I haven't heard of any Democrats converting to Republican. Have you?

[Stephanie]

(Aside from that idiot Congressman from Louisiana.)

Every day for the past two years DU'ers have posted stories about their friends, neighbors and acquaintances who've turned against George Bush and will now vote Democrat, at least for this election.

But I have not heard ONE story of a Democrat who has decided that this year they are going to vote Bush. Have you?

That's the election right there, isn't it?

[Guaranteed]

1. That's the way I see it

:)

[Stephanie]

3. LOL!

I'm such a dope. Thanks.

[Longhorn]

2. The Republicans I know would never admit it!

They are extremly defensive about being wrong!

[Syrinx]

10. just checked that Patrick Rose link

Boy, that's a young incumbent! Are you him?

[Stephanie]

11. Isn't that the guy from the PBS documentary?

Very cool guy.

[Longhorn]

27. No, maybe in another life!

:D

He went to high school with my oldest daughter and is a remarkable young man. In fact, PBS showed a documentary last month called "Last Man Standing" about how he won his last race. It's a mostly Republican district but his opponent was a sleaze. The race hasn't heated up yet so I don't know what his chances are this time. He had a great first term, well-liked by moderates in both parties, but there hasn't been a lot of publicity yet.

Thanks for checking him out!

[Stephanie]

29. His opponent was frightening. He was so violent.

He was always talking about hitting someone. Very scary guy.

That was a great documentary.

[Longhorn]

30. It was a lot easier to watch knowing the outcome!

I knew Green was a sleaze but he was even worse than I thought! Patrick and his folks are about the nicest people you could know. Very down to earth and hard-working.

[walldude]

4. Lol.. no Dem in his right mind would switch now

I think if anything Bush has managed to solidify the Democratic Party and unite them against a common enemy. We've always had the truth on our side, why would someone switch sides to join up with the liars. I would love to see a poll on this, how many Republicans are voting Democrat this year versus how many Dems are voting Repub..

[Stephanie]

6. But sometimes people believe the liars

And sometimes they don't. BushCO can no longer get away with it.

[Junkdrawer]

5. I believe CNN, in a rare moment of honesty, said...

Those that voted for Gore are unlikely to vote for Bush, so Republicans are reaching out to new voters...

[progressivebydesign]

45. That's the ONLY way for Bush to win.

For heaven's sake, the man is trying to woo the AMISH! The ONLY way Bush will win, is if they can mobilize new voters. The young voters won't do it for him, in fact they are going to make his job harder. For every new voter we get, and there are plenty, he has to match that AND go above it.. PLUS he was already 500k votes in the hole from last time.. before people REALLY grasped what a suckass president he was. I think they also realize that if they try any more legal shenanigans, we will march on D.C. en masse.. the way the Europeans do.

The thing that has been scaring me, is that the Bush admin is trying to push the military vote deadline to TWO WEEKS beyond the election date (am I understanding that correctly?), which means they are not planning on an election night conclusion for the vote. I hope they realize that no matter how many fancy lawyers they have (Ted Olson and James Baker have already resigned their positions to start working on this), it will be an all out war here at home if they fuck with the election again. THey have the easily led evangelicals believing this is some sort of holy war to save our Country... it will NOT be pretty.

I heard a journalist on NPR the other day say that the Gay Marriage issue is being sensationalized by the Republicans, ONLY because they believe it will motivate the RELIGIOUS, born-again voters to the polls, believing (stupidly, of course) that they are SAVING marriage!!!! It's a fraud. It's another tool dreamed up by the Rovians to get the right wing christian fundie vote.

[Another Bill C.]

7. The mayor of St. Paul,

while maintaining he is still a Democrat, is campaigning for Bush* in Minnesota. We suspect he received an "offer he couldn't refuse," like a nifty job in the next Bush* administration.

[JohnKleeb]

9. I refered to it as Norm Coleman Syndrome

Supposely theres a peition out there to remove him from office.

[DemonFighterLives]

39. What a clown

St Paul has been so corrupted. Coleman was the original turncoat and had Cheney and * nurturing him along. After Wellstone got whacked, they managed to slip him into the Senate. I had a Dem. fellow I work with state that Coleman is well respected in the Senate. I told him that I wouldn't hire him to pick up my trash. Does anyone here know what "yes"man Coleman has done other than boot licking?
Offers that can't be refused are definitely a part of the equation.

