Would You Support A Repugnican Turned Democrat

[KharmaTrain]

This happened in '94 and could play in reverse if the trends we're seeing continue and the Democrats take control of the House in November. When the power shifted so did some Democrats...almost all Yellow Dogs like Shelby, Ben Nighthorse Campbell, Billy Tauzin (Mr. Communications Dereg) and several others. It could be said some "really weren't Democrats" in the first place, but the prime reason at the time was seniority and influence as every committee will change leaders and each party will have to reconfigure their members...and that's what this post is about.

With the Repugnican "big tent" collapsing, surely there are some in that party who really didn't feel like they belonged, but played the game to get elected and to gain power inside the beltway. I suspect the same thing will go on again as a few Repugnicans...mostly moderates...will try to see what kind of deal they can swing with Pelosi and the DNC to keep their senority and be with the majority...able to get in on the spoils...the pork and other perks.

Two questions to the class...

1.) I can think several, but I'd like to see who people here think would be current Repugnicans who would switch if/when the Democrats take over the House?

2.) If you have a Repugnican Representative and he/she claimed "they saw the light" and decided to switch parties, would you support them?

Just a caveat here...there's a long way to November and a Democratic victory is by no means a given...if anything, I expect the Rovian slime machine to throw everything they can to use fear, terror, homophobia, racism and other knee-jerk tactics to energize their horde to ignore all the crap this regime has done on them for fear of a Democratic majority. Those of us involved with campaigns (and hopefully there's a lot of us here on DU) have a lot of work still to do.

Discuss... (hopefully...)

[marmar]

1. Only if they agreed to have the chip removed from their brains first...

:evilgrin:

[mmonk]

2. Don't know who would switch but, I could support

someone like that if they changed for the right reasons.

[MADem]

3. So long as they listen to the whips and leaders when the rubber meets the

road. If they think they can join the party and stray from the ranch, that's not how the game is played.

Sometimes, your choice is a shitbird GOPer or an iffy Democrat. I'll take the Democrat, even the converts, especially if he's planning on getting DNC dough to run a campaign.

[abluelady]

4. It's a Good Question

Do you live in VA? We're dealing with that right now in a way. My guess is any Repug who changes saw the light! I am naive and didn't think they would go "undercover." On the other hand we have Dems like Lieberman....

In my old age, I have come to realize there is not a candidate out there who supports everything I do, so I have to pick and choose.

[KharmaTrain]

12. I'm In Illinois

In what I call a purple district...it had been a longtime safe Repugnican seat we took in '04. Many consider my representative, Melissa Bean, as a DINO or worse, but compared to Phil Crane, I feel a lot better having her in Washington...knowing she votes with the party on the major social issues but defers to the big money...voting for the bankruptcy bill and CAFTA to neutralizing a lot former critics and enhancing her chances of being re-elected.

Many times we end up voting for the lesser of evils, but then I can only count a rare handful of true Progressive Democrats. But my feeling is it's better to have someone I can agree with 70 or 80 percent of the time than the 0 with a Repugnican.

If power shifts, so will the overall dynamic...allowing Pelosi, Hoyer and whomever else is "whipping" to put a lot more pressure on someone who tries to stray from the reservation...especially on close votes. They'll decide who goes on what committees and whose bills will be called up and whose will die in committee. I'm not crazy about the current house leadership (a slight understatement :sarcasm:) but you have to crawl before you can walk before you can run before you can fly.

Democrats will also have a lot of messes to clean up if they gain control...not just investigating all the corruption that has piled up over the past 5-10 years, but also to keep their own ranks from unraveling (look at how the CBC is still supporting Jefferson) and put up a consistant, strong opposition to this regime.

There are a few Repugnicans...Chris Shays being one...that I would welcome, and any "stealth" Democrats can't stay hidden too long...we already several...Taylor from Mississippi is one that quickly comes to mind.

Thanks for your response.

[msongs]

5. only if there was no REAL democrat running

and they had a verifiable and provable history of supporting democratic views and causes while they were a republican.

if their only goal is to try and make the dems more like the repubs, why bother.


Msongs
www.msongs.com
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mugs and shirts

[msongs]

7. why not a law that says if you switch parties you have to resign?

If I sold you a toyota then delivered you a ford, wouldnt you be kinda unhappy?

If a politician runs as one party member, he should have to resign before he can switch to another party. It is the worst kind
of fraud on people who voted for his/her sorryness.


Msongs
www.msongs.com
batik & digital art
mugs and shirts

[KharmaTrain]

15. They Make Their Own Rules

No way will that dog hunt since neither party wants to give up a seat no matter who sits in them and we've seen the Democrats put up with a lot of cross-party voting (called "bipartisan" :sarcasm:) for some piece of pork or other favor.

Since the Constitution never mentioned parties...and there was an effort to avoid such things in the early years of this country...it's always been interpreted that you're voting for the individual, not the party. Forcing a representative who won election to resign just cause they swithc parties would also be an expensive proposition and dangerous as you're putting your new convert in the position to be challenged by another Repugnican and possibly lose the seat altogether.

