Party Hoppers

[mr surveyor]

What do y'all think of party hoppers? I know that Ronald Reagan was a Democrat in his early years, but woke up one day and realized that the Dem party completely left him. He had an awakening that actually stirred his core values and deeply held principles. I don't think Reagan switched parties while holding elected office, but really don't remember. People like Arlin spector, on the other hand, were elected by party members and I would assume went in to office (his most recent election cycle) believing in the fundamentals of the party platform. Then, when he decides it's politically expedient (or worse), changes parties while in office, basically thumbing his nose at the ones that elected him. Today, in the Texas Primary Election we had to endure something that is mind boggling. In my district we had a candidate for state representative that the Republican party had been trying to unseat for several election cycles, win the nomination... as a Republican. This guy was a Democat for many years, and switched parties just a couple of months ago. Our county level party leadership was just sick that this guy would change parties while still in office and announce he would be running for re-election again... but this time as a Republican. The really sad thing is, two of the leading candidates for governor announced support for this party switcher. It's just sickening! The same Republican voters that had tried for years to unseat this guy voted him in, overwhelmingly, as our Republican candidate for the November election. This is East Texas though, and even our average run of the mill Dempcrats here are more conservative that the most right winged Republicans in most other states, and this guy is an East Texan. Still, I find it somewhat disingenuous for a person to announce his party change just a few short months before the election and basically crap on the ones that sent him there in the first place. I grew up with the idea that you "dance with the one that brung you". I would have a great deal of respect for a man that finished out his term, voted his conscience, then announced he would not seek re-election... then sit out a term, announce that he had an "awakening" and planned to run as a candidate on the other ticket.

Sleazy politics!


surv

[rjhauser]

Welcome to Amerikka, surv.

and for the party switchers, I have their sign, check my avatar.

the system is broke. there is no republican or democrat or independent any more. They are all the same.

and so long as that is the case, there can not be any change...

[mr surveyor]

hell, I see this guy no better than the guy that screws his wife on Friday night, then jumps out of bed and tells her he going to file for divorce, then jumps in bed on Saturday night with her twin sister.

what's worse, he got 70% of the vote. It's not just the parties at fault... voters are just too damnde lazy to keep up. Most of the politicians now put their signs up, en masse, and have no highly visible party affiliation logo on the sign. Voters see the names year after year and just don't know who, or what they are voting for...nothing but name recognition.


surv

[KeysBear]

then jumps in bed on Saturday night with her twin sister.

surv

Does the younger sister count?

Keys

[Joseph]

I would have a great deal of respect for a man that finished out his term, voted his conscience, then announced he would not seek re-election... then sit out a term, announce that he had an "awakening" and planned to run as a candidate on the other ticket.

While you're at it, can I have a pony for Christmas?

Joseph