Should I donate to a Repug?

[RummyTheDummy]

I just found out that a man in my city is running for state senate is not only a Repuke, but a prominent member of the John Birch Society.

This is a heavily Repug suburban upper middle class bedroom community and the Dem. has no chance to win. Should I do what I can to help his Repug. opponent or just not worry about it?

I've never considered voting for a Repug, much less giving money or helping with the campaign, but the John Birch folks are freakin scary. KKK-Lite.

[NNadir]

1. I would just sit it out.

[bushwakker]

2. No - you want the Bircher to win

gives the Dem a better chance of winning the general. In addition, if the Bircher does get in (and he's a radical as you say) he will eventually self-destruct and embarrass his party. JBSers do not play well with others.

[Phelan]

3. Local elections for me are quite different

I am usually a very strong Dem in national politics but local affairs are quite different in my opinion. First of all local politicians can't overturn Roe vs. Wade or really further any extremist legislation at least in my experience unless they are truly obsessed.

Also there is a good chance that you will know one of the people running personally, and if you think they are a good person well who cares what party they are in. Locally you really vote for the person rather than for policy. Especially if your support can make sure that nobody that is crazy (and we here have quite a few crazy people in local government both dem and rep) gets too close to any position of power. Even if its the school board.

Its kind of like Baseball. If the Yankees are playing the Red Sox I would definitely root for an earthquake to destroy the stadium or both teams. But since that is unlikely to happen I'll root for the Red Sox since they are only somewhat evil compared to the Yankees that are pure evil.

[quaoar]

4. It's sort of like

The gubernatorial election several years back in Louisiana between Edwin Edwards -- a sleazeball, corrupt Democrat -- and David Duke -- goosestepping former Klan leader and GOP standardbearer.

Which is better? A corrupt governor or a Nazi governor?

[Hippo_Tron]

5. Welcome to DU quaoar...

As a Louisianian I'm SOOOO proud of our politics. The KKK vs. the corrupt DINOSs.

[quaoar]

7. Thanks. Glad to be here.

And there were actually bumper stickers that said "Vote for the crook."

My father, however, voted for Duke. Ugh.

[Stuckinthebush]

6. A have a Republican's sign in my yard

He is running for re-election as Mayor. He is not affiliated with the GOP, but he votes Republican. I don't care. He is a very skilled Mayor and has done great things for our city. On top of that, the guy running against him is a far-right fundamentalist type who wouldn't know where to begin running a city.

So, sometimes voting for the person not the party can be justified. State Senate is a little different, but in this case, his opponent is probably worse.

[quaoar]

8. My sister-in-law

is a Republican county commissioner and a very conscientious, fair-minded person. She is appalled at the influence of the Christian Coalition on the GOP. I've contributed to her campaigns.

And in 2002 I voted for the Republican candidate for governor of Alabama -- Bob Riley. I had always thought of Riley as a typical conservative (he was a congressman before he became governor).

But the incumbent Democrat, Don Siegelman, was a major disappointment. He had promised to fix Alabama's terrible public education system and proposed a lottery to do it. When voters rejected the lottery he didn't do another damn thing about it.

So I figured Riley would at least try to do something. And he did. He proposed a huge statewide property tax increase to fund schools. It, too, had to be put to a vote and his own party abandoned him. Grover Norquist vowed to make an example out of him. And once again the voters shot it down.

Now Riley faces the possibility of a GOP primary challenge in 2006 from Roy Moore, the Ten Commandments judge. If that happens, I will surely send Riley a contribution.

[ProfessorPlum]

9. Always the lesser of two evils. It's democracy in action!

.

[sandnsea]

10. Help the Bircher

They were against the war, challenged the intelligence, and actually challenge the Republican status quo. They're against globalization and free trade agreements too, seems to me. Probably alot more in common with the far left than most would know. Unless you've got a nice Susan Collins, pro-choice Republican running, it'd be a hell of alot of fun to see a Bircher in Congress giving Republicans hell!