Should Democrats Change Party Affiliation To Republican For Primaries, And Vote For Ron Paul?
Posted by Catherine Morgan on December 8, 2007
An interesting topic came up today, and I would really love to know what other people think. If you are a Democrat or Independent who likes Ron Paul, does it make sense to change your party affiliation and vote for him in the primaries?
Let me give you a hypothetical…
Lets say that I am a registered democrat, if I vote in the primaries I am basically voting against one democrat and for another. For the most part, regardless of who wins the democratic nomination (whether they were my pick or not) I will be voting for that person in the 2008 election. I say that not because I am some kind of “drone” to the democratic party, but because I am 90% sure that whoever the democrats put up, I will like better than the Republican.
Now, what if I change my party affiliation to Republican before the primaries and vote for the one Republican candidate that I wouldn’t want to tear my hair out if elected president (in this case Ron Paul)? Then, if Ron Paul does get the Republican nomination, I can actually pay attention to the issues and debates, and vote for the “person” not the “party”, that I think is best for the country.
Pros and cons…
- Pro – If Ron Paul gets nominated and wins the presidential election…It still wouldn’t be a “GOP as usual” administration.
- Con – You don’t get a say in the nomination of the democratic candidate.
- Pro – You will actually feel like you are voting for a person and not a party when it comes to the presidential election.
- Con – You could be wasting you vote on someone unelectable (or at least that’s what some people say).
- Pro – You can feel like you are making a statement “against” certain Republican candidates, even if Ron Paul doesn’t win the nomination.
- Con – The Democratic National Committee would surely frown upon this idea. [I guess that could be a "Pro" disguised as a "Con".]
Okay. So what do you think? If you are a Democrat or an Independent (who likes the fact that Ron Paul isn’t GOP as usual)…Is changing your party affiliation for the primaries a good idea?
*Personally…I don’t know enough about Ron Paul to recommend or not recommend him, and that’s not really what I’m trying to figure out here. I want to know…If a person is already sure they like Ron Paul better than the other Republican presidential candidates, is it smart to change your party affiliation for the primaries? And I guess the same question could be posed of a Republican that thinks one Democratic candidate would be better than another?
Dan said
My wife and I changed our party from unaffiliated to Republican and more shocking still; my Mother who has been a life long Democrat is now Republican so we can all vote Ron Paul in the primaries.
Catherine Morgan said
Wow. Now tell me…Does this mean you will definitely vote for Ron Paul if he is nominated by the Republicans? Or, will you weigh Ron Paul against whoever the Democratic nomination is?
L. Step said
I join Dan — My wife, my sister-in-law, and myself have changed registration from Democrat to Republican so that we can vote for Ron Paul in the Republican Primary … Would I weigh Ron Paul “against whoever the Democratic nomination is?” Well, let’s put it this way — having heard the Democratic debates, I can’t say that I take to any of them (other than Kucinich). Alright, I do have doubts about my sister-in-law…
Jesse said
i have a few people in my area that have joined us in the meetup groups who were also lifelong democrats.
unfortunately, although a good question, it is too late to do so in my state of maine. I imagine it is the same or simliar across the nation. the rule here is that one needs to have been a member of the republican party for three months prior to a primary in order to participate. our caucus is feb 2.
i think that it makes plenty of sense to change party affiliation if you agree with the person who’s running. the party affiliation is important for many people. but it is inconsequential in the larger scope of things. and, i think, the party mentality is insignificant in the minds of many people across the board.
as for voting for ron paul. in the case that he doesn’t get the nomination….many have asked if he will run as an independent. there is a large body of swing voters and independents in the nation. especially now.
i have thrown around the idea the past couple days of starting a ‘plan b’, Write-in DrPaul Campaign.
either way…
it would make a statement. i really believe there are enough people supportive of ron paul, not to win, per se, but to show that the two party system is not working. the two have merged. bipartisanship have alienated a number of people. it centralizes issues. this is why the libertarian party is growing so rapidly. they really offer something from both worlds. i also think that there is a concious movement in regards to humanitarian projects and environmentalism. so much so that