I'm considering leaving the Republican Party

[furie]

http://www.sdlp.us/images/lp-logo.gif

I've always been a libertarian at heart, but since they are not really on the ballot, i registered as republican in 1992 (when i turned 18). but i've voted independent half of the time in presidential elections. local i usually vote republican because as i said, there really is no libertarian party to vote for.

So the question is, would this make a difference? is this a futile act? leaving the republican party would send a very small message to them, but would cut me out of the primary actions.
so should i stay a republican on paper and a libertarian at heart?

[pennington]

I've wondered the same things, although I'm registered as an independent.

Register as a Libertarian so it helps their numbers, if you want, and vote Republican when there isn't a Libertarian on the ballot or when it will help keep Hillary out of our lives.

[underdog]

You should call and cancel your Republican membership then go smash all of your elephants outside of the RNC Headquarters.

[MadMatt]

I've always been a libertarian at heart, but since they are not really on the ballot, i registered as republican in 1992 (when i turned 18). but i've voted independent half of the time in presidential elections. local i usually vote republican because as i said, there really is no libertarian party to vote for.

So the question is, would this make a difference? is this a futile act? leaving the republican party would send a very small message to them, but would cut me out of the primary actions.
so should i stay a republican on paper and a libertarian at heart?

I think it really depends on how much you want to be part of the Primaries. If that is important to you, then don't switch - work from the inside to try to make the Republican Party you want and vote your conscience when applicable. If taking a personal political stand is more important, then leave the Republican Party.

That's a little balck & white, but essentially what you have to think about. It's about your personal viewpoint and the political statement you want to make.

[TheMojoPin]

Eat all of your guns, apply for welfare under a dozen fake names and then get a few abortions. That'll learn 'em.

[Bulldogcakes]

I'm a Libertarian at heart, too. But then I watched one of their conventions on C-SPAN. Full of more weirdos with bad ideas than a Star Trek convention. They also take their ideology to ridiculous lengths. If its not explicitly in the constitution, they want to eliminate it from the Federal Government. That would mean no FBI, CIA, Social Security, FDA (including Meat Inspectors) on and on. It's pretty absurd. I prefer the Newt approach of reforming government to make it work more for the individual and give us more control over our lives. But abolishing all those agencies is a pipe dream. To quote Milton Friedman "There is nothing so permanent as a temporary government program".

I agree with them that the Feds do way too much, and we shouldn't try to be the world's policeman. But in a world with nukes floating all over and guys like Osama around, its just not feasible.

[Death Metal Moe]

Ya know, I officially left the Republican party years ago but I'm still registered as one.

I'm not really completely into the Democrat party either, but how do I go about switching my registered party?

[Gvac]

I've been registered as an Independent my entire voting life and I don't intend to change.

The past few years I've been voting for the most qualified yet underfunded candidate in every election, from local to state to federal.

I can't adequately explain how both the Democrats and Republicans fill me with revulsion.

[Fezticle98]

I'm registered as a Democrat, because that is the party that most closely mirrors my ideology. However, I'm starting to grow tired of the two party system as it operates now. Really, how much difference is there between a Republican and a Dem? Like Ronnie says, they all come from the same few rich families.

If it was an open primary, I'd definitely vote for Ron Paul. At least he is honest and has some original ideas that he would actually work on getting enacted. But he doesn't conform to the platform of either party, so he's "crazy."

[HBox]

Ya know, I officially left the Republican party years ago but I'm still registered as one.

I'm not really completely into the Democrat party either, but how do I go about switching my registered party?

I think you can do that when you vote. Just tell the poll workers that you want to change party affiliation and they should have the forms right there.

[Dudeman]

If its not explicitly in the constitution, they want to eliminate it from the Federal Government. That would mean no FBI, CIA, Social Security, FDA (including Meat Inspectors) on and on.

That is true. Libertarian might sound good to some people, but really some of the things they advocate removing, people take for granted (and don't think of when paying their taxes), such as the FDA.

