We Should All Be Republicans

Before you get out the flamethrowers and pitchforks; hear me out.  I believe very strongly that there are certain things that can be said about the majority of Democrats.  The first is that we are thoughtful and pay attention to both actions and words from our leaders to decide what we think about it.  Words themselves don't do it for us.  I also think that would be true of this group no matter what we called ourselves.

I also believe very strongly that current Democrats want what is best for the vast majority of Americans.  I also believe that we would still want it no matter what we call ourselves.

I believe that Republicans have convinced alot of people to vote Republican reflexively without considering whether or not the person they are voting for will fulfill their needs.

So here is the main point of the post: Let's all call ourselves Republicans.  We are a strong-minded group.  Changing our name won't change our beliefs.  But if everyone in the entire country is a Republican, people have to actually start LISTENING to distinguish between candidates.  We already do that so we aren't losing anything.

The question then becomes: how will we tell each other from the current Republicans?  Simple, we will be the ones talking about common sense approaches to government.  We will be the ones talking about government by the people, FOR THE PEOPLE and not for corporate interests.  We will be the ones embracing diversity, self-reliance, and self-determination.  We will be the ones talking about working towards the common good.  We will be easy to recognize.

Without the labels that are currently used to divide us from the people who share our common goals, people will have to listen to what we say.  And when they hear us, we win.

So become a Republican today.  But don't change anything else.  We won't defeat them, we will assimilate them.

•  As it turns out...

  ...I seem to have voted Republican in the past three elections regardless of which candidate I chose.

  by Blue Shark on Tue May 31, 2005 at 06:26:58 PM PDT

  •  bill clinton

    owned slaves.

    ya' know.

    i know.  i know.  your snark is cool.

    mine.. is not.

    by BiminiCat on Tue May 31, 2005 at 06:38:07 PM PDT

  •  Courtesy of Diebold? n/t

    by boran2 on Tue May 31, 2005 at 06:57:48 PM PDT

•  okay but if we vote for them

  will they become us?

  by TeresaInPa on Tue May 31, 2005 at 06:28:00 PM PDT

  •  I'm not suggesting..

    ..that you vote for current Republicans.  I'm saying we all change our party affiliation to Republican and then vote for the same people we would have voted for before.  

    And I believe, yes, if we were all in a single party that most people affiliated with the Republican party would vote for our guys out of shared ideals.

    Most people who call themselves Republican would benefit from current Democratic initiatives.

    by jaslusher on Tue May 31, 2005 at 06:34:09 PM PDT

    •  I know, I was teasing

      It's an interesting idea.

      by TeresaInPa on Tue May 31, 2005 at 06:53:27 PM PDT

    •  So...

      ...let me see.  We would go from 2 (major) parties to one but still vote for the same people, who would now also be Repugs.  So people like Ted Kennedy would be in the same party as Dobson and the fundies.  This could get confusing for the electorate, no?    

      by boran2 on Tue May 31, 2005 at 07:04:10 PM PDT

•  No

  Because the Republican party is Repulsive

  by patrioticliberal on Tue May 31, 2005 at 06:30:19 PM PDT

•  i tried that once already

  it didn't work. they're fucking crazies.

  by wu ming on Tue May 31, 2005 at 06:46:28 PM PDT

•  The sorry truth

  I believe that Republicans have convinced alot of people to vote Republican reflexively

  This is true of both parties.  The best indicator of individual partisan preference has nothing to do with the party, the candidate, or the voter's age/race/gender/etnicity/etc.  The #1 indicator of an individual's partisan preference is the partisan affiliation of their parents.  What culd be more reflexive than that?

  by Dancing Larry on Tue May 31, 2005 at 06:49:00 PM PDT

  •  That's true of religion as well

    Most people inherit their religion from their parents.

    by DrReason on Tue May 31, 2005 at 10:12:26 PM PDT

•  Ach

  As an ex-Republican you want me to change again.

  No thank you.

  by NYC Sophia on Tue May 31, 2005 at 06:49:55 PM PDT

•  All I have to say is this:

  ?!?!

  by deano on Tue May 31, 2005 at 06:52:50 PM PDT

•  Your Vote would count...

  If they thought you were a Repig, they may let you vote on the box that works...

  by Ioo on Tue May 31, 2005 at 06:57:05 PM PDT

•  A big problem

  With the wingnut base the Republican party will select the most theocratic candidate. There is no way we could get a "moderate" out of a primary.

  by Tomtech on Tue May 31, 2005 at 07:24:28 PM PDT

•  You Are Republicans

  The party merely shortened it's name in the 1800s.
  The original name is the Democratic-Republican party.

  http://www.floyddems.org/party.htm

  by daimon on Tue May 31, 2005 at 07:26:16 PM PDT

•  It's not much of a party.

  No noisemakers, no taco chips and bean dip, no beer.

  What we need is a party that puts the PARTYING back in the party.

  by Eleftheria on Tue May 31, 2005 at 09:49:17 PM PDT