Why don't the Moderate Senate Republicans Jump Ship?

[ltfranklin]

Ok, see if I'm missing something here!

There are (currently)

55 Republican Senators
44 Democratic Senators
1 Independent Senator

Now, if 6 Moderate Republican Senators switched to Independents (pulled a Jeffords, so to speak), the Republicans would no longer have sufficient votes to get a simple majority. Although they would still have more votes than Democrats, they would not be able to use the Nuclear Option to get around the filibuster. Not only that, but I would guess that the Committee makeups and financials would have to be renegotiated as well.

And the Moderates...oh, the Moderates would, once again, have a SAY in what goes on in the Senate. They would, as a voting group, have the power to require that the remaining Republicans would HAVE to negotiate with them for what they want...as would the Democrats, of course.

It seems to me that if Moderate Republicans want to have ANY future say in what happens in government in the USA, this may well be the only way they get it.

Regarding the hold the RNC has over these people, I honestly think that if they did this, they would be heroes to those Republicans that don't agree where the Republican Party is taking them, as well as a fair number of Independents and Democrats in their state. I doubt they'd have any problems getting campaign contributions.

Am I way out of line here? Are there enough Moderates that don't like where they're party is going to take this kind of step?

And would the same thing work in the House?

[hippiepunk]

1. There aren't 6 repuke moderates...

and lieberman doesn't count as a dem!

[ltfranklin]

10. So who is?

Are there NO moderate Republicans in the Senate?

How about the House? Are there moderate repubs there? How many would it take to make a difference?

[roguevalley]

2. Its hard to leave a party you love. I could never not be a dem. but

that said, it seems they are sitting shiva around the corpse of what they once were. I think they are cowards not to leave and I don't think they are that moderate because they still make totally stupid votes. Maybe they salve their consciences by saying their are moderate all the while they screw the country like the idiots.

[SharonAnn]

7. Hmmm, I left more than 20 years ago because of what the GOP was

doing in these three areas;
- The environment
- Women's rights - civil rights
- Their embrace of the Religious Right

People like my Dad (a life long loyal Republican) no longers identifies himself as a Republican. He's an Independent. That's what I was for about 8 years.

[ltfranklin]

8. Jeffords did it.

Now, I would completely understand it if such a group came out with a statement that basically said:

"We're sorry we had to do it...when and if the Republican Party once again becomes the Party of Lincoln, the Party that we grew up with and loved, we hope we might again be welcomed to it, but until that time, we must carry on the fight as Independents!"

But more than likely, you're right. There are few men of principal any more.

[More Than A Feeling]

3. What would this do to their committee assignments?

Also, wouldn't they have to caucus with someone for purposes of voting for senate leaders?

[ltfranklin]

12. What did it do to Jefford's Committee assignments?

And I know, where there was an equal number of Dems/Repubs, the Committee assignments and financial arrangements got shuffled, then when they got the majority, shuffled again.

[More Than A Feeling]

16. Jeffords caucuses with the Dems

Therefore, he must get his committee assignments from them as well. For the moderate Republicans to be as independent as you suggest, they would seem not to be caucusing with anyone, or on a case by case basis. So who would decide which committees they were on. Would they perhaps form a third party or join, say, the libertarians, and just start assigning themselves to committees? How would the Dems and the Pubs play it?

[ltfranklin]

19. I'm not sure...

Do they have to form a party, or can they just form their own caucus. Perhaps Jeffords would join them...together they would make up 7% of the Senate, so could they draw 7% of the committee seats? Not sure how that kind of thing is negotiated.

[MessiahRp]

4. Brainwashing...

Even if their side is completely and 100% wrong, they are Republicans and they are moral and good no matter what. Democrats are evil wild eyed liberals who want to destroy Earth and God... didn't you know?

I think Fox News has a memo about how all Republicans should think somewhere don't they? :)

Rp

[OrlandoGator]

5. The same reason the liberal Democrats didn't jump ship during Clinton

When your team is winning, you don't just quit out of principle.

