Democrat, Republican or Independent?

[bruto]

Isn't it ambiguous as to which party he voted for? Surely you can't tell how people are voting from the sound of the machine?

Small town, poll checking by party registration, no ambiguity for anyone who knew him.

 

[Aridas]

The Republican party actions have basically ensured I'll never even consider voting Republican again.

At the same time I don't love the Democratic party, they're just generally the least worst option.

I could call myself independent, but voting and policy wise I still usually fall on the Democratic side.

I call myself a Democrat, but I have little party loyalty to speak of, myself. Historically, I've voted for people of all or nearly all parties on the ballot, much as I'll very likely be voting straight Democrat in the coming election given the GOP shenanigans and general unfitness for high offices lately, but if I learn that the Democrats are forwarding an incompetent and unqualified selection and the Republicans are forwarding a competent and qualified selection, I will likely vote for the Republican selection. With that said, broadly speaking, I support the Democratic Party platforms and position dramatically more than the Republican ones, though, which led to me registering as a Democrat initially, and that situation hasn't changed since, so I'm still officially a Democrat.

 

[ahhell]

I call myself a Democrat, but I have little party loyalty to speak of, myself. Historically, I've voted for people of all or nearly all parties on the ballot, much as I'll very likely be voting straight Democrat in the coming election given the GOP shenanigans and general unfitness for high offices lately, but if I learn that the Democrats are forwarding an incompetent and unqualified selection and the Republicans are forwarding a competent and qualified selection, I will likely vote for the Republican selection. With that said, broadly speaking, I support the Democratic Party platforms and position dramatically more than the Republican ones, though, which led to me registering as a Democrat initially, and that situation hasn't changed since, so I'm still officially a Democrat.

This would make you rather unusually. Most unaffiliated voters in the US tend to party line regardless of their claimed independence.

I'm special of of course in that I actually am. It helps that I started out as a republican and its now clear that they are completely off the rails. Makes it easy to detach. Side note, that scares me a little as one party rule is never good and I really don't see any future for the GOP in the long term and no replacement 3rd party. I can only hope the rational remnant of the GOP splits and joins some centrist wing of the Dems to form a new center party with the dems becoming a left party which hopefully leaves the unfortunately majority of the GOP largely in the wilderness.

 

[River]

Many people have said that the Republican party agenda has changed a lot under Trump, this is undeniable. Is it also undeniable that the DNC/Democratic party also changed a lot under Obama?

There have been a few members here mentioning a new centrist party should be considered. I would concur. The DNC should consider a split between the more moderate and more progressive elements just as the GOP could do the same with the more religious elements.

 

[phiwum]

This would make you rather unusually. Most unaffiliated voters in the US tend to party line regardless of their claimed independence.

I'm special of of course in that I actually am. It helps that I started out as a republican and its now clear that they are completely off the rails. Makes it easy to detach. Side note, that scares me a little as one party rule is never good and I really don't see any future for the GOP in the long term and no replacement 3rd party. I can only hope the rational remnant of the GOP splits and joins some centrist wing of the Dems to form a new center party with the dems becoming a left party which hopefully leaves the unfortunately majority of the GOP largely in the wilderness.

The GOP is in a pretty good position at present. They own the Supreme Court, probably still have the Senate, and have the executive branch until 2020, barring really surprising developments.

I don't count them out by a long stretch, though I can see why you pine for an alternative.

 

[wareyin]

Many people have said that the Republican party agenda has changed a lot under Trump, this is undeniable. Is it also undeniable that the DNC/Democratic party also changed a lot under Obama?

Yes, Obama certainly tried to steer the DNC to the right with all of his attempts at compromise with the Republicans. Of course, the Republicans were also veering hard right at the time with the Tea Party.

 

[Craig B]

I call myself a Democrat, but I have little party loyalty to speak of, myself.

