Posted on 03/01/2005 12:02:10 PM PST by Pendragon_6
WASHINGTON, March 1 (UPI) -- Citing his dissatisfaction with the Democratic Party and its liberalism, Tippah County, Miss., Sheriff Brandon Vance switched parties Tuesday.
"Howard Dean taking the chairmanship of the Democratic Party brought home to me that I was no longer comfortable in the Democratic Party. Dean's and the Democratic National Committee's values and beliefs are too far on the fringe for me," Vance said.
Vance's decision to join the GOP continues a trend that picked up steam after Mississippi Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck switched parties prior to her successful bid for re-election.
State Republican officials said four state senators, five state representatives, Public Service Commissioner Michael Callahan, and several county and municipal officials have followed Tuck since she crossed the aisle in 2003.
Taking back the country!
It must now be "safe" for conservatives to leave the Democrat party. Odd how the only place I am seeing this VERY SIGNIFICANT trend of local D to R switches is here on FR.
Also keep in mind Dean said his strategy is to rebuild the DNC base from these little local office holders.
Mississippi ping
God bless this man!
If so, welcome to the right side.
Dean says a lot but you may have noticed that it hasn't worked out too well for him so far. I suspect that it'll be that way with his local plans too. Can you really imagine southerners and westerners siding up with Howie the Deany and Hillary against Bush and Co.?
Between Clinton's election and the end of 1998, greater than 500 elected democrates switched to the GOP. Since then many more have, likely closing in on 1,000.
The number of GOPers who have switched to the RATs can be counted on one hand.
Gosh, I just hope they don't turn out to be RINOS!
"Howard Dean taking the chairmanship of the Democratic Party brought home to me that I was no longer comfortable in the Democratic Party. Dean's and the Democratic National Committee's values and beliefs are too far on the fringe for me," Vance said."
A smart 'Rat. ;o)
This is becoming pretty common in MS.
I'm very glad to see it.
"Gosh, I just hope they don't turn out to be RINOS!"
In MS, even the 'Rats aren't THAT bad. ;o)
You got that right.
"I am Jack's total lack of surprise."
WooHoo!
My home county makes FR and no one had to get killed for it to happen.
For those who don't know, this is a pretty symbolic thing. Mississippi politics dictates that all local politicians are Democrats - mostly in name only - because well...if everyone is running Dem and you are running GOP, no one pays any attention to you at all for the whole year and then they don't vote in November because almost every race has an unopposed Democrat on the ticket by then.
I applaud Brandon for his stand, and will work doubly hard to buck the odds, but it's a tough nut to crack. the upside is that no real policy decisions at this level are affected by national Democratic politics.
I'm far more interested in getting our state Rep and Senator positions in the hands of Republicans. I'd give my eye-teeth for a credible GOP candidate for state rep that the party would back (we had a good young prospect last time but the state gave him about 50 cents to run on). The dude we got down their now just marchs in McCoy's lockstep army.
BTW, Tippiah County almost always elects a new man sheriff every 4 years, so it'll be hard to judge how much impact this has on the re-election effort.
Imagine the PR coup of being the 1000th elected official to switch to the GOP.
(I wonder what the reverse number of GOP to Democrat is? Jeffords does not count since he went independent)
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