[never_get_over_it]

8. I don't know anyone who voted for Gore in 2000

who will vote for Bush in 2004

However, my brother-in-law voted for Bush and is going to vote for Kerry

My brother voted for Bush and won't be voting

Coworker voted for Bush and won't be voting

I'm still working on the last two.

[JohnKleeb]

12. Ed Koch, ex mayor of NYC

hes endorsing Bush along with Zealot Miller.

[Stephanie]

13. I don't count either of them as Democrats

They both crossed over long ago. I'm sure they both voted Bush last time. Koch is a tool. And that's from a New Yorker.

[Brian Morans]

14. Yes, I recently decided I will

be voting for Bush in November. His steady leadership in times of change has led me to believe that we must stay the course, paying no attention to the chatter of the naysaying prophets of doom and gloom.

Bush's values are the same as mine. And as a sociopathic dry-drunk with messianic pretentions myself, I would like to believe that some day I too could be president of this great nation.

I want a strong leader. I want a man who, when push comes to shove, has no problem making the tough call. When his cohorts demanded that legal means be found to torture innocent potential terrorists, he did not agonize in self-doubt; he just told them to get it done. Could Kerry have made that decision? And when he was informed of the second plane hitting the WTC, he did what any real leader would have done: decisively, he pretended to read a book.

The man's a genius.
And as far as first ladies go, there's no competition; take it from the Clenis: Pickles tastes better than Heinz.

[Gregorian]

16. Truly inspiring.

It's late (for me), or I might try and be witty. But after that, it would be a tall order. I mean, I just googled and discovered that Clenis envy is already invented. My ego just can't win. What can I say? Except that even if Pickles does taste better than Heinz, she's just trailer trash with cash. Heinz is the real thing. A vote for Kerry is 57 times a vote for Bush.

[Brian Morans]

18. Kerry Campaign Slogan:

Heinz: 57 Times More Flavor Than Pickles

[Enraged_Ape]

15. You hit the nail on the head. I've been saying this for three + years.

Gore won the majority of votes in 2000. There is just no fucking way that anyone who voted for Al Gore now thinks that Homo Ridiculous has done such a great job in the last three-and-a-half-years that they MUST vote for him now. Give me a break. Given a fair election (which won't happen, no thanks to Diebold et al), there is no fucking way that Bush could win. It should be a landslide for Kerry.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

17. I don't personally know of any.

[cidliz2004]

23. I met one who voted for Gore and LOVES Bush

Claims to have been a Democrat his whole life, but is SOO glad Bush won! He thinks that we NEED to be in Iraq and that we need to control the whole ME because they are a cesspool of hatred towards us.
He thinks that we didn't need to find WMD in Iraq- so what! They attacked us on 9/11 (I know it was Osamma, but he groups them all together) and we need a Military presence in the ME to watch these bastards! I have "debated" with him on how we are killing INNOCENT ME people and that while YES, we didn't really look or expect to find WMD and that our primary reason (I believe) was to establish a permanent presence in the ME and that IRAQ was the easiest place to do this and to also make our "Saudi Friends" happy as we left their land (as they wished us to), It doesn't make sense to take this approach in the ME and that it isn't OK for our President to lie to us about the reasons in taking us to war.

The thing is though, he was married for a short time to an Iranian woman and they are now divorced, so I believe that his absolute hatred of the ME is tainting his thinking.

I haven't asked him when he got the divorce, but I think that it may be pretty recent. He mentioned how her family was really instrumental in their breakup and that all they think about is money and that they really do hate Americans as they live in our country and take advantage of our economy and freedoms.

So, yes, I do know of somebody that is happy with 41, but I will continue to work on this guy.
\

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

25. If he's the right age and able bodied, ever ask him why HE doesn't

sign up for this war if it's so important? Especially when the poor soldiers who happened to be in service when shrub took office are being involuntarily held in for extra hitches?

[Eric J in MN]

19. The Mayor of St. Paul, but people say he was a DINO in

the first place.

[JohnKleeb]

21. thats what Ive been told

I am a Virginian but I understand the people and what not of national politics, I diagnosed the mayor of St. Paul with Norm Coleman syndrome.

[Kitka]

20. I met one at work. She says....

that she can't forgive Kerry for his 'traitorous' protesting of Vietnam and thinks Bush handles the terrorism threat well.