Political terminology is changeable too. An ancestor of mine was exiled from Ireland after the rebellion of 1798, went to the USA, and became a newspaper editor. His wiki biography tells us that

In March 1802, he commenced at Northumberland, Pennsylvania, the Republican Argus, which gave him great influence with the Democratic party.​

 

[Aridas]

This would make you rather unusually. Most unaffiliated voters in the US tend to party line regardless of their claimed independence.

I'm special of of course in that I actually am. It helps that I started out as a republican and its now clear that they are completely off the rails. Makes it easy to detach. Side note, that scares me a little as one party rule is never good and I really don't see any future for the GOP in the long term and no replacement 3rd party. I can only hope the rational remnant of the GOP splits and joins some centrist wing of the Dems to form a new center party with the dems becoming a left party which hopefully leaves the unfortunately majority of the GOP largely in the wilderness.

We'll see. It's hard to tell what's going to happen, exactly, given the current dynamics in play and the nature of how, specifically, the GOP is holding onto what power it has.

Many people have said that the Republican party agenda has changed a lot under Trump, this is undeniable. Is it also undeniable that the DNC/Democratic party also changed a lot under Obama?

Hmm. The Democratic Party did change under Obama, but I would dare to say that it had not much to do with Obama. Rather, the way the GOP was acting invigorated the more liberal elements of the party to finally wake up enough to exert more influence, in addition to some long-term social changes that (coincidentally) were reaching maturity then.

There have been a few members here mentioning a new centrist party should be considered. I would concur. The DNC should consider a split between the more moderate and more progressive elements just as the GOP could do the same with the more religious elements.

To be a downer... it's not a particular likely scenario, at present, especially when it comes to the suggestion that either the DNC or the GOP would willingly give up voters.

 

[The Great Zaganza]

Many people have said that the Republican party agenda has changed a lot under Trump, this is undeniable. Is it also undeniable that the DNC/Democratic party also changed a lot under Obama?

yes, it became right-leaning.

This is usual, btw, for Presidents to moderate their party politics towards the other party.
Trump is a freaky exception in this.

 

[kellyb]

Hmm. The Democratic Party did change under Obama, but I would dare to say that it had not much to do with Obama. Rather, the way the GOP was acting invigorated the more liberal elements of the party to finally wake up enough to exert more influence, in addition to some long-term social changes that (coincidentally) were reaching maturity then.

For me and a great many others, it was Obama. Mostly selling out the public option and then volunteering to cut social security before the Republicans even asked for it.

To be a downer... it's not a particular likely scenario, at present, especially when it comes to the suggestion that either the DNC or the GOP would willingly give up voters.

Not at present, no. But if a leftwing takeover of the democratic party, with a new party "establishment" happens, who knows? We on the left would love for the centrists to start their own third party. We've come to view the democratic party's official platform as more of a marketing gimmick to appeal to fool us lefties than a serious list of policies they want enacted.

 

[kellyb]

yes, it became right-leaning.

This is usual, btw, for Presidents to moderate their party politics towards the other party.
Trump is a freaky exception in this.

I don't think it was usual for the democrats until Bill Clinton. And the GOP has continually been moving to the right ever since Reagan, I'd say, if not before.

 

[Foolmewunz]

I don't think it was usual for the democrats until Bill Clinton. And the GOP has continually been moving to the right ever since Reagan, I'd say, if not before.

I don't know that it was principles so much as pragmatism prior to that. The middle-of-the-road voters by '92 were being sold on "Ebil Limousine Libruls Ignoring the Silent Majority". The perception was that Carter was an outlier as a reaction to the horrors of the Nixon years, but without that four year respite, the GOP had held the White House after the GEs of 68, 72, 80, 84, 88.

I think Clinton and Clinton-era Dems moved the party further right to respond to that loss of touch in national elections. Besides, bombing barely-out-of-the-stone-age countries is fun! Why should the GOP have all the fun? But did Clinton move the party? Or did the party move to Clinton. Let's remember why he was so successful (or considered successful) in Arkansas. Stealing businesses from rust belt states with lower taxes and no union problems? That's pretty far from progressivism.

