...but

it appears you can't take the GOP out of the candidate! My alderman is a turncoat (he couldn't win in this town as GOP), but damme if the first opportunity that arises, he's helping out the biggest, nastiest developer in the city when the latest project doesn't pass. He finagled a re-vote and now this downtown luxury development will go forward. Ain't it sweet?

[Rude Horner]

10. Just because they say they're now a Democrat

doesn't mean they really are. With Republican poll numbers in the tank, it isn't surprising to see many distance themselves from the party. But the real question is - where do they stand on the issues?

[stubtoe]

11. Ugh. Party switchers are the lowest form of life on the planet.

I say, if you have no convictions you're willing to stand up for, get the hell out of the game.

[barb162]

14. Hey, Jeffords switched parties midstream

I think it is going to become more common especially if any party starts losing its main selling points. If the Republicans are known for fiscal conservatism and it has been anything but the last few years, people will leave who are fiscal conservartives.

[Canuckistanian]

18. Jeffords didn't switch

He just left the GOP to be an independent.

[cascadiance]

12. Ultimately in round 2, when we look to get public financing through...

... at the national level, if and when we get Democratic majorities that can pass such things, that's when we see their true colors, and whether they are people we fully want to welcome into the party, or regard them as opportunists for power that some might be.

And of course we already have many in the Democratic Party that also need to be weeded out in this effort later as well.

Once we can get a national effort towards public financing through congress, etc. that's the day we see a national unification of message in the Democratic Party that many both here on this board, and comments on this article bemoan that a lot of our current congress critters don't seem to rally around now or have on their agenda.

[ElboRuum]

13. Polarizations...

OK, perhaps someone can explain a few things to me:

1) If, indeed, the hijacking of their party by the far right-wing is such a problem, why is it that, over the past 30 years, they've happily courted them?

2) Since when have Republicans, in the past 30 years, had "compassion for people", when every policy seems to speak to a decided antipathy for the "people"?

3) Why has it taken 30 years for Republicans to see their party for what it really is?

Answers:

1) They were willing to court them for votes, playing on their general misanthropy to get elected. I guess they didn't think they ever had any shot of getting into power. Now that they are, their worst fears are realized. But it isn't some "change of heart" causing them to cross the line. It's fear of political irrelevance.

2) They haven't. Don't expect much from the switchers in this regard.

3) They've always known. It's just damned incovenient to be one right now. Easy come, easy go, I guess.

[Jackpine Radical]

15. I think there are two types of ship-jumper--

or maybe more accurately, two poles on the ship-jumper scale. On one end, the ethical end, are those who can no longer stomach the policies of their erstwhile party. On the other end are the pure self-serving opportunists who are just looking out for their own skins.

This is a profound difference. A skunk is still a skunk whether his strpes are red or blue, and the basic behavior patterns don't change.

People who leave the party for ethical reasons, however, tend to behave quite differently. At first they are quite hesitant and uncomfortable in wearing their new color. They differ with their old cohort on only a few central points (e.g. the war, the budget) while clinging to many of their original, conservative tenets. They are, in fact, internally quite conflicted and their mental structures are strained with cognitive dissonance. Over time, though, they move toward intellectual coherence. They learn from their new political associates. The net result is that, once the ideological bulwarks are breached, they tend to move globally leftward across time, thereby attaining cognitive coherence.

[emmadoggy]

16. I agree with several of the other posters here...

In the short term this will be a benefit to Dems to win the majority we so desperately want (and NEED). However, centrists and moderate REPUBLICANS switching and calling themselves Democrats doesn't make them liberals or progressives. All it serves to do in the long term is to continue to pull the Democratic party further to the right. And Lord knows, we've already been pulled a good yank to the right over the last several years. I want us to pull back the other way and get back to where people like Feingold are considered the norm or an average Democrat, instead of being labeled as a FAR LEFT or fringe Democrat.

Just my .02

[lonestarnot]

21. I make them .04

[mtnester]

17. I trust NONE of them...switching parties cause you KNOW you are

going to lose means NOTHING..

If I were a candidate running against one of these switchers, I would blast them for running away from their record, beliefs and responsibilities of their actions...not the type of candidate we want.

Once upon a time, a scorpion swam all the way to the middle of a big lake. When he got there, he realized he did not know how to swim and started to drown.

"Help! Help!" The scorpion yelled. But no one came to help him. A turtle was swimming by and the scorpion saw her and said, "Turtle, please help me. Can't you see I'm drowning?" And the turtle said, "No, I will not help you. If I come near you, you will sting me and then I will die".

The scorpion protested. "Turtle, I swear to you, I will not sting you. I'm not stupid, Turtle. You could save my life. If I bite you, I will drown and I do not want to die". The turtle believed him, swam over, put the scorpion on her back and started swimming with him back to shore.

When the turtle was close to shore, the scorpion stung her. And as they were both drowning, the turtle turned around and said, "Why? Why did you do it , Scorpion? Now we're both going to die. Why did you do it?"

And the scorpion replied, "Because I am a scorpion. I cannot help myself. It is my nature".

[lonestarnot]

22. Here here! Worse than pond scum they!

[byronius]

19. I personally know two,

Father-in-Law, Brother-in-Law. Staunch Republicans all their lives -- now Registered Democrats.

[AX10]

23. I can't blame them for switching.

Though I wonder, just how much to do they actually agree with the Democratic Party?