But I sleep at night knowing I've converted one of my other co-workers who is a born again Christian and was voting Bush because she thought he was 'god fearing'. I educated her.

[Spiffarino]

32. At least her dislike of Kerry comes from her honest assessment

Not like the "Swiftboat Liars for Bush" who hate Kerry for his VVAW activities, yet dishonor his military service with hateful lies and distortions (gee, do ya think Rove might have something to do with their message??).

Since the SBL for B love BushCo so much, we should let them learn to tell the truth the BushCo Way: Stand them up naked for 12 hours, smear them with shit, then give them severe floggings with long rubber hoses until the truth issues forth from their lying lips.

[Ladyhawk]

22. Ex-Pubbie Here, as of 2002

It was on its way before then, but *'s war against Iraq was the last straw.

[asthmaticeog]

24. There are sure to be some.

And I'll bet all three of 'em get to speak at the RNC. :evilgrin:

[rpannier]

26. Koch and Zell Miller n/t

[Hubert Flottz]

28. Just Zell and Joe!

The only fools I know of!

[timtom]

31. Denise Majette

that cheap shill from Georgia that was hired to trounce Cynthia McKinney in the 2002 congressional seat election in (Atlanta?) GA.

[RichV]

43. I think not -- Majette is no RINO

I live in her district. News flash to those who accuse her of being a RINO -- she's no such thing. She was not hired to run against McKinney, and McKinney lost on her own. Yes, she got substantial campaign funds from outside the district but that was reaction against McKinney rather than in favor of Majette. Also, crossover voting did NOT defeat McKinney despite her constant claims. No study to date has found that to be the case although Cynthia continues to say it at every opportunity. I'm a strong Dem, know tons of others, and they all seem to be divided about 50/50 on Cynthia -- which is just about exactly how much of the vote she got in both the '02 and '04 Dem primaries. I hoped Cathy Woolard would get the nod this time. She seemed by far the most capable and qualified candidate in the race, as well as an openly gay woman -- a constituency that certainly needs additional representation in Congress.

I don't like McKinney, and find it unfortunate she's representing the district again. Her constituent service is awful, she consistently fails to show up for scheduled events in the district, she has proven absolutely unable to deliver pork to a district that desperately needs it (lots of poor folks, deteriorating sewer system, struggling schools, large immigrant population, etc.), and she and her father have done far too much to alienate the large Jewish block in the district to ever receive their votes again. I also have to say she plays far too much to just her core base and seems disinterested in the rest of the district, which is large and very diverse. Her voting record was fine, and Majette's was almost identical before she opted out after one term to run for the Senate.

[timtom]

56. What I posted was really stupid!

Majette was a Repug turned Democrat. This is opposite to the question posed in this thread.

HOWEVER, it was a good mistake, because your post has shed some light on Cynthia McKinney that were not obvious to me, an outsider. That's probably true for lots of others who have had a tendency to lionize Ms. McKinney. Thanx for the info. I'm going to have to rethink my position regarding her.

[OKNancy]

58. Majette has the most liberal voting record in the House

100% correct according to the ADA.

[HamdenRice]

33. Here's one story -- and we need to be honest about this

I don't think we need to be dismissive about Democrats who will vote for Bush -- we need to be strategic.

I stopped in the local pub the other day and saw an acquaintance -- a young Hispanic woman. We started talking about F9/11. She said she has always voted Democratic and agrees completely with the Democrats on almost everything, especially domestic issues. But she will vote for Bush in 2004.

This conversation took place in Brooklyn, NY. She was in NYC on 9/11 (as I was) and her husband is a career soldier, a sargeant. Her reasoning, if you can call it that, was basically -- "those Arab Muslim fu***rs blew us up on 9/11 and they want to kill us all. We should just bomb the sh*t out of them all, just like Japan in WWII. Bush will do that and Kerry won't."

Here in NY a lot of people are still traumatized by 9/11 and still just want to lash out at all Arab countries and see some commonality with the Bush neo-con vision of visiting such shock and awe on the entire Arab world, that they will come over to our side, just as the Germans and Japanese did after WWII.

I don't think we should be dismissive of these people as stupid, but as traumatized people who need help regaining their reason and compassion.

The entire issue looks very different from NYC than it does from other places.

