( – promoted by Colorado Pols)
Before liberals vomit and conservatives reach for the Vaseline, let me just say, “Relax.”
Few weeks ago, I attended a party in Briargate, northern Colorado Springs, which is the heart of Dobson Land. Focus Freaks everywhere and yet there I stood, at a gathering with my fellow Heebs on a Friday evening. Out in the open and everything. Shabbat Shalom.
Ultimately, politics came up, as they often do with me. And more than a few liberals and moderate Dems said they were registered Republicans.
I spit out my kugel and demanded an explanation.
“The Springs is run by Republicans,” Mr. Member of the Tribe said, summarizing their logic. “Therefore, if we want to participate, we have to be able to vote in the primaries and pick the least offensive rightwinger! As a Democrat, you will be completely shut out of the process. At least we can pick the moderate Republican and counteract some of the damage done by evangelicals in this community. It’s the best way to affect change.”
Hmmm.
I’m pondering this bit of advice last night while attending the El Paso County Democrats meeting (more on that later) when John Morris, Chair, discussed a current campaign. Liberal activists canvass registered Republicans to discover their take on certain issues. Entire neighborhoods of neocons are then targeted in mailings and personal dialogues in an attempt to court and convert.
So far, and, granted it’s only been a month, I’ve yet to have anyone sit down and ask my views. Only local churches and banks court my ass. Haven’t been warmly welcomed by anyone on my side. So you know what that says to me? No one gets attention or love in this area like a Republican. From both sides.
I am sick of being taken for granted. Maybe my vote should not be guaranteed for any political party. Perhaps a walk on the wild side is in order. I mean, I don’t think I could actually vote for a Republican over a Democrat. That requires a lack of conscience and darkness of soul I don’t possess.
Dark souls are so not hot.
However, as a lifelong liberal activist roaming a new neighborhood and growing increasingly frustrated with my party’s lack of backbone and interest – registering as a Republican no longer sounds so bad.
I mean, really. Who wants me?
cross-posted at www.outinleftfield.com
You must be logged in to post a comment.
BY: JohnNorthofDenver
IN: Monday Open Thread
BY: JohnNorthofDenver
IN: Boebert Damns Her Would-Be Successor With Faint Praise
BY: Meiner49er
IN: Boebert Damns Her Would-Be Successor With Faint Praise
BY: ParkHill
IN: Monday Open Thread
BY: Genghis
IN: Threats From The Right, Relief From Clerks After Tina Peters Goes To Jail
BY: ParkHill
IN: Monday Open Thread
BY: spaceman2021
IN: I’m Gabe Evans, and This is the Worst Ad You’ve Seen in Years
BY: JohnInDenver
IN: Threats From The Right, Relief From Clerks After Tina Peters Goes To Jail
BY: 2Jung2Die
IN: Threats From The Right, Relief From Clerks After Tina Peters Goes To Jail
BY: davebarnes
IN: Monday Open Thread
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to stay in the loop with regular updates!
They’re absolutely right. I was a Democrat most of my adult life. Last year, I changed my affiliation to unafiliated for a couple of reason, one of which was to give me the option to vote in GOP primaries.
I’m planning to declare as a Republican in time to vote in the caucuses next year. I’ll probably still vote for HRC (or whever is the Democratic nominee) in Nov., but declaring as a Republican and voting in the GOP caucuses gives me the opportunity to voice my objection to the course on which the wing nuts have been taking the GOP for some time now. (Needless to say, I’m planning to vote for Rudy Giuliani.)
I may even stay a Republican for a while….depending upon whether a presentable RINO takes on B.S. for the U.S. Senate nod.
My parents grew up in Mi which was ruled by the dems (nearly everywhere). But when they moved to northern Ill, it was more than 80% republicans controlled. So the registered republican so that they had a say on the republican primary. They always picked the best republican (i.e. progressive), rather than neo-con type. You may find it useful to do the same in C. Springs.
Me, I registered libertarian years ago. Somewhere along the line, it struck me that a new party has to replace one of the 2 majors ones or better yet, the laws need to be changed to allow for 3rd party (dems and pubs work hard at keeping out any other party).
to be something you’re not so you can play their game, because the bully will always steal the ball, change the rules, and kick you from behind.
Look how well that logic of if you can’t beat them, join them, worked in the CD5 primary last year, with Republicans voting for the “moderate” Lamborn.
but the old adage, “lie down with dogs, get up with fleas” keeps coming to mind.
I simply could not do it.
The old saying about registering as a Repub to vote in a primary is: don’t do it! You might get hit by a truck on the way home and die a Republican! 🙂
I spent 8 years in Seattle, a city more liberal than Denver but not quite San Francisco. Although all the citywide races (which included every council position) were non-partisan it was well known that all the elected officials and most of the serious challengers were Democrats. (The rest of the serious challengers were Greens. No serious GOP contenders that I can recall.)
However, we did have a city attorney, registered Democrat, who pretty much held conservative views and used his position as a bully pulpit for stricter ordinances regarding law and order. For example he was pretty much responsible for laws some felt targeted the homeless such as banning sleeping on the sidewalks or aggressive panhandling, as well as supporting the rather draconian Teen Dance Ordinance (since repealed) that basically made all-ages music events illegal there. People pretty well believed that this city attorney was really a Republican at heart and although he garnered enough popular support to be a runoff contender for mayor he lost.
The point? That conservatives will register as Democrats when they’re in Democratic strongholds.
Good luck being a RINO (for real) in the Springs!
The Colorado Springs City Council, also a non-partisan body, is currently composed of nine Republicans but a couple of them have shown some more moderate (or dare I say it) liberal thinking on particular issues.