On the other hand, the current Republicans like to openly bash the government (except the defense department). The problem with that is they can disrespect the governement's job, and in turn, feel comfortable placing unqualified people in charge of federal agencies (Mike Brown at FEMA) or people who want to remove the job that they are assigned to (Gail Norton as Sect. of Interior.)

[SatCam]

go to the bronx zoo and kill an elephant

[scottinnj]

I'm right there with you. I'm taking Hbox's advice and asking the poll workers at the next election. I'm going from Republican to Independent. I'd go Constitutionalist, but those guys are bat-shit crazy. They make the Religious Right in the Republican Party look like Sunday Morning Unitarians. These people sound like they went to the Phelps' church in Topeka.

[scottinnj]

If it was an open primary, I'd definitely vote for Ron Paul. At least he is honest and has some original ideas that he would actually work on getting enacted. But he doesn't conform to the platform of either party, so he's "crazy."


And if I could vote in the Dem's primary, I'd go with Governor Richardson. That guy is the smartest in the room-even if the Republicans were in there too.

If he somehow makes the nomination, I'll cross party lines and vote for him.

[keithy_19]

I'm not really completely into the Democrat party either, but how do I go about switching my registered party?

If you go to your town hall they should be able to do it for you.

I havent registered to vote yet, and I plan to do it very soon. I will probably register as a Republican though I don't follow the party line. Being able to vote in the primaries is important to me because I want to feel like I can change the parties outlook.

[scottinnj]

I used to try that, but living in South Jersey makes it hard to get a decent Republican nominee in NJ. Remember the loser we put up against Lautenberg, then Corzine? Since North Jersey Republicans outnumber South Jersey Republicans 5 to 1, we'll keep getting R.I.N.O. Christy Whitman types who only care about their country club freinds with special contracts.

If it were up to us in South Jersey, we'd burn Trenton to the ground and call a "mulligan" for a do-over.

[Marc with a c]

don't do it, jesus will hate you.

[weezcase]

unless you live in ohio, new hampshire, or one of the other early states for presidential primaries, it doesn't really mater if you vote in those, since the nominee is usually decided very early on. if you care what republican is going to be the candidate for governer in your state that vote will probably count so it might be worth holding onto your membership guess it is a personal choice and in the end you can always vote for the best person anyways so what the hell

[Yerdaddy]

I'm right there with you. I'm taking Hbox's advice and asking the poll workers at the next election. I'm going from Republican to Independent. I'd go Constitutionalist, but those guys are bat-shit crazy. They make the Religious Right in the Republican Party look like Sunday Morning Unitarians. These people sound like they went to the Phelps' church in Topeka.

You said unit.


As long as we have a winner-take-all electoral system there will only be two parties that really matter. Third parties only make any impact when they gain enough popular support to make it into the debates, like when Ross Perot brought the deficit into the public debate for the first time in our history. Other than that, as long as they'll never make it into national office they're free to be crazy as a shithouse rat, and they are.

You know my opinion is that one of the most important political necessities in America today is the need to reform the Republican Party to one that responsibly and rationally represents its values rather than an anti-everybody-but-us party bent on taking political power and serving the interests of their elite. So my opinion is do what you can to change that party from within. Write them and vent your issues. Become active in the traditionalist factions of the part that are cropping up and trying to push back against the religious right, neoconservatives and corrupt elements like DeLay and Jack Abramoff's networks of influence peddling. I respect your political views furie. I just don't think the Republican Party does right now. But it once did and it can again if ordinary Republicans make it happen.

[A.J.]

So my opinion is do what you can to change that party from within.

That's why I'm staying.

[pennington]

Become active in the traditionalist factions of the party that are cropping up and trying to push back against the religious right, neoconservatives and corrupt elements like DeLay and Jack Abramoff's networks of influence peddling.

Like the Ron Paul supporters? This guy came out of nowhere (a Texas Congressman) and is the only presidental candidate that people are talking about.

[Bob Impact]

I'm a breakfastitarian. I really want me some breakfast.