[Jade Fox]

34. Bush is not going to "bomb the shit" out of anyone either.

This woman may not be stupid, but she's saying some awfully stupid
things.

Try telling her about what happened to some of the money that was
supposed to go to 9/11 victims. Tell her how Bush took money slated
for the war in Afghanistan and used it for his vanity invasion of Iraq.

[HamdenRice]

36. She's not stupid - she's traumatized, like a lot of NYers

Of course, she needs a lot explained to her, but my overall point is that here in NY, which is overwhelmingly Democratic, there are a lot of traumatized people who want revenge, not just against OBL and AQ, but who see the entire Arab/Muslim world as against the US.

You have to bring back that person's reason, before you can reason with them. You have to acknowledge their sense of vulnerability.

Keep in mind, that here in NY, for the last 3 years, everytime a plane flies low over the city or there is a weird helicopter sound, a number of people freak out -- it's the fear response triggered and released over and over again. Plus we are like a big bull's eye and its freaky living here.

Fortunately, NY is a safe state, electorally, but we should acknowledge that there are a lot of traumatized people here and elsewhere who will vote for Bush because they want revenge, not understanding, diplomacy or solutions.

As for Bush not bombing the shit out of anyone, they see Iraq as exactly that -- and are looking forward to Syria and Iran falling next. My acquaintance is not the only traumatize NYer I have heard this from -- at least three other people as well.

[Kitka]

37. But I'm not sure how we'd reason with these people.....

I have a moderate cousin who is swinging to Bush for that reason - she was working near the WTC on 9/11 and lives in Manhattan. She's the most intelligent and reasonable person in my family to have a political discussion with and even she is so blinded by this sense of revenge that I can't talk to her. What do we do?

[TankLV]

40. Keep her away from the voting booth. It's that simple and that important.

Distract her with a "family emergency".

Make sure she has a lot of work to do.

Keep her distracted.

Sorry folks, this is war.

I don't care if I was at a meeting with a client at work - in fact I would use it to spout off if a big fuss was made about it.

NOTHING will stop me from voting - never has, never will - since I could first vote when I was 18 in 1976!

There is a law in this state that says your employeer HAS to give you a time off WITH PAY to vote DURING BUSINESS HOURS - no excuses, no exemptions.

My former repuke boss tried to pull the "you have plenty of time to vote before or after work" crap the last election cycle & I told him he could essentially shove it - in a very polite way. Especially since he had a history, including that day, of suddenly appearing near 5 pm with something that "absolutely had to be done before I left". I knew his methodology & I threw that exact fact back at him - in a polite way, of course.

I ended up taking the time off and doing what I wished - he just had to take it - wouldn't want any reports to the proper authorities on him trying to prevent me from voting, now would he?

[Spiffarino]

50. WTF??

Nobody should be discouraged from voting except of their own free will. This is America, dammit. If she wants to vote for Gomer Fucking Pyle, let her go.

Jeez.

[Jade Fox]

42. How do these people feel about visiting the same trauma on other innocents

in Iraq and Afghanistan?

I know that both you and Hamden Rice are saying that these people are not
in a rational place. But is there a way to validate their anger and sense of
vulnerability and still get them to see that revenge doesn't work, but only
increases the hatred, not to mention the body count?

I know there are other people who were in New York on 9/11 who have not
responded with wanting mindless revenge. I wonder what makes the
difference.

[Chelsea Patriot]

49. NYC is still very traumatized over 9/11

The description of reacting to planes flying over is very apt.

I was just scrubbing the kitchen floor this morning when I heard a plane fly over. It startled me, and for a moment, I panic ed thinking, "What if..."

The people I speak to are not crazed with vengeance toward The Middle East. I hear much more anger expressed toward Bush then to-ward the Middle East. Anti-Bush graffiti and signs are all over Downtown.

I can't imagine what the next couple of weeks are going to be like in Manhattan: The RNC and September 11th, falling on a Saturday.

[Stephanie]

51. Welcome to DU, Chelsea Patriot!

I'm in Chelsea too.

I agree with you. I still see planes that seem to be flying too low. And it's a jittery time this month. But EVERYONE I meet is anti-Bush. EVERBODY. (But maybe I should leave Manhattan occasionally).

[Kitka]

53. It's probably because her brother went to Iraq

to fight. :grr:

I'm still working on her, trying to appeal to her sense of reason.