And for the record, I think it sucks that the above statement is anywhere near true.

[SharonAnn]

9. But the Liberal Democrats didn't have anywhere to jump to.

[imenja]

6. It's not going to happen, certainly not six of them

Devote your energy to our own party. We can't influence what they do. If you're in one of their states, you can assert your views on votes they take, but you aren't going to convince them to switch parties. The potential downside of a party switch is too great.

[smoogatz]

11. Snowe, Chaffee, Specter, McCain--and that's pretty much it.

Chaffee I could easily see switching parties or doing a Jeffords. Snowe...maybe. Specter and McCain, never.

[IronLionZion]

22. and Susan Collins

She's moderate like Snowe.

McCain and some others like Graham, Hagel, and Alexander are conservative without toeing the party line on everything.

I'm sure a lot of Republicans with poor constituents will break with the party on Social Security. I can't imagine anyone supporting Bush on defaulting on treasury bonds either.

[IronLionZion]

13. Chafee says he's more effective as a Republican

when your party is in power, you tend to stick with them even though you hate them and they hate you.

KKKarl Rove is entirely responsible for Arlen Specter's re-election so he has to pay back the favor. He's probably resign soon due to his health and hopefully Governor Rendell will appoint someone good to replace him.

I don't know what's going on with the Maine ladies and John McCain is a conservative who happens to think independently of his party.

[Warpy]

14. The problem, as always, is campaign funding

and without the backing of the RNC, they will have less of it. They will also be targeted for defeat in the next election cycle, heavily targeted, and we know what that means in terms of election fraud and other dirty tricks. It didn't work with Jeffords because Vermonters are tough old New Englanders and hard as hell to fool.

I have a sneaking suspicion that once the Bully, er, The Hammer is gone from Congress (and hopefully no longer holds RNC purse strings), the moderates will be like the Dixie Dems were in the 60s, obstructing the worst of the party extremism passing as legislation.

As for en masse desertion, don't count on it. The moderates want their party back, and they are not ready to give up on the party of Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt just yet.

[Leilani]

15. Beacause they believe in the basic tenets of their party.

Perhaps they're unhappy & frustrated right now, but that doesn't make them Dems.

How about Dems? Plenty in the party during various times & over various issues have been very unhappy, but they stayed because they believe in the historical platform of the party.

If you love your party, you try to change it from the inside. However, perhaps things will grow untenable at some point, & they will jump. But I don't think they've reached that stage yet.

[tritsofme]

17. Why jump to the minority?

and lose powerful committeee spots?

[ltfranklin]

18. Would they?

Well, perhaps...but if they went Independent as a group, and kept their solidarity, their negotiating powers with the Republican party leaders would, seems to me, be pretty strong.

[tritsofme]

20. Yeah

The only reason it worked in Jeffords favor was because he effectively gave Democrats the majority.

Now he is pretty much out to dry.

There simply are not 6 Republicans that would jump ship in this Senate.

[zulchzulu]

21. Country Club Repugs never leave the Grand Ole Party...rarely...

Country Club Repugs, otherwise known as Repug Moderates, never leave the party. Too much influence peddling, too many easy martini trophy wife bottle blondes willing for affairs in gaudy golf meccas, too many good drug connections complete with Caribbean beachfront bungalows...nah...it's all a show anyway. If it gets too thick, just take another trip around the globe with your business partner's mistress...why give it up?

Become a Democrat? What would Mother think!

[Leilani]

23. Ironically, Snowe, Collins, Chafee, & McCain are the least likely

to follow your scenario.

Look to the Good Christians traveling the world via their sordid lobbyists.

[iconoclastNYC]

24. Blackmail and payback, you don't doublecross the mafia.

Without going into hiding and protection from the FBI.

Jefford must have have some sort of "protection", some dirt or something.