My Mom is a flaming liberal registered Republican...

[friesianrider]

Smart or silly?

She thinks it gives her credit when she writes/calls our two Repuke Senators (Santorum and Specter) that she is a "registered Republican." She also says she stays registered GOP so that she can vote for the most moderate GOP in primaries (for instance, she voted McCain when he ran against *). I say that those are good ideas, but I could NEVER have it "on record" that I ever registered with such a disgusting party (particularly nowadays). She's very smart, highly educated, and very liberal, and she of course almost always votes a straight Dem ticket in the GEs.

Thoughts on this?

[wuushew]

1. There is something to be said for open primaries

all the advantages none of the taint

[Oreo]

2. When I lived in NC

I registered Republican so I could vote against Jesse Helms in the Primary and the General elections.

[Journeyman]

14. I used to register Republican for certain elections. . .

I feel its imperative that some candidates be stopped at the earliest possible moment, so I'd register Republican at times in order to vote against them in the Primary.

I no longer do this. I still feel stopping some whackjobs at the earliest possible moment is best for us all, but I no longer want to add my name to the list of "Republican" supporters, no matter how pure (or evil) my motives. It's more important these days to identify myself with my beliefs (or at the least, with the party that best exemplifies my desires), than it is to vote against a singular idiot -- no matter how dangerous I see they could become.

And besides all that, there are times today when I think the Republicans are more ill-served by having whackjobs on the ticket than they'd be with more moderate candidates.

[MountainLaurel]

3. I know several in WV

Because traditionally the primary level is where a vote really counts, since many of the Dem senators and reps are incumbents.

[friesianrider]

11. Yeah, that's where she grew up...

Apparently they did that a lot in WV.

[MountainLaurel]

16. It does

Although that situation is changing somewhat as the state turns more socially conservative while forgetting its labor and social justice roots (which tends to happen as the economic situation becomes more dire; people turn to religion if the rest of their life is crap because their only hope for contentment is in the afterlife). As the Repukes get more power and as the old guard of incumbents die off, the focus must turn to selecting Dems.

[winga222]

4. I think that's a good idea

Remember, the GOP did use to have all stripes of people. More conservative and white, sure, but at least they tipped their hats to those in their party that stood apart on other issues.

I have a 93-year-old uncle, fiscally conservative but moderate/liberal on all other matters, now voting Dem and donating to organizations like Emily's List. His point is that his party (the old GOP) abandoned him to become a haven for right wing lunatics. He's has no problem telling them that when they call with their hands out.

[politicaholic]

5. Can she work on Santorum's campaign and spy?

You know, get a little of their campaign strategy here and there, pass it on to the democratic competitor, that type of thing.

[CarefullyLiberal]

6. Smart nor silly

One of the few privileges left in this country is voting for whomever you want to vote for and for whatever reason you want.

We still have that right don't we? I don't think President Rove has taken that away yet.

-Fergus

[MojoXN]

7. I'm a liberal Libertarian registered Republican, does that count?

[iconoclastic cat]

13. You're at the point where you may as well just stop labeling yourself.

[MojoXN]

15. I agree! But meaningless appelations can be fun!

[fryguy]

8. being registered GOP doesn't bolster her "credit" when calling

its only if she's a big money donor that they'll pay any greater attention to a constituent be they gop or dem....

as for registering as a member of the party you're not in order to sway their primary - well i suppose someone like randy cohen (NYT ethics columnist) might criticize it as unethical, but i think its a hoot! very trojan horse-like.

[Warpy]

9. My mother was lifelong registered GOP who always voted Socialist

the party membership being something she sort of inherited per family. My father is a lifelong Democrat who will vote for any fascist who says "tax cut," although he did wise up and vote for Kerry in 2004.

I applaud your mother for using her membership to give her street cred when she calls her idiot senators and representatives. I was registered as GOP by one of those Sproul idiots and still have my old card, even though I corrected it as soon as I got it. I'll be using it when it's appropriate, but I changed it fast enough to keep my mailbox free of fascist propaganda.

Party membership doesn't count for anything but how opinion polls are weighted. If they call 1000 people and get too many of one party or the other, they'll discard the surplus opinions when it comes time to crunch the numbers.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

10. All calls are pretty much equally worthless.

All that happens when you call is a tally gets marked down in their computer system that you were for/against a certain issue. And then you get a form letter response.

Only if calls are truly overwhelming does it have much impact at all.

[crispini]

12. If you would ever like to run for office as a Democrat,

even as a precinct chair, being a former registered Republican's not going to do you any good.

And I hope that ALL DU'ers are taking the words of our faboo DNC chair to heart and are considering running for office and becoming active in their local party organization. Being an active precinct chair is the best thing you can do for your party.