I didn't see the people in Vermont feeling defrauded when Jeffords bolted and it sure hasn't hurt Shelby and other former Dems who turned Repugnican.

[mike_c]

6. only if they came with liberal voting records-- I support liberals...

...not parties.

[MrTriumph]

8. NO

Texas, aka Turncoatland, has had more than enough soft-core D's flip to R's. They were pretty lousy Dems and the switch did not enhance their ethics nor performance.

If someone has been a Bush enabler, aka Republican, the dye is cast.

[Asgaya Dihi]

9. Can't think of any

My reps are both confirmed drug warriors so there's no way I'd support them no matter what they called themselves. Given the voting records over the last few years I can't think of anyone offhand who I'd trust.

But, on a purely theoretical basis, if one showed up that had a record of resisting and maybe getting fired or resigning to stand up for something I might believe that change of heart. Gave up a sweet position to make noise on principle or something. Various agency types could fall into that area I'd guess. So I can't say it's impossible if the circumstances were right but it doesn't seem likely.

[eallen]

10. Sure. There are a couple of northeast Senators who don't belong in GOP.

They are the last remnants of the liberal, non-theocrat wing of the GOP. The parties are constantly shifting alignment. I'd be happy to see Republicans become Democrat, as long as they aren't fundie wingnuts.

[Blue_Tires]

21. Chafee comes to mind

[kainah]

11. answers to your questions

1.) I can think several, but I'd like to see who people here think would be current Repugnicans who would switch if/when the Democrats take over the House?

I'm not sure there are many current House repugs who would switch. They are too entrenched in the whole thing and some of the last holdouts are retiring this year. Shays, R-CT, of course, comes to mind but I think if the trend happens in the House, it will be more likely to be newly elected repugs who aren't beholden to the DeLay machine.

2.) If you have a Repugnican Representative and he/she claimed "they saw the light" and decided to switch parties, would you support them?

My own? Barbara Cubin????? You must be joking. I wouldn't trust Barbara Cubin if I saved her life by giving her one of my kidneys and she promised to send me an annual Christmas card.

OTOH, yeah, in general, I could trust a lot of WY repugs if they decided to switch parties.

[billbuckhead]

13. WWJD?

Of course. I like a lot of dead Republicans. Lincoln, Eisenhower, Dirksen, Hugh Scott, Edward Brooke, Bill Scranton, John Lindsey.

[UTUSN]

14. ANY Dem before any Repuke, or any Repuke-turned-Dem n/t

[Lib Grrrrl]

16. It Would Depend

on a lot of things. For example, their voting record, and if there was a genuine "always been" Democrat running against him, I'd probably vote for the "alwats been" rather than the leopard who changed his spots. Somehow I have a hard time trusting anyone who once was a member of the Dark Side.

Currently, my Congresscritter is Democrat Paul Kanjorski. He's on his 11th term, a good, solid guy.

On the other hand, my Senators...

Well, let's just put it this way...if either of my Senators were on fire, I wouldn't PISS on them to put out the flames...ESPECIALLY not Santorum! Now, Specter...I once had some hope for him, when he began to demand some accountability from Bush...but, in the end, as I figured he would...he showed his true colors...he's not gonna change - while not a neocon, he sure as hell ain't very progressive, either. Santorum, on the other hand...I wouldn't support him NO MATTER WHAT!! That fucker is gone in November (I hope, I hope, I pray!!)

[DianaForRussFeingold]

17. Yes,If he or she calls for Impeachment. I am Repugnican Turned Democrat

:kick: Better late than never! If one sees the corruption purely from an American citizen's view and does what they were elected to do. Yes I would vote for one. I would vote for a Republican if there was one that wasn't corrupt! Hmmm.that leaves very few! :sarcasm: :rofl:

[Richard D]

18. Arianna Huffington switched

When I first heard her, she was a rabid republican. Now she's quite liberal. Maybe even left of liberal. If she can do it, others can.

[Bucky]

19. Agreed. You take it on a case by case basis. Don't want Zell back. >:0)

If a Peter King or Mary Bono or Lincoln Chaffee or Joe Lieberman switched sides and became a Democrat, I'd say "give 'em a chance; but no DINO shit." If a Colin Powell or an Arlen Spectre claimed the "see the light" I'd ask them to kiss my ass and send 'em packing. I expect politicians to be compromisers and deal cutters with the occasional pang of conscience. But moderate enablers of right wing imperialism and constitutional footsie games just don't fit in our tent.

[smtpgirl]

20. HELL NO

from the mother of all red-tape bureaucrat land.

But I did like Connie Morella former Congresswoman from MD.

She was an old style republican

[tenshi816]

22. You've got your definition of Yellow Dog Democrat wrong.

A "Yellow-Dog Democrat" is someone who would vote for "an old yellow dog" in preference to voting for a Republican. The term does not refer to a Democrat who would jump ship for the other side (like Ben Nighthorse Campbell did, for instance).

[Raine]

23. Sure I would

I used to be a repuklican myself so I know change is possible, some of us do get smarter as we go along. :thumbsup: