How about we go get them where we can take them?
Posted on 11/29/2002 2:29:29 PM PST by John Jorsett
At Thanksgiving dinner last night, I was astounded to hear that my sister-in-law, who had been a Democrat her whole life, has switched registration to the Republican party. She was chief of staff for a Democrat state legislator, and recently ran a primary campaign for a Democrat Assembly seat. Trust me, this was a major life change.
I asked her what brought about this change, and she said she could no longer put up with a) the corruption, and b) intolerance. She couldn't stomache the outright bribe-seeking by the governor and the party, and the tailoring of district lines to favor specific party-anointed candidates. She also noted how having an opinion that deviates one bit from party orthodoxy makes one a pariah. She says, for example, that it's possible to be pro-choice and still be a viable candidate in the Republican party, but being a pro-life Democrat is nearly impossible. And the same applies to nearly any other issue you can name. One either toes the line in all respects or is ostracized. Being pro-2nd amendment, and questioning whether needle exchange programs actually reduce the incidence of AIDS has earnied her major headaches.
I don't have any direct data, but I suspect that a lot of folks are or will be following her example.
She is not going to change her registration. But, she said if the candidate makes sense - especially on taxes which she now views as way too high - she is voting for them no matter what party they are in.
How about we go get them where we can take them?
And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the supporting cast, (as denoted at the top), that has enabled you to see our point of view...better known as the truth.
...and you'd be under no obligation to make any bets or wagers with Mud. That is, unless you'd rather make the trip back across the Atlantic with some extra travelin' money.
That's what I think turned the tide in Hawaii. So many elected Democrats have been arrested, so many are doing jail time that a Republican finally won a gubernatorial election.
As for those who don't like the Republican party welcoming those who don't toe the party line, those are the type who'd rather we continue to be the losing party instead of the winners.
I hope George L. likes his Christmas present.
I believe he would. Not only that he's made a previously knowledgeable apolitical girl...seriously determined to effect CHANGE. If only by small steps.
Well if we did Oklahoma! would the meanie Jud Fry have to be replaced with MUD Fry??? HuH? ;-)
her ideological stances were pretty conservative to begin with.
Democrat=Pro-choice, especially in CA. I might have misunderstood your sentence, but I sure as hell am not at fault. You did not specify her beliefs, exactly, so I took leave with my assumption given her life long membership to the Democrat party.
Next time someone posts tongue-in-cheek (aka semi-serious), maybe you shouldn't attack so quickly.
Just did I write that allows you to conclude she's a moderate?
Once again, it's an assumption based on your written description of her life long membership to the Democrat party. Oh, I forgot to mention her many toils for Democrat candidates.
And NO, I'm not oblivious to Conservative Democrats. Although given the evidence you provided, her party line would be moderate and not Conservative.
I was merely trying to point out how some wish to make party switches to be such grandiose matters as to ignore the basis of someones ideological stance.
Your stance, I can't imagine, would never fit in the Democrat party. Your comparison is apple-to-orange.
Are you sure from John's post? I'm not, which is why I made the opposite assumption.
If she is, why was she a Democrat in the first place?
Although I don't disagree with that, I more concerned with the outcome of these 'Democrats' joining our ranks because they feel we are more inclusive. The problem is we may end up with a watered down list of Conservative candidates.
I might be hardline, but I feel strongly about the Republican party platform. One of its guiding principles being pro-life. My assumption is John's sister-in-law is not pro-life, which is why I made my point.
You misunderstand them. They merely want to be winners. What they 'win' isn't really of any significance to them.
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