[Furtherman]

I already left them. Bunch of backwards morons which have embarassed me to be an American over and over again.

[SatCam]

I'm a breakfastitarian. I really want me some breakfast.

They have no support. At this point, voting for breakfast is like voting for dinner

[K.C.]

I registered Green when I signed up four years ago, partly because of no real faith in either side, but mostly because I knew it would annoy my mom who is a very active Democrat in my state.


That said, I've been thinking about switching, just because of the ability to vote in the primaries. I really wanted to vote for Wesley Clark in the '04 primary but couldn't do so. I'd like to vote for Edwards this time around as well.


The only real incentive to staying in one of the two major parties is knowing you can vote in their primary. Other than that, it doesn't matter.

[pennington]

I really wanted to vote for Wesley Clark in the '04 primary but couldn't do so. I'd like to vote for Edwards this time around as well.

You're not supporting Delaware's favorite son: Senator Joe Biden?

[Bulldogcakes]

I'm a breakfastitarian. I really want me some breakfast.

Whenever somebody adds "-itarian" to something that otherwise sounds like a good idea, run like hell. Its an attempt to take an idea and turn it into a pseudo-religion, and apply it to everything whether or not it makes any sense.

Think of it this way. A guy could be the worlds greatest Lawyer, so he becomes so successful as a Lawyer he decides to take his ideas and become a Doctor. Would you want Dr Lawyer operating on you?

[Fat_Sunny]

You're not supporting Delaware's favorite son: Senator Joe Biden?

F_S Seems To Recall YerDaddy Asking This On Another Thread. Are You Plagiarizing His Questions?

[high fly]

http://www.sdlp.us/images/lp-logo.gif

I've always been a libertarian at heart, but since they are not really on the ballot, i registered as republican in 1992 (when i turned 18). but i've voted independent half of the time in presidential elections. local i usually vote republican because as i said, there really is no libertarian party to vote for.

So the question is, would this make a difference? is this a futile act? leaving the republican party would send a very small message to them, but would cut me out of the primary actions.
so should i stay a republican on paper and a libertarian at heart?

I bet if you sent them a letter listing your complaints they would send you free stuff to get you to stay.

What with the Republicans
* vastly expanding the size of the federal bureaucracy,
* increasing government intrusiveness into our daily lives,
* setting new records for deficits,
* adopting a liberal, Wilsonian make-the-world-safe-for-democracy foreign policy,
to name a few,
I wonder why anyone who has been a member as long as you hangs around.

[pennington]

F_S Seems To Recall YerDaddy Asking This On Another Thread. Are You Plagiarizing His Questions?

I didn't see it. I noticed K.C. was from Delaware and was supporting Edwards. I wondered if there was a reason he didn't like Biden.

In 1992 a cousin of mine married a woman from Arkansas. When I met her I asked her if she was voting for Clinton and she said NO! She said the White House will be a three ring circus and there will corruption and problems like you can't believe if he gets in. People know about their own politicans

[Fat_Sunny]

I didn't see it. I noticed K.C. was from Delaware and was supporting Edwards. I wondered if there was a reason he didn't like Biden.

Pennington, F_S Is Sorry You Took His Comment Seriously. It Was Supposed To Be A Joke About Biden (He Plagiarized An English Guy's Speech And It Got Him In Trouble Some Years Ago).

[pennington]

Pennington, F_S Is Sorry You Took His Comment Seriously. It Was Supposed To Be A Joke About Biden (He Plagiarized An English Guy's Speech And It Got Him In Trouble Some Years Ago).

Sorry, I'm gullible. Does this mean that R&F really ARE still on FreeFM?

[Fat_Sunny]

Sorry, I'm gullible. Does this mean that R&F really ARE still on FreeFM?

You're Not THAT Gullible !

[Yerdaddy]

Like the Ron Paul supporters? This guy came out of nowhere (a Texas Congressman) and is the only presidental candidate that people are talking about.

He really is a nut though. Always has been.

