Even Republicans Fear Bush

[WillyT]

<snip>

The most divisive election campaign in recent American history has not merely split the nation along party lines, it has split the Grand Old Party itself. Unfortunately, most Americans are wholly unaware of the loud dissents against Bush that has begun to be heard in Republican circles.

If the United States had major media that covered politics, as opposed to the political spin generated by the Bush White House and the official campaigns of both the Republican president and his Democratic challenger, one of the most fascinating, and significant, stories of the 2004 election season would be the abandonment of the Bush reelection effort by senior Republicans. But this is a story that, for the most part, has gone untold. Scant attention was paid to the revelation that one Republican member of the U.S. Senate, Rhode Island's Lincoln Chafee, will refrain from voting for his party's president -- despite the fact that Chafee offered a far more thoughtful critique of George W. Bush's presidency than "Zig-Zag" Zell Miller, the frothing, Democrat-hating Democrat did when he condemned his party's nominee. Beyond the minimal attention to Chafee, most media has neglected the powerful, and often poignant, condemnations of Bush by prominent Republicans.

Former Republican members of the U.S. Senate and House, governors, ambassadors, aides to GOP Presidents Eisenhower, Nixon, Ford, Reagan and George Herbert Walker Bush have explicitly endorsed the campaign of Democrat John Kerry. For many of these lifelong Republicans, their vote for Kerry will be a first Democratic vote. But, in most cases, it will not be a hesitant one.

Angered by the Bush administration's mismanagement of the war in Iraq, record deficits, assaults on the environment and secrecy, the renegade partisans tend to echo the words of former Minnesota Governor Elmer Andersen, who says that, "Although I am a longtime Republican, it is time to make a statement, and it is this: Vote for Kerry-Edwards, I implore you, on November 2."

<snip>

Link: http://www.thenation.com/thebeat/index.mhtml?bid=1&pid=1960

If I were a Republican... I'd be voting against Bush just to save my party!

:shrug:

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. Many are votuing against bush and straight demo tickets

they see that as the only way they can retake the party from the radicals

Personally I foresee two results in that civil war

1.- Party will split, moderates retake GOP... it will take years but they will regain the trust of teh American people as the Loyal Oposition.

2.- Party will split, the radicals keep control... the GOP goes the way of teh Whigs, into the dustbin of history (and quite frankly this is not that impossible)

[Old and In the Way]

3. I agree.

Republicans are going to split, bigtime, after this eletion. The Christian RW vs. moderate fiscal conservatives. The latter are alarmed at the direction this country is headed in and are smart enough to vote Kerry now. They will then use this loss to go after the criminals who've hijacked their Party. I will thoroughly enjoy the meltdown and splintering that will occur as the fingerpointing begins on 11/3/04.

[giant_robot]

14. I heard somebody say (I can't remember who)

that there will be a republican split that might mean the end of the two party system in the US. It could make for a very intersting couple of years

[Philostopher]

17. I wonder if it won't go yet another way.

To put it simply, I wonder if perhaps the Kerry Dems and the Rockefeller Republicans might not pull together, regardless of who wins on Tuesday. I can't imagine old-time social-liberal - fiscal-conservative GoOPers feel very comfortable with things, these days. Likewise, there are elements of the Democratic Party who aren't comfortable with farther left liberals, either.

Theoretically, we could end up with a working three-party system by default, in other words, if conservative Dems and more moderate Republicans started building coalitions to maintain whatever sanity still remains within the system.

However, it has to be acknowledged that if moderate Republicans and more conservative Dems pulled together, it wouldn't please the more progressive elements of our own party, either.

I don't necessarily think this scenario results in anything overwhelmingly positive, in the short-run -- it would dilute any progresive reforms for the middle and working class and probably not result in anything positive for the poor -- but it would staunch the flow of money to the richest couple of percent of the population, and might stabilize our image internationally. Just as not all Democrats are pacifists, neither are all Republicans warhawks.

I don't know. It's one of many possible outcomes, I guess -- I don't think this polarization is going to last long, whether it results in millions of people moving elsewhere within and/or out of America (if things become even more restrictive and paranoid), or in some moderation of goals (which isn't necessarily something to be desired). You can't please everybody, anyway, but theoretically it's possible that we may wind up with a middle, left and right wing within the foreseeable future.

