Would you vote for Obama if he was a Republican?

[darius15]

I've been thinking about this. I mean, I'd hate his positions on certain, important issues, and after 8 years of Republican horror, I think it would be hard for me to vote for him.

But I would be really impressed with his attitude and his ability to inspire. I'm really 50\50 on this. Your thoughts?

[Muttocracy]

1. NO - I am inspired by ideas, not personalities or attitudes. nt

[phantom power]

2. No. Republicans are a party of failed ideas.

And we can't afford any more failed ideas. Charisma in the service of bad ideas is no virtue.

[ingac70]

3. No. Republicans want to run the nation into the ground...

while they laugh all the way to the bank.

[demnan]

4. No

I will never vote for any Republican for President.

[truthN08]

10. If Obama were a republican

saying all the SAME things he is saying now with all the same ideas he has now? Yes I would vote for him. If he was not the same candidate he is now with the same plateform and was just a charimatic person with a "Joe Watkins" kind of republican ideas then hell no I wouldn't.

I'm not voting for Obama because of any "swooning". I'm voting for him because I always thought he was the best. I wasn't going to vote for Hillary just because I am a woman. I'm not voting for Barack because I'm black or because he's smooth. I don't/won't identity vote.

I'd be a cross over voter if he was the same candidate as he is now. Many republicans are crossing over and voting for Obama. I happen to k now 2 repubs that are personally. They HATE McCain and refuse to just vote down party line. They don't agree with Obama on everything but they agree with him on enough and feel the world will be safer with a President Obama than McCain.

[LostinVA]

14. Oh brother -- go volunteer at a nursing home or something

[yellowdogintexas]

34. what you said. I would cross party lines for the right candidate.

and depending on the opponent of course

[nsd]

5. No.

I think in a presidential election we're electing not just an individual but a government. The pool of people from which a Democratic president would draw for his appointments is very different than the pool from which a Republican president would draw.

[darius15]

6. Okay, I agree with you, but...

What if he was a moderate? A real moderate, not John McCain's moderate.

[SalviaBlue]

41. It would still show a real lack of judgment

and critical thinking skills.

To actually join up with the party of thieves and crooks and choose to be a republic is just plain BAD JUDGMENT.

Therefore, I could not vote for him.

[Bluerthanblue]

7. If the only thing different about him was the label, then yes- without

shame or hesitation.

but that isn't very likely- the republican party wouldn't tolerate his platform

:hi:

[Independent_Voice]

27. I agree

And I think many people here are missing the context of the OP's question.

A Republican Barack Obama -- similar to Olympia Snowe, except with much more liberal positions in comparison.

Although I doubt he'd actually get elected at even the state level as that type of Republican.

[CatBO]

8. No

If he were a Republican he would not have the same attitude and ability to inspire. You cannot separate the messenger from the message in this case.

[BlooInBloo]

9. Would you vote for Obama if pigs flew out of his butt?

Just because a question is grammatical doesn't mean it has any interesting meaning.

[Bucky]

26. I might vote for the pigs, however.

Assuming they left the Republican's butt of their own free will, I can't fault their judgment.

[BlooInBloo]

29. They would be pretty badass pigs... (rimshot)

Ow! Somebody stop me!

:rofl:

[YOY]

11. If he were the Republican? Would he keep his same stances? Where would the Dem be on issues?

This question raises too many questions to be answered.

I vote D. Until the day that voting D goes against my values I will keep voting D.

[LVjinx]

59. The D would be anti-drilling, anti-FISA, anti-faith based initiatives, anti-NAFTA, etc. etc.

Since it's hypothetical... If Obama ran as an R, I would vote for his opponent. Since that isn't the case, there's nothing to do but make the best of what we've got and hope he heeds the base once elected.

[2Design]

12. enjoy your stay here n/t

[LostinVA]

13. If you're 50/50, you may seriously want to soul search whether or not you belong here

Yeah, yeah -- I'm not attacking the poster, I'm serious.

I wouldn't vote for Jesus Christ if he was a REpublican.

[Arnold Judas Rimmer]

39. What about Abe Lincoln?

He actually WAS a Republican. I doubt Jesus or Obama ever would have been.

[AZBlue]

15. Barack Obama would NEVER be a Republican.

I understand your point and it's an interesting question, but I can't get beyond the fact that if he were a Republican, he wouldn't be the Barack Obama we know. Because that Obama won't put up with their b.s.

[barack the house]

16. Obama would be a different man if he was Republican. Berlin speech prime example.-->

I can't imagine any Republican making that Berlin speech at this time.