[Stephanie]

47. As a New Yorker I have not experienced this at all

I haven't met anyone who has said they will vote Bush because they want revenge. Not in NYC. Not in my experience.

[Darranar]

35. Koch and Miller. n/t

[BillZBubb]

38. One poll said 4% of Gore voters would be switching to Bush*

Sorry, I don't have a link and it was a few weeks back. The number of Bush* voters switching to Kerry was not as high. Of course, that was a poll and we know how accurate they are.

2% or 3% wouldn't surprise me though. People do strange things. Some will believe Bush* is a great leader in spite of all evidence to the contrary. Some will support him because he gives Sharon a free hand. And some will think the tax cut actually did them some good. You know MORANS!

[Stephanie]

41. I'd like to actually see that poll, because I don't believe it

I really doubt that's possible. Seriously?

[BillZBubb]

44. Here's what I could find:

""
Press Release Source: Newsweek


NEWSWEEK POLL: DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION 2004 -- Kerry/Edwards Leads Bush/Cheney 52 to 44 Percent; Dems Receive Two-Point Margin Bounce in Two-Way Race, Four-Point Bounce in Three-Way Race
Saturday July 31, 4:02 pm ET
58 Percent Dissatisfied With Direction of Country; 57 Percent Say War With Iraq Has Not Made U.S. Safer
46 Percent Say Bush Closer to Their View on Gay Marriage


NEW YORK, July 31 /PRNewswire/ -- In a two-way trial heat between the Republican and Democratic Presidential candidates, among registered voters, Sen. John Kerry/Sen. John Edwards lead President George Bush/Vice-President Dick Cheney 52-44 percent, according to the latest Newsweek Poll, conducted Thursday and Friday. In a three-way race with the Ralph Nader/Peter Camejo ticket added, Kerry/Edwards receives 49 percent of the vote; Bush/Cheney, 42 percent and Nader/Camejo, 3 percent, the poll shows.
In the two-way heat in the July 8-9 Newsweek Poll, Kerry led Bush by six points, 51 to 45 percent. In the three-way heat from that week, Kerry led Bush by 3 points, 47 to 44 percent, and Nader received 3 percent of the vote, the poll shows. Therefore, coming out of the final two days of the Democratic National Convention, the poll shows a four-point margin "bounce" in the three- way heat and a two-point margin "bounce" in the two-way heat.

Reflecting the DNC's themes, 27 percent of registered voters say Kerry's war record makes them more likely to vote for him (15% say less likely); five percent say Bush's war record makes them more likely to vote for him (22% say less likely). And overall, 51 percent of registered voters say Bush has done more to divide Americans than unite them (39 percent say he has done more to unite them).

Looking at crossover voters from the 2000 election, 92 percent of Gore voters in 2000 support Kerry (5 percent say they will vote for Bush and 3 percent is undecided); 84 percent of Bush voters say they plan to vote for the president again (four percent of Bush 2000 voters are undecided, 10 percent say they will vote for Kerry and 2 percent for Nader).

""

My memory was just a little off:
So, 5% of Gore voters claim to support Bush*, while 10% of Bush voters will vote for Kerry. I like those odds.

[Stephanie]

46. Thanks - yes those odds are good - 5% net gain for Kerry

But I am shocked that a single Gore voter would switch to Bush. I still find it unlikely.

But this is great:

92% of Gore voters will vote Kerry
84% of Bush voters will vote Bush

So Bush has lost 16% of his support!!

[Name removed]

52. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Comicstripper]

48. OOPS

Didn't read your full post. I mentioned the Louisiana fella.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

54. Dennis Miller - although prob. most of that is for career opportunities

I suspect.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

55. I don't know a single person

who DIDN'T vote for shrub in 2000 who is planning on voting for him this time, but I know there ARE some people like that. Thing is, they are a very tiny minority.

I know TONS of people who voted for chucklenuts in 2000 who can't wait to vote Kerry this November.

He's had a net loss of supporters, and his small gains have not nearly made up for his losses.

Not only that but MORE people are probably going to vote this time, which is usually bad for the incumbent.

Barring any dirty election tricks, buh-bye booshie.

[Stephanie]

57. More people voting is always good for the Democrats

That's why republicans are forever trying to prevent people from voting, why they oppose motor-voter laws, etc. I predict a HUGE turn-out this year.