Can we get the moderate repubs to jump ship? Become Independent or better

[Mountainman]

yet become Dems?

They have to become radical right or lose their voice so why not join us and give the hard right a run for their money?

Can we write to them and get them to at least think about it? Even if they remained repub and vote with us in a block they have more power than to remain neutered by Frist and Co.

[Ready4Change]

1. I'm here.

I haven't switched parties, but my votes might as well have.

The current Republican party has been zombified by Neocons. I've been waiting for them to shake off the spell since 2000.

[TheFarseer]

2. not likely

if they jump the republican party then they don't really have anyone that is a built in vote for them. You'd have to be a fixture in the Senate to do that, someone with enormous personal popularity regardless of party and I can't really name any repubs that would apply to.

[Rowdyboy]

3. The Republicans will have absolute control over all three branches

of government after next week. Moderates will take advantage of their majority status to further their careers. There's no way that moderate Republicans will bolt.

The country will simply lurch to the right...

[paulk]

7. maybe not...

kos has an interesting take on this... worth reading...


http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/5/13/182140/349

[PATRICK]

4. Perot and

fatal Libertarian emotional fallacies were handled like child's play by GOP subversion. That safety valve around a single hero mania was their last chance. The Greens too have been no safe refuge for principled conservatives, but with better thinking and principles and mo messianic seat to fill, even they were targets of GOP interference and Democratic attack.

If you want them to become Dems maybe someone can work on the problem of Dems staying Dems. Better to rally around what the NATION must rally around in order to survive. New parties can come later when the dust of Bush's falling statue settles.

[Stinky The Clown]

5. I actually think we can

by talking to them .... one at a time. Your next door neighbor. The woman you eat lunch with. The checker at the grocery store.

You may not the first one to switch. Or even the second one. But eventually you will.

This is something each and every one of us could - and should - do every chace we get. It costs nothing. You can hone your skill as you move from person to person. There's not one single person on DU who couldn't do this. Imagine if eacch of us converted just one or two between now and the 06 midterms .... five or six between now and 08.

Theere should be no excuse at all for not doing it.

[NAO]

6. Any scientific data on what causes people to "jump ship"?

Are there any scientific studies of "people jumping ship"?

This could be looked at from (at least) three academic/theoretical standpoints:

- psychology - what factors motivate people to change their political ideology?

- sociology - what factors are involved in a mass re-alignment of the electorate?

- advertising/public relations - what methods and materials are most effective at persuading people to switch brands, and reinforcing brand loyalty?

And the material from these three disciplines could be synthesized into a practical methodology for activism that tries to accomplish a large scale jumping ship away from Republicanism.

[Warpy]

8. WE can't

but the continued insanity of the thieves and ideologues in the White House might just do it for us.

We can make it worse. We can't pressure anyone to leave, because it will backfire. We can only sit back right now and watch them rip themselves to pieces.

And they will.

[firefox]

9. I was last a Republican

It took the visible hate in pursuit of Clinton's destruction that changed my mind. Of course I see things in a whole new way after 5 years of an Internet news diet. I do not see Bu$h as conservative at all. Even George Will said he couldn't be a conservative when the huge subsidies went out with the farm bill several years ago. I am appalled by the raid on the Treasury and the corruption of the entire system. I believe the Department of Education needs dismantling and that dismantlement of that Department is a litmus test for Conservative values. Of course I will not let the drug war out of any discussion as that is a fascist trait and needs compensation in conversational currency. Even the honcho over Free Republic is against the drug war and so is Buckley that used to publish the flagship magazine for Conservatives.

Bu$h and his cabal have overthrown the government that is supposed to live up the mission statement of the preamble. The Repugnants live and thrive on hate of the Christian fundamentalists that abhors gay marriage and legal abortions. A big counter to that is going to come when someone shows the fundies themselves in a mirror by rewriting "They will know we are Christians by our love" and call it "They will know we are Christians by our hate."

So, yes. Republicans can be shaken from the tree, if someone would come along and promise to end the corruption, scale back a government that no longer recognizes any limits by the Constitution on federal power, and stops the bleeding from the raid on the treasury.

[OhioBlue]

10. There are a lot of independents that voted R

that could vote D. The propaganda on the R side won. (in combo with election fraud) Anyway - there are a lot of people in the middle that can go either way and don't want to be pinned down to a party. Hell, truth be told, I don't want to be pinned down to a party. I will and have been doing what i can to "get the word out" But I know in Ohio especially (with out a viable Dem organization) we need a leader with vision and inspiration to really make a difference.

[snowbear]

11. There sure have been a LOT of...

..brand new members here lately saying that they are .."through, done, finished, disgusted" with the R-party.

Like everyone else on the forums here, I welcome them with open arms.. :hug: ...but I also hope that they're all being completely sincere about it.. I suppose most are.. and maybe some of them aren't? I dunno.. :shrug: I give them all the benefit of the doubt.

Most of them say they've lurked here for a long time before getting the nerve to join in..

Heck.. don't lurk! Join in! Become a proud Democrat!! :patriot: You'll feel SOOOOOO much better about yourself! ~~~~~ :headbang:

[cyr330]

12. Not a chance

Lincoln Chafee has his head so far up his pussified ass that he'll never do anything unless the *Bush Admin tells him to.