[SoFlaJet]

17. nope

never again as long as I am on this planet will I vote for a republican again-George W Bush and his scumbags friends changed that one forever

[TwilightGardener]

18. If I thought that he had the nation's best interests at heart and was

a true patriot and of good character, but just had a few conservative-leaning positions that I didn't like but could live with, then sure--depending on who the other candidates were. My husband (former Repub) thinks of Obama in that way, except it's the inverse--Obama's got a few liberal-leaning positions that he doesn't like but can live with. Neither of us are that partisan, though. We judge the individual more than the party he or she comes from.

[highplainsdem]

19. No. I'd disagree with him on too many issues.

[grantcart]

20. YES

Of course in this twilight zone of a universe of yours yes means no

Republican means Democrat

attitude doesn't mean 'lifelong committment to social change for the poor'

ability to inspire doesn't mean 'an ability to get people to think about issues greater than themselves'


"I've been thinking about this" does mean "how can I stir up shit"

[darius15]

37. Wow, what a dick

I just posted this because I was thinking about it and I wanted to see what others thought.

DU is generally great, but it's people like you who spend time attacking the OP (me) rather than just answering the question that ticks me off.

[tekisui]

40. I thought grantcart gave you a reasonable answer.

[grantcart]

50. For somebody that has been posting for a month you certainly have an encyclopedic

knowledge of DU


Now since you don't seem to be particularly bright let me explain a few facts to you:

1) This site isn't for people who are considering different metaphysical realities, whether they be existential, ontological or epistemological. This site is for people who are committed to supporting Democratic candidates period.

2) Your labelling Senator Obama as a possible 'Republican' candidate is patronizing claptrap.

3) My reply was a reply to your OP and the 'alternate universe' that your OP indicated. There was nothing in my reply that was personal in any way. Everything I wrote was completely impersonal and in context to your silly OP.

4) Your reply 'what a dick' is an example of a personal attack that you pretend to be offended at. If you present an idea here you better have thick enough skin to take harsh criticism as this site is filled with a large army of intelligent, well informed posters. With few exceptions all of us have wandered into areas that have generated real criticism (not the tongue in cheek of my reply) but few reply with sophmoric name calling.

5) Your tepid 'DU is generally great' brown nosing exposes your reply as being without substance and attempting to inspire a crowd reaction. Such sophmoric attempts do not do well here, if you think your OP is substantive then defend it, stick to facts, analysis, and cite, when relevant independent authority to support your position.

I consider any attempt to morph Senator Obama into a possible Republican candidate to be highly offensive, completely without foundation, historical revisionistic and patronizing in nature. We frequently get interlopers here who try to develop antagonistic arguments like this and that is why others in this thread have said "enjoy your stay" or "you may want to reconsider whether or not you belong here", sentiments that were much more personal and much more negative (if you understand the implications of what they were saying) than mine.

[Benhurst]

21. No, and if he continues to drift to the right on important issues, I'm

going to have to hold my nose when I vote for him as it is. As a Republican candidate? No way.

[trashcanistanista]

22. no

[Lucinda]

23. No.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

24. No, unless you're assuming the Dems nominated McCain

[Independent_Voice]

25. If he had the same positions and demeanor he currently has...

Then YES!

Although, in that scenario, I doubt he'd be nominated by the GOP.

[Guava Jelly]

28. No...I don't vote for republicans

Like ever..

[Growler]

30. NO n/t

[emilyg]

32. Ditto - NO

[SalviaBlue]

31. No. The reason he can inspire is because he is real.

If he were a con he would be a liar and have to fake sincerity. Everything cons do is based on tricking Americans into believing they are acting in their interests rather than in the interests of the people who have bought and paid for them.

[DU GrovelBot]

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[high density]

35. If it were Obama (R) vs. McCain (D)

Then yes I'd vote for Obama.

[Blue_In_AK]

36. No.

If he were a Republican, he'd be surrounding himself with a Republican cabinet and advisors. Since he's the Democratic nominee, and I'm a Democrat, I'll be voting for him, but he's more centrist than I prefer as it is. If he were a Republican with his positions and all those other pubbies around him -- it wouldn't even enter my mind to vote for him.

[tekisui]

38. Not a chance. I will not vote for ANY puke as long as I live.

[democrattotheend]

42. I think my mom would consider it

Hard to imagine my mom voting for a Republican, but she loves Obama, and she finds his message of getting beyond the partisan bickering really appealing. She might find that same message appealing from a Republican (8 years ago, she said she would definitely vote for McCain if he got the Republican nomination. She can't stand him now, fyi).

[hamsterjill]

43. No.

The Republican party is the party of the wealthy.

The Democratic party is the party of the people.

That is now, and always has been, true. And yes, there are good and bad individuals within both parties, but the generalization above is true overall.

It amazes me just how many poor people that I know right at this very minute who have forgotten that simple truism.

[iconicgnom]

44. He wouldn't be a Republican. Ask a Catholic, would you follow the Pope if he were Sikh?

[Orangepeel]

45. I don't understand the question. If he was a republican, he wouldn't be Obama.

:shrug:

[WeDidIt]

46. IF John McCain were the Democrat?

YOU'RE GOD DAMNED RIGHT I WOULD!

