Appeal to Republicans by acknowledging decent Republicans!

[cascadiance]

As we come down to the wire now in perhaps the most election in our lifetimes to preserve what we value as a democratic system of government, I think we need to find ways to reach as many people as possible to put things back into sanity again.

You, myself, and many here have MANY things to hate the Republicans for, and express our ways of reviling so much about them, and commit to not voting for any Republicans at all.

But I've got to tell you, there ARE some decent Republicans out there, many of whom we should really be thankful are out there fighting the good fight for many of the battles we feel important to us. It is important to acknowledge these folks and their value to us all as Americans. What better way to talk to another Republican voter as you are walking precincts, but to point to a list of real great Republican Americans, and reminding them that they can identify with this group of Americans, in the same fashion that those Republicans on that list have joined us to fight the good fight. That way you don't have to recruit them into the Democratic Party to get them to vote for us and our causes this election, but just to put the choice of voting for real Americans vs. voting for neocons that have hijacked their party and are looking to destroy our American way of life.

Here are some Republicans that I'd like to acknowledge. I'm sure that there are many more that people here can point out too. I think we should try to find those that are truly taking risks to their jobs and reputation, and not just "posturing" to not get hung up on the same hook that Bush and his people will be soon. Acknowledge the posturing types too, to show how the public having a moral conscience is pressuring them now too, but really point out those that are truly working out of their own sense of moral purpose.

Scott Ritter - an old classmate of mine from H.S. when I lived overseas, makes no bones he's a Republican, but strongly advocates voting in a Democratic Congress Majority to stave off a war in Iran, as THE way to help address getting it "emergency care" and stop the bleeding, until we can work on more long term solutions of making us all "citizens" as a priority instead of "consumers" as a priority.

John Dean - Served on Nixon's staff during the Watergate Hearings, and has recently written a book "Worse than Watergate" to express his deep concern with what is happening in the Bush administration.

Joseph Wilson - At one time was a registered a Republican. Nuff said.

The NSWBC and a majority of the NSWBC (National Security Whistleblowers' Coalition) are Republicans. Founder Sibel Edmonds' husband is a Republican.

Russell Tice - Member of the NSWBC and at the forefront of exposing the wiretapping activities.

Bruce Funk - Utah Registrar of Voters who was fired for "whistleblowing" on Diebold Systems and bringing in Black Box Voting to test their systems. I saw him speak at the local townhall meeting last night, and he truly is a decent and great American too!

Sam Reed - Washington Secretary of State who followed the laws properly in doing a proper and admirable job of handling the recount for the Washington Gubernatorial election, even if doing so "worked against his parties interests", in the outcome.

David Brock - Used to be a part of the right wing spin machine before creating www.mediamatters.org and doing a lot now to reverse those wrongs in being a good watchdog against the right wing media.

My nextdoor neighbor - A great guy and friend who's a Vietnam vet married to a Democrat proudly pointed to me the other day to his Francine Busby sticker on his car the other day, and who took a Kerry/Edwards sign to put in his yard next to mine in 2004.

I'm sure you all out there have many more to add to this list. We can build a list like this to take out when we talk to voters to get them to do the correct thing in this important election. We need overwhelming numbers to protect ourselves from being screwed by election fraud. Let's not get complacent now!

If you have a Republican friend of yours. Honor his honest differences, even if you disagree with some of them, but those that see the path to fix the real problems facing us should get a pat on the back from us for voting the right way in a couple of weeks.

In the long run, our country will be better for it, restoring the older democracy we miss, and hopefully also restoring respect and civility as we have differences on how to govern ourselves in the future too.

[Sammy Pepys]

1. BINGO!

I'm a little amazed and dismayed at the fetish some folks have for alienating themselves as much from people on the other side of the aisle. It is possible to sway people, but calling them all stupid Nazi fascists probably won't accomplish that.

[SpreadItAround]

3. What would you call my brother-in-law?

Last week he was wearing a "peace through strength" hat and a t-shirt that read "I (heart) Halliburton".

There's no saving people like that.

[cascadiance]

5. There are some that ARE lost causes...

Our job between now and next week is to ISOLATE them as the fascists, and point out how they DON'T represent traditional Republican values to other Republicans that are decent people otherwise.

It's like how all of the Muslims are lumped in with terrorists. You need to also try and empower those Muslim folks that don't want that happening by acknowledging your support for them, and empowering them to help isolate the terrorists from "hijacking and taking over" their religion.

[Sammy Pepys]

6. Look, I'm not saying...

...that everyone out there is going to listen to you. In fact, it's relatively easy to tell who those types are.

But the way everyone races to throw out some blanket generality about all Republicans is ridiculous. There are plenty of stories about those who have talked to neighbors/siblings/co-workers who were Republicans at one point that have come around. The positive attributes of the Democratic Party are plentiful...there's no reason we should just decide to call Republicans names and psycho analyze them instead of coming at them from a respectable, "professional" angle.

[lcordero2]

2. :))))))

You are lucky that you didn't spark off a "who has a bigger Kerry/Edwards sign" contest with the Vet:evilgrin:

[cascadiance]

8. I think he FULLY understood the swiftboat issues!

Having had to cross over into Cambodia himself then, he knew that what the others were saying was a line of BS! I'm now trying to get through the Newsweek he loaned to me that talks about Woodward's new "State of Denial" book and the White House's reaction to it. I think it's just a matter of time before I turn him to at least a Decline to state voter, if not a Democrat, if the Republican party doesn't go back to its roots soon.

One of my best friends that I sat with during graduation, later became a lawyer and now lives a very good life in Arizona. She was pro Reagan at the time, and always had been a bit conservative. I was a bit nervous about visiting her when going to a football game with them in 2004 there when Iowa was visiting Az State, but I found out that her and her husband were very much against Bush now (even though earlier, when I was on her "joke list" a few years before than near 2000, she used to pass around jokes against Clinton, etc.). I think in 2004, she was more of a McCain fan, but probably the only thing keeping her from putting out signs against Bush in their neighborhood was not wanting to PO their well off neighbors. They'd already left the Republican Party and become independents when I visited them.

[lcordero2]

4. I do like some of them

John Chafee, Lincoln Chafee, and Ron Paul

[cascadiance]

7. Some I think you tell them that you are voting against their party...

... as long as it is under control of those that would favor a move away from traditional American Democratic values.

I'm also very much advocating and asking other fellow folks I know in Iowa City to vote out Jim Leach, even if he's voted with the Dems many times and even to the point in trying to investigate Bush. His being a member of the Republican Party enables them to continue their savaging our system of government, so it's nothing personal, but I will advocate we vote them out. I point out to other Iowa Citians that might like him some that perhaps now is the time for him to leave office and take over the reins of being president of University of Iowa (whom he was rumored to be being considered for the job), and who still hasn't hired a permanent president to replace the one that just resigned. That way, you acknowledge wanting to empower them and reward them for what they did, but not being an enabler for the criminal activity of Republican leadership that is in charge of their party now!

Again, reward those who take genuine risks, not just those that posture for us. But truly reach out to those that do, and point out to others that they are the heroes that their party needs in the future!

[marions ghost]

9. I am happy to acknowledge reformed or recovering Republicans

and welcome them to the cause of bringing Democracy back to America.

Anyone else who is still clinging stubbornly to the Titanic can go to the bottom with it.

[Elwood P Dowd]

10. You left out Paul Craig Roberts

Secretary Of Treasure under Reagan.

[BushOut06]

11. I'm sorry, I cannot bring myself to do that

No matter how "moderate" they may be on certain issues, when push comes to shove, they're going to back the extremist Repukes in power.

I almost guarantee you there are more "moderate" Dems who vote Republican than there are "moderate" Repugs who vote Dem.

[cascadiance]

12. They haven't voted yet....

I'm talking about presenting folks with a list of people that ARE doing things to help this country. Without folks like Joseph Wilson, Russell Tice, Scott Ritter, etc. think on where we'd be on some very important issues! We have to acknowledge them and their sense of principles. If I hold up a list of Democrats to a Republican or in some cases independents I want to persuade to vote for Dems this election, I have a harder time getting through to many of them. If you hold out to them other Republicans that you feel are principled, that's a way to appeal to their sense of values instead of getting distracted by partisanship, and through showing these folks, you can point out how those in control of the Republicans are comparatively unprincipled, and dangerous to our country's future. They then feel more like they're with a group of principled people in voting for Dems if you can show them others supporting Dems.

Those that still choose to vote for Republicans (even moderate ones that enable the Republicans in control) are ones that we have to walk away from. I'm not advocating voting for "moderate Republicans" and in an earlier post even said that I'd still vote against one of the more moderate Republicans in the house (Jim Leach) who's been a rep for over two decades in Iowa City. You have to point out to them, that the "moderates" they put in office enables the problematic majority, that needs to be thrown out now. Perhaps even tell them at the same time voting for a Dem, write to the "moderate Republican" they are voting against (like Jim Leach) to explain how their vote isn't personal, and that they'd vote for them if they left the Republican party now, or if later, there are more like they in control of it, but that they cannot allow those in control now to continue to take down our country now. Perhaps that would also make them feel better that they can express how they feel to their congressmen, even if they feel that that individual is a reasonable person.

[cascadiance]

13. Appeal to Republicans by acknowledging decent Republicans!

As we come down to the wire now in perhaps the most election in our lifetimes to preserve what we value as a democratic system of government, I think we need to find ways to reach as many people as possible to put things back into sanity again.

You, myself, and many here have MANY things to hate the Republicans for, and express our ways of reviling so much about them, and commit to not voting for any Republicans at all.

But I've got to tell you, there ARE some decent Republicans out there, many of whom we should really be thankful are out there fighting the good fight for many of the battles we feel important to us. It is important to acknowledge these folks and their value to us all as Americans. What better way to talk to another Republican voter as you are walking precincts, but to point to a list of real great Republican Americans, and reminding them that they can identify with this group of Americans, in the same fashion that those Republicans on that list have joined us to fight the good fight. That way you don't have to recruit them into the Democratic Party to get them to vote for us and our causes this election, but just to put the choice of voting for real Americans vs. voting for neocons that have hijacked their party and are looking to destroy our American way of life.

Here are some Republicans that I'd like to acknowledge. I'm sure that there are many more that people here can point out too. I think we should try to find those that are truly taking risks to their jobs and reputation, and not just "posturing" to not get hung up on the same hook that Bush and his people will be soon. Acknowledge the posturing types too, to show how the public having a moral conscience is pressuring them now too, but really point out those that are truly working out of their own sense of moral purpose.

Scott Ritter - an old classmate of mine from H.S. when I lived overseas, makes no bones he's a Republican, but strongly advocates voting in a Democratic Congress Majority to stave off a war in Iran, as THE way to help address getting it "emergency care" and stop the bleeding, until we can work on more long term solutions of making us all "citizens" as a priority instead of "consumers" as a priority.

John Dean -

[ClassWarrior]

14. John Dean's new book, "Conservatives Without Conscience"...

...is a great place to start.

NGU.

[whistle]

15. Sure, do you know any?

[havocmom]

16. Several old school Republicans (loyal opposition types from bygone era)

recommended same to me. 'Get the message to the DEMS! Stop bashing ALL Republicans; be welcoming to new comers and people who could be allies against bush/cheney and the neocons who are destroying America. Keep the louts in the party sidelined and ask them to be quiet if they can't be polite and constructive.'

There are good people on the other side of America's aisle. They want to change the direction the nation is going just as much as we do. We would do well to consider their sensibilities just as we are considerate of any group that has suffered abuse at the hands of the current GOP leadership.

Be welcoming. Prove that the RW pundits are wrong about liberals being 'elitists'.
Be an ambassador for your party with all your interactions. Show them DEMs have good ideas, good solutions and good intentions. Walk the walk and watch the hate talk.

[rock]

17. Sure, bring him or her on

(I figure there's got to be at least one.)

[havocmom]

23. That's a real hospitable welcome to potential allies

:eyes:

What's more important at this point, taking cheap shots that make one feel good, or trying to win an election, save what is left of America and make allies of people who want to restore it to greatness just as much as we do?

Win the battle now, or there won't be a later. Save the nation now. Hammer out differences in methods later. Try to make some allies and converts.

Why have people naively believed the GOP and voted against their own best interests for so long? The GOP knows they can fool people if they just make those people feel good about themselves and work to put on a show of being accepting of them and validate their emotional needs. They play the role of the 'cool kids' letting the regular chaps sit at their table and yuck it up so they will do their bidding.

How do we best fight that? Be kind, honest and show how alike people really are or do we crack jokes and poke fun at people who are pretty raw right now?

Prove to people that the DEMS really care. Be open minded about the possibilities that we have more in common with many, many rank & file Republicans than we think.

Reach out instead of slam doors in the faces of those who just may be willing to help.

Make them feel bad to make a joke? Not the best plan of action at this point.

[cascadiance]

18. Woops, somehow my browser submitted this version

... without the rest of the list I was adding later...

Go to this thread instead.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2486301

[havocmom]

22. Might wanna alert mods and ask them to combine the threads

:thumbsup:

[cascadiance]

26. I've done so just a bit ago...

[saltpoint]

19. Agree with others here on John Dean and Scott Ritter -- both principled

souls to be sure -- and would throw in names like Pete McCloskey, Lowell Weicker, and Howard Baker.

Politics aside, how do you not like Olympia Snowe? To steal from Bob Dylan, What's a sweetheart like her doin' in a dive like the Republican Party?

[warrens]

20. Hagel and Lugar fit that bill

They're both decent guys with whom I disagree more often than agree. But they don't have that vicious, thuggish gene most of the rest have.

[cascadiance]

25. I'm a bit nervous about Hagel's ties to voting machine companies...

Since he used to be CEO of ES&S about the time he got elected "somewhat mysteriously" in Nebraska. But he does seem to have a reasonable independent streak in him. Just want to make sure it isn't just posturing.

Another place where things seem to be "reversed" is in the state of Maryland, where Diebold is more opposed by the Republicans and empowered by what appear to be a bunch of corrupt Democrats in the state power structure there. It would be nice to weed out those Democrats too, who I have less respect for than the list of Republicans I've put up here.

[Up2Late]

21. Name one.

I don't know of any that haven't given me reason to distrust them.

[havocmom]

24. Most of the people in my county in eastern Montana

There are ways to make allies and ways to reinforce lies the RW pundits rant about liberals being elitist snobs.

Which method will help America at this point?

[Rosco T.]

28. Ron Paul

[LeftishBrit]

27. I believe that quite a few decent Supreme Court Justices were appointed by Republicans

Republicans.

From Earl Warren, to David Souter who was one of "Daddy's judges" but still ruled against Bush re the 2000 election.