[weezcase]

He really is a nut though. Always has been.

he may be a nut but if you didn't see him on real time w/ bill mahr you tube it. he makes alot of sense and seems to be the only republican candidate who is willing to look the mistakes made in the past and find the root of our problems in the middle east, i.e. our meddling ways

[Yerdaddy]

he may be a nut but if you didn't see him on real time w/ bill mahr you tube it. he makes alot of sense and seems to be the only republican candidate who is willing to look the mistakes made in the past and find the root of our problems in the middle east, i.e. our meddling ways

Don't get me wrong. I think the entire Republican Party is batshit insane with a few exceptions. I think they'd nominate Sun Myung Moon if he were a southern white man. But Ron Paul is a special kind of crazy who's ideas would be awesome if this were 1897. But it's not so he's a nutter.

[K.C.]

You're not supporting Delaware's favorite son: Senator Joe Biden?

Edwards is a better candidate...in fact, he's one of the only people in the race that is actually talking about anything of substance.

As far as Biden goes, he's generally a good foreign policy man, but I don't believe his three-country partitioning of Iraq plan would work.

[K.C.]

he may be a nut but if you didn't see him on real time w/ bill mahr you tube it. he makes alot of sense and seems to be the only republican candidate who is willing to look the mistakes made in the past and find the root of our problems in the middle east, i.e. our meddling ways

I saw that interview...he struck me as more of a Pat Buchanan type than anything else.

He was advocating isolationism...withdrawing from Iraq is a consequence of that policy, but isolationism as a whole is a bad idea. But people are just focusing on the Iraq portion of what he's saying and not the widespread effects his foreign policy would have on ALL foreign relations.

And, he's getting some heat behind him with the Iraq issue, but I'd like to see where he stands on a wide variety of issue. He IS a Republican Congressman from Texas...that makes me a little suspicious.

[Reephdweller]

Technically I am registered as a republican, but I haven't even close to consider myself one in a few years now. I have a few beliefs that lean to the conservative side like less government, but for the most part though I find myself more of a democrat on so many different issues.

[Yerdaddy]

Technically I am registered as a republican, but I haven't even close to consider myself one in a few years now. I have a few beliefs that lean to the conservative side like less government, but for the most part though I find myself more of a democrat on so many different issues.

You go girl-sig-pic-champion!

[Recyclerz]

As long as we have a winner-take-all electoral system there will only be two parties that really matter. Third parties only make any impact when they gain enough popular support to make it into the debates, like when Ross Perot brought the deficit into the public debate for the first time in our history. Other than that, as long as they'll never make it into national office they're free to be crazy as a shithouse rat, and they are.

You know my opinion is that one of the most important political necessities in America today is the need to reform the Republican Party to one that responsibly and rationally represents its values rather than an anti-everybody-but-us party bent on taking political power and serving the interests of their elite. So my opinion is do what you can to change that party from within. Write them and vent your issues. Become active in the traditionalist factions of the part that are cropping up and trying to push back against the religious right, neoconservatives and corrupt elements like DeLay and Jack Abramoff's networks of influence peddling. I respect your political views furie. I just don't think the Republican Party does right now. But it once did and it can again if ordinary Republicans make it happen.


As usual, Yerdaddy expresses my views before & better than I can. I would love to have back the stereotypical Republican party of rich white men who actually know how to run things effectively and the libertarian types, like many of those on this board, if only for the selfish reason that I wouldn't have to support every Democrat to win, even the dirtbags, just so that we can have some checks on the idiots currently in charge.

David Brooks, a conservative pundit I respect even when I don't agree with him, has said that the loyal Bushies actually do represent the core of the real Republican Party nowadays (i.e. they support big government spending programs for the things they like, schools, fighting crime, a bigger military, etc.; want to stop spending anything for things they don't like - eg. science; and don't want to pay for any of it with "high" taxes). He also posits that the libertarian wing of the party is really a shrinking minority even if the "Compassionate Conservatives" still use the rhetoric. I hope he's proved wrong on this one.