Rumor has it that some out-spoken members of the moderate side of the El Paso County Republicans (and maybe one or two Council members) might bolt from the party and declare themselves as Independents. There is a lot of frustration with the neo-cons and their influence on the Springs’ politics. Would be interesting to see if it would have any effect on the local political scene
I will register as a republican so I can vote for Ron Paul in th primary. I will reregister as an independant after the primary.
other than Rep. Paul’s position on the war, what do you find appealing about him?
He supports overturning Roe v. Wade.
He supports elimination of Social Security and Medicare.
He supports elimiation of the Food and Drug Administation.
He wants to elimate FEMA and the Department of Education.
There is no presidential primary in Colorado. You’d have to go to a caucus and hang out with those horrific right wing reactionary Republicans who will constantly vent over abortion, how much they’re taxed, and how they can’t stand gay marriage.
maybe the two of us can erect a Log Cabin while discussing the platform!
For the reasons you just mentioned and more. Like abolishing the Fed and IRS. Those agencies you list are corrupt as hell and everyone knows it and are fed up with them.
Did you know…Ron Paul is the only candidate that WILL pull the troops out of that meat grinder they were lied into. That’s why he is ‘THEIR’ (the troops) #1 candidate. Oh, yeah the MSM failed to report that. Gee imagine.
Your loving Clinton is a war monger. There is no if and or buts about it.
War with out end.
Amen.
Gee, that’s strange. Most of the world looks on our tax system and the IRS with wonder….the lack of corruption. When was the last time you heard of an IRS worker being on the take?
You forget that there are Democratic candidates who also would pull us out of Iraq ASAP….and not destroy the federal government while they are at at.
Show me the law where Americans ‘HAVE’ to pay ANY tax on their pesonal income, let alone required to file a tax form.
You think that’s silly? So did Joseph Banister. He was an IRS Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CD) Special Agent. A gun-carrying law enforcement officer who is also a certified public accountant (CPA). Sherry Jackson and John Turner were also IRS employees who resigned when they could not reconcile their knowledge with the actions of their employer.
Lack of corruption? Talk about the ‘TAKE’… The sky’s the limit!
http://www.freedomab…
BTW The Fed is as federal as fedex.
…Youse guys been claiming this shit for years. You always lose. And I’m glad “you” do, because taxes are necessary and people should pay a fair share. You think anyone leaps with joy as they pay their taxes? Of course not. Every evader deserves what they get.
I just lived through an IRS mini-audit.
The IRS claimed that my wife and I were partners in a company in Boulder, which is several hundred miles away and in an industry completely unrelated to what we do.
The IRS claimed that the documents for our partnership were filed on paper with the IRS, but the IRS could not produce the paper, and yet, claimed the records could not be wrong.
The IRS demanded that we prove that we were unaffiliated with this company rather than show us the documentation it was relying on.
The company was unlisted in the phone book and it took us a LONG time to find them. Thankfully, they wrote a letter to the IRS affirming the fact that they had no relationship with us.
The IRS is still considering our evidence, so the jury is still out.
This was the first time I had a run-in with the IRS and was stunned by its incompetence and inflexibility on what is an obvious error in its records.
I’ve had two audits by the IRS over the years. I deserved the first (1980), not the second (2002, shear bad luck.) But in both cases I was treated with courtesy and respect, and we worked out very agreeable terms.
Part of the problem you probably experienced, pilgrim, is just lack of resources, i.e., funding. As you are probably aware, under pressure from the administration, the IRS has moved away from where the money probably is, the rich and corporate, and moved to where it is’t, the little guys like you.
They now go after people using the Earned Income credit and it costs them more to get a dollar, it’s actually negative.
Another great Republican “Heck of a job”
to do it. Colorado allows for same day registration for PRIMARIES ONLY. So why not? If there’s no meaningful race in the Dem primary, why not cast a ballot on the other side for whoever the weaker candidate is? Politics is full contact, and the rules allow it. I say do what you want, it’s your right.
If a large group of dems flipped registration before the primaries in conservative districts, they may be able to influence the primary outcome…
This isn’t a complete wasteland for Dems-at least until the next round of redistricting (maybe, maybe not). If Dems need a back bone, be what you are a help them get a back bone. Don’t be something you’re not
I, too, am unaffiliated. I was a registered Democrat for many years but left the party awhile back. I did so for two reasons: first, I disagree with the party platform on several rather big issues, Roe v. Wade being one of them. Second, I felt it was more appropriate in my work to become unaffiliated.
I now live in a part of Colorado that is GOP-dominated. Like in Colorado Springs, no Democrat has any chance of winning elective office here (unless it’s a non-partisan race, and even there some voters will ask about party affiliation).
What if an unaffiliated voter aspires to run for the state legislature? What advice can you offer about the merits of joining the GOP to advance those prospects?
I have a hard time imagining myself actually being willing to do that. I disagree with Republican ideas on environmental protection, the power of the presidency, and the death penalty. Sometimes I think of the GOP as “the dark side.” Like Anakin Skywalker, one has to be tempted and then, finally and tragically, seduced.
Anyway, thanks for the feedback.
It is important that folks register and actually PARTICIPATE in their local political parties.
It’s really sickening to hear people bitch about how their party has been taken over by wing nuts, but in the same breath, admit to their non-involvement in the party. The reason extreme views become the hallmark of a party is, in my view, because of the apathy of the rank and file.
Something like only 30% of registered voters bother to vote in primaries and an even smaller proportion of those voters actually participate in the party politics.
Politics in Colorado is a really small town. I can guarantee that if you register and make even a modest attempt to get involved (this means attend a Central Committee meeting once in a while), within a year, you’ll be on a first name basis with all your local representatives (that’s not a good thing for some reps, believe me). That’s still a long ways from getting reps who actually listen to you or do something, but it’s better than being a complaining, faceless drone.