 

[Aridas]

For me and a great many others, it was Obama. Mostly selling out the public option and then volunteering to cut social security before the Republicans even asked for it.

I stand corrected. I was considering mentioning more about Obama's role in that respect, given that Obama, going by what he actually did, practically wasn't on the left at all, despite the nonsensical screeching of the right-wing about how he was totally a communist or socialist. Seriously, anyone who claimed that (I'm looking at you, Fox News) could be very safely ignored. I decided not to, though, because Trump's effect on the GOP and Obama's effect on the Democratic Party have been so wildly different in intensity and nature that it's hard to justify even moderately shallow equivalences when it comes to that, like River was implicitly making.

Not at present, no. But if a leftwing takeover of the democratic party, with a new party "establishment" happens, who knows? We on the left would love for the centrists to start their own third party. We've come to view the democratic party's official platform as more of a marketing gimmick to appeal to fool us lefties than a serious list of policies they want enacted.

Far too often, at least. I still doubt that the DNC would ever willingly let the Blue Dog Democrats go. Them going, of course, wouldn't be up to the DNC, on the other hand.

 

[ahhell]

I really, really hate that right wingers use Democrat Party as a perjorative for Democratic, but don't say Republic Party for Republican. It is such an obvious Gingrich-style highjacking of language. River, I'm talking to you.

I do not understand this at all. How is Democrat suppose to be a perforative for democratic? Even if it is, its like IDK, calling white people euro's as an insult. Not exactly insulting.

 

[River]

I do not understand this at all. How is Democrat suppose to be a perforative for democratic? Even if it is, its like IDK, calling white people euro's as an insult. Not exactly insulting.

>>> He's a democrat. She's a republican. He's in the republican party. Shes in the democratic party.

 

[ahhell]

I really, really hate that right wingers use Democrat Party as a perjorative for Democratic, but don't say Republic Party for Republican. It is such an obvious Gingrich-style highjacking of language. River, I'm talking to you.

>>> He's a democrat. She's a republican. He's in the republican party. Shes in the democratic party.

Is that meant to be an explanation? Ok, so their using the wrong form of the word. I still don't get why its suppose to be insulting or why one would be insulted by it. Granted, my grammar is weak, so maybe I'm missing some nuance in the difference between adjectives or adverbs or some such. Still, I didn't even know it was suppose to be insulting prior to joining this forum. I never noticed the difference and generally still don't usually.

This is more than a little bit of a derail but it really is something I don't understand.

 

[JoeMorgue]

Must we keep having this discussion over and over?

Jesus Christ just be happy it's not Libtards and Republickers.

 

[lomiller]

Is it also undeniable that the DNC/Democratic party also changed a lot under Obama?

No. In fact I’d suggest just the opposite, it’s undeniable that the Democrats have changed very little for the moderately conservative space it’s been for several decades.

There have been a few members here mentioning a new centrist party should be considered.

Other than you, who’s suggested this and why? It makes zero sense because the Democrats are already a slightly right of center party centrist party.

 

[theprestige]

Is that meant to be an explanation? Ok, so their using the wrong form of the word. I still don't get why its suppose to be insulting or why one would be insulted by it. Granted, my grammar is weak, so maybe I'm missing some nuance in the difference between adjectives or adverbs or some such. Still, I didn't even know it was suppose to be insulting prior to joining this forum. I never noticed the difference and generally still don't usually.

This is more than a little bit of a derail but it really is something I don't understand.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democrat_Party_(epithet)

 

[River]

This is ridiculous. I'll help for the fails.

democrat noun
dem·o·crat | \ ˈde-mə-ˌkrat \
Definition of democrat
1a : an adherent of democracy
b : one who practices social equality
2 capitalized : a member of the Democratic party of the U.S.