[peacetalksforall]

2. Must read - I'll repeat the link

http://www.thenation.com/thebeat/index.mhtml?bid=1&pid=...

Excellent!

Someone should publish all these editorial endorsements and the various columns and statements of former Republican citizens and papers who have gone against Bush-Cheney for history's sake.

[madaboutharry]

4. This is what makes the actions

of John McCain so interesting from a political point of view. What is his motive for having given such an enormous amount of support to Bush during this campaign. It really perplexes me. If the moderates take over the GOP, McCain is going to get punished and kept out of the inner circle which will most likely be lead by the likes of Chuck Hagel or Richard Lugar. The neo-cons have no respect for McCain, he is going to get tossed aside like an old whore. McCain really self-destructed if you ask me.

[WillyT]

5. Great Point !!!

McCain may be earning his way into Republican no-man's land.

:hi:

[Glenmar]

8. Right on target

I've been wondering what is in this for John McCain? I always respected most of his opinions, but I have lost that because of the whoring for *

[WillyT]

9. Me Too Glenmar !!! - And Welcome To DU !!!

:toast::bounce::toast:

Glad to have you aboard! How's Ohio looking???

:hi:

[flygal]

6. A group of repubs in MT are voting dem...

Group rallies to take back Flathead GOP
By MICHAEL JAMISON of the Missoulian



KALISPELL - In the cold dark of early morning, over steaming mugs at a Kalispell coffee shop that hasn't officially opened for the day, a group of men conspire a revolution of sorts.

These architects of political dissent do not look like revolutionaries; rather, they look like bankers - mature white men, financially secure, nicely dressed, hair graying, munching cookies with their coffee.

They are Republicans, and they want their party back.

To do that, they're supporting a Democrat for Flathead County commissioner, the first time ever that many of these men will cast a vote outside the GOP.

"I think we're just the tip of what you're going to see coming forward," said Cal Sweet, a longtime Kalispell businessman. "Enough is enough. We need some sanity when it comes to conservative politics in the Flathead Valley."

According to Sweet and nearly a dozen others around this table, the local Republican Party has been hijacked by "extremists," a "small, radical group" of religious fundamentalists and Libertarians who have crawled under the flap of the famously big Republican tent and are pushing out any who do not accept their dogma.

(More)




http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2004/10/19/news/mtregional/news03.txt

[StupidFOX]

7. I think God is afraid of Bush

Four more years and Bush will create his own apocolypse.

[Cat Atomic]

10. Alot of the business interests that supported Hitler early on bailed

on him, too. He was for crushing labor unions and all sorts of other things that the business community likes. By the time they finally managed to see past their greed, they were too late.

It was the same thing in Iran with the forces that deposed the Shah. They were fine with using religion as a catalyst for (profitable) change, but they were helpless to stop it once it'd picked up momentum.

Dipshit, greedy conservatives. Some of them are finally waking up, sure. But it's hardly inspirational. They're still just looking out for their own sorry asses. They see the status quo they love to exploit is actually being stretched to the breaking point.

[LiberalFighter]

11. Only way to rid their party of the fundies and neo-nazies

[mikedemocrat]

12. Can you blame them?

The repuglican part is in for a wake up call on tuesday.

[WillyT]

13. Kick !!!

:kick:

[charlie]

15. This is what makes 2004 decidedly different, IMHO

Republicans are renowned for their fidelity, and rightly so. For 20+ years I've watched Democratic politicians defect to the other side, Democratic voters rationalize pulling the lever for the Other Guy. But not Republicans. Never Republicans.

Whether these guys are bellwethers for a coming fracture in the GOP, I dunno. But it's a truly remarkable development that should worry Repubs.

[Nicky Scarfo]

16. I've met quite a few Repubs (especially in my union) voting for Kerry

Unfortunately, I've also met quite a few strong union members voting for Bush, which disturbs me. Why? Either a. terrorism or b. family values/abortion (my priest said vote for Bush)

[WillyT]

18. Welcome To DU, Nicky Scarfo !!!

:toast::bounce::toast:

Glad ta have ya aboard!!!

:hi:

[Toots]

19. Then they are as stupid as a bag of hammers

They vote against their interests and deserve everything that happens to them in life and I have a feeling that is a lot of unpleasantness.