That would be Bizzaro world where everything is opposite, and in that world I would be a Republican.

[ieoeja]

47. Yes. A rose by any other name...

... is still just as thorny.

If he held all the same views on all the same positions, then why would I care what party he was in? In some ways I'd be happier seeing Republicans nominate a liberal than the Democrats doing so. Because that would mean this country was really moving in the right direction.

Of course, were he a reactionary Republican, even a limited one like McCain, then there is no fucking way I would vote for him. I vote for the person I feel can best move this country forward. If Obama had no interest in improving the condition of the average American, then to hell with him no matter what a wonderful person I thought he otherwise was.

[BklynChick]

48. if he were a Republican then he wouldn't be Barack Obama, so no I would not.

Do you know any Republican like Barack Obama???

[mitchum]

49. No, I wouldn't vote for my mother if she were a republican

[tomg]

51. I would not vote for him if

he were the Republican candidate and saying the exact same things he is now. Were he the Republican candidate and saying the exact same things he is now, then I can only imagine how much further to the left the democratic candidate would be. While I can see your point about being inspirational, were he a Republican and spouting the current Republican party line look at the things he would be "inspiring" us to do.

[Scout]

52. NO, i don't vote for Republicans. n/t

[Overseas]

53. He's too smart to be a Republican. /nt

[slackmaster]

54. Not enough information for a meaningful answer

It depends on who he was running against.

Party affiliation is one of the lowest priorities in my decision matrix. It's only slightly more important to me than race and gender.

[Doctor_J]

55. He wouldn't BE a republican

That's like asking if you would want a fish if it was a horse.

[butterfly77]

56. No.Because if he were a republiCON saying the same things..

and taking the same stands on issues,I wouldn't believe him because as far as I would be concerned is that he would be saying this until he got into office and the party would let him be their nominee if he did. Even though I wouldn't put it past them to try this in the future.

[w4rma]

57. Obama wouldn't come close to surviving the Republican primaries with his beliefs. (nt)

[treestar]

58. No, but then he never would have been a Republican

The charisma factor is there, but supposedly ronnie raygun had it, and I didn't vote for him.

[Straight Shooter]

60. If I ever vote Repub for prez, please have me tested for mad cow disease or advanced Alzheimers

I'm serious. There could be no other explanation for such non compos mentis.

[Matteon]

61. Impossible to say

If the republicans somehow selected an African American progressive as their candidate it would mean that the politics in such a situation were so different from what we actually have that there's no way to know what I might do.

[WinkyDink]

62. That's like asking would I buy a car if it were a plane, or a dog if it were a lizard. I mean, WTH?

[Lisa0825]

63. No.

If he were a republican, there would be too many issues he would have to have a different stand on.

[KingFlorez]

64. No

If he was wrong on all the issues, there'd be zero point in voting for him.

[LeftishBrit]

65. I wouldn't be there - but the only circumstances under which I could vote for a member of a

conservative party are:

(1) if they were actually to the left of their opponent in a nominally more left-wing party (unlikely, but such things can happen)

or (2) if there were very little ideological difference between them, and the opponent was known to be corrupt

or (3) if doing so was the best method of marginalizing an extreme right-wing party: e.g. when the left in France rallied round Chirac in order to marginalize LePen.

None of these have happened in any election in which I did have the opportunity to vote.

Anyway, why would Obama want to run as a Republican?

[LWolf]

66. NO.

I already don't like his positions on many issues. He's too close to the republican side of the force as it is already.

[pettypace]

67. Yes

The two points that I'm mainly conservative on, welfare and crime, are ones I believe Obama is as well.

You have to admit though, Barack is thumping that bible pretty damn hard...oh well, two tears in a bucket.

[blogslut]

68. I've never been a fan of imagined scenarios

Oh, it's important to keep in mind things that could possibly happen. Just the same, these exercises in imagining things that are not real seem so pointless.

[tigereye]

69. that's an odd question for a Democratic left-leaning board

where are you going with this? :shrug:

[Fearless]

70. No- Fear not though... he's pandering to the right...

All Democratic candidates do it. They want to pull as much a percentage of the vote as possible. (Duh.) So, they say little things now about this and that. They put on flag pins and so forth. Etc. etc. Look at his voting record. As I've been saying all along, look to his voting record to see what he really thinks.

[quakerboy]

71. Not a chance

A politician is a politician, and anyone willing to associate with the republican brand at this juncture in history is terribly suspect. Even if their written policies were to coincide with mine, unless they had an absolutely spotless voting record, no republican could get even a second look from me.

Voting Democratic is a dubious enough proposition anymore, that at this time in history, voting for a Republican has to be considered irresponsible at best.