The GOP is abandoning Bush...many coming over to the DEM PARTY

[opihimoimoi]

They can read and comprehend....and they hate what they are seeing of the BushCo and his congress minions...esp the waste...

The DEMs need to set up a ReCovery System to address the growing numbers of defections....

The Force of Dems plus a small percentage of XPubs will be all that is needed for a return of REASON to the White House

[fedupfisherman]

1. Who has defected?

In Congress I mean.

Thanks

[opihimoimoi]

4. I meant the fence sitting Pubs of our middle class rank....

[fedupfisherman]

21. Gotcha

n/t

[niceypoo]

49. Not fence sitters by a long shot

I work with a republican who has bought into the RW bs machine for decades hook line and sinker. He and I have debated over the years and he always spewed the talking point of the day as, 'his,' position. This last election he voted a straight democratic ticket. He had never voted for a democrat in his life up to that point. He said it was the total greed (corruption) and the hollow promises on abortion that finally pushed him over the edge. He voted for Bush twice based solely on the abortion issue. He now admits that most RW positions are based on bigotry and greed. He just shakes his head when the issue of republicans comes up. He says he cant stand, "what they have turned into." I remind him that this is nothing new, he is just starting to see them for what they have been since Reagan. As the GOP falls further into the abyss, their bizarreness becomes more glaring and their warped thinking and hypocracy become impossible to ignore.

[Yael]

5. I think this is in reference to those who feel that their party lied to them

and are starting to pay attention for a change.

[opihimoimoi]

16. 12 pack of beer to ya

[Sarah Ibarruri]

2. I do have a question about this......

If Republicans defect by coming into our party, does that mean they never believed in what the GOP believes? And does that mean that they also don't believe what Democrats believe?

[Colorado Progressive]

6. I think that's the problem with only two major parties. Not a lot of choice. nt

[hang a left]

28. I would prefer that they just sit out elections for a while

until they can start their own party.

[Yael]

7. On all issues, likely not

I think ending the war is waking up a few of them though. At least what I am seeing at work and amongst friends.

[opihimoimoi]

8. It means they are appalled by the Partys handling of General Affairs

and now they see the DEM side of things have better CLARITY and PROMISE

[Sarah Ibarruri]

15. For the life of me I cannot even fathom how you can one day believe right wing, and the next day....

believe left wing. It's like going to sleep a devout Muslim, and waking up and deciding you're actually a devout Buddhist.

[opihimoimoi]

18. The Change can take YEARS.....BUSH and his GOP have ABUSED

the Party Members for YEARS...with LIES and.... MISUSING.... 1)all the MONEY from DONATIONS, etc and 2) all those PUB Voluteers

[MannyGoldstein]

3. Given The Political Outlook Of Most Congressional "Dems"...

...I'd say that most Republicans have found a pretty comfy home.

[opihimoimoi]

10. But all too many Pubs are a paycheck or 2 from homelessness

these are the ones looking like they want to eat crow and come over.

[VP505]

11. That will

just shift our party further to the right, something we definitely don't need.

[MannyGoldstein]

13. Can It Get Any Further?

If it goes more than a few millimeters it'll bump into the Republican Party.

[opihimoimoi]

14. The PUB Philosophy has Failed and the converts will reflect that

[OzarkDem]

25. They're following the money

Dems in Congress are pretty much controlled by corporate donors and lobbyists now, hence the adherence to Bush' legislative agenda.

GOP'ers are starting to worry about funding their next campaign. Same agenda and not representative of public opinion.

[nebenaube]

39. Not true...

I strongly suspect that many of the compliant Dem congresscritters have been compromised for having utilized the services of 'The Finders'.

[Cleita]

9. I dunno Opi.

I don't know if I want more conservatives coming over to our side tipping the liberal balance of our party over to conservative side. I think that they need to form another conservative party, one that isn't bent on fascism and trashing our Constitution. That would leave the minority, criminal fascist element more or less powerless and dangling in the wind by themselves. It isn't conservatism that is ruining this country but fascism. The fascists have taken over the Republican Party just like the Nazis took over that party that was supposed to be a socialist, workers party in Germany.

[opihimoimoi]

12. True, Cleita...there will be some that come over for mischief and we have them already...

they have infiltrated for a long time now....

This is how Pubs work...anything for CONTROL...if not influence...

But on the other hand....many Pubs are left out of the feeding trough...and some are disgusted to the point of change

[Sarah Ibarruri]

17. Yep, that's damned scary. I hate right wingers. They don't do good. nt

[opihimoimoi]

19. its happening now and has been for months...

[KharmaTrain]

20. I Wouldn't Measure Drapes In the Oval Office With This

Hey there Opi...

I remember seeing posts like this in '04 and '06...how many Repugnicans were fed up with boooosh or the party and were all set to jump over to the Democrats...however when it came to pulling the lever, they either "went home" or didn't bother to vote at all.

I run into too many "Independents" who claim that they hate boooosh and Repugnicans, but have just as many bitches about Democrats...especially when the name Hillary Clinton is involved. They may hate boooosh or some of their corrupt leadership, but they will vote for a "anybody but Hillary" candidate (like Ghouliani) or give a pass to their local congresscritter. Trust and believe these people at one's peril.

The key to winning next year is building up our base that has expanded over the past year of younger voters (18-34), Hispanics (good luck on the GOOP getting 20% of this vote), the elderly (who've seen their health care crumble) and the infamous "soccer moms" who were "security moms" in the last election but now fear their kids will be cannon fodder in this war for profit.

There's a long way to go until next year's general...and believing polls and "pundits" can't replace the ongoing work of connecting with voters and having people vote FOR Democrats rather than against Repugnicans.

Cheer...

:toast:

[opihimoimoi]

23. And yet we had a shift to garner both Houses last year...this is what gives me hope

[illinoisprogressive]

22. I hear alot of republicans call on washington journal expressing support for Obama

If you have guys who know obama is progressive and don't care, they just support him, it seems Bush has really screwed up his party. they are coming here and alot seem to like Obama regardless of his politics.
Which is the name of the game.

[OzarkDem]

27. Obama's getting lots of corporate cash, isn't he?

that's the same crowd the GOP has been running with for the last 8 years.

Its not about ideas, or agendas or leadership. Its just about money.

[Jackpine Radical]

24. I've seen a lot of people change over the years...

even been responsible for some. And, truth be told, was once a Young Republican myself. Back before I got my eyes opened in Vietnam. The process is a very interesting one. First you start taking exception to a few points--the war, the deficit, whatever. Then a few more issues of dissent. Then at some point you decide the other party better represents you, but you still have a lot of the old principles, so you make the switch. But the process continues. You generalize, you start opening to more and more new ideas. You question everything. And then you end up massively reshaped in your opinions. Don't push them away when they're making those first few steps. They'll come along, and the process of change will continue for most of them.

[opihimoimoi]

26. A 21 Step Program???? Perhaps???? LOL...yup, we should welcome them...

[Jackpine Radical]

43. How 'bout shaping the program to match the personality of the recipient?...

A 93-step program for Obsessive-Compulsives, a 2-step program for the Attention Deficit-Disordered, a baby-step program for anxiety neurotics...

[opihimoimoi]

47. Awright JR......93 is a bit much,,,lol

[Zhade]

29. Great - MORE conservatism in an already conservative party.

Just what this country needs.

:eyes:

[opihimoimoi]

31. Quite the opposite

[BlooInBloo]

30. Who's coming over? Says who?

[opihimoimoi]

32. sez me...the Pubs are slowly changing their spots into a grey tone that of a Donkey

They are tired of being lied to, etc.

[BlooInBloo]

34. Oh. I don't believe it, but it's a mixed blessing, if true.

[opihimoimoi]

35. I'm talking low percentage here...prolly 2% plus minus 1%..enough to make a diff.

[Mind_your_head]

38. If that 1-2% hold 90-something % of the money, then well.....

we've been talkin' about this for quite a long time now, haven't we.

What to 'do' about it, now that "the people" are in an extremely weak position is another matter worth thinking about.

[Mind_your_head]

37. I hope you're right, but the Repubs I know can't see past their 'tax cuts'

....and they are a truly shameful lot. But that's what *I* see (unfortunately).

[opihimoimoi]

50. Shameful is right.....and for the nation...tragic too.

[Me.]

33. No Thanks

We've got enough problems with blue dogs without them infecting our party even further.

[opihimoimoi]

36. Its not up to us...its happening as I type....things change....that includes Pol Parties too.

[Me.]

40. Due Respect, But I Beg To Differ

We haven't completely lost our say even though some days it seems like we are living in a fascist state. It is the very reason why groups such as Move-On, and writers and sites such as Matt Stoler, Think Progress and Howie Klein are advocating running progressive candidates in primaries rather than the Rahn Emmanuel/DLC/Republican lite types that were pushed through as dems last time. We held our noses on some of them and voted. Look where it got us. To say we have no say is to call the final death knell for democracy and I won't go quietly down that road.

[autorank]

41. I'm through holding my nose. I agree with you.

But what's a "progressive?" If they're social progressives who are otherwise members of the "War Party" then they'd be a marginal improvement but not by much.

Someone has to take on our reliance on the war economy. We were almost off of it and these jerks brought it back. I'm so pissed.

Can you read me some cartoons or something;)

[Me.]

42. You Are 100%

About what type of progressives, so I'll say the Russ Feingold type of pol. The type that wouldn't vote for the FISA bill, would bring our troops home, restore Habeas Corpus which is yet to be done though Leahy promised as he did with so many other things and the type who goes into rehab for steroid use, if you get my drift.

I can tell you a story all right.

[Odin2005]

46. Most Americans agree on most issues.

I remember a study posted on DU a while back called "America's progressive majority" that stated that, IIRC, 70% of Americans were on average, more progressive then not, despite party labels. That this isn't widely understood is a sad indictment of the political mood of the last ~20 years, what Obama labeled the "smallness of our politics."

[Odin2005]

44. I've run into many moderate Republicans that like Obama.

Yet these same moderates think Hillary is the spawn of Satan. Yet another reason NOT to nominate Hillary. They DO understand, however, that "their" party has fucked them over.

[WinkyDink]

45. I'll believe it when the votes are in.

[opihimoimoi]

48. Doncha feel it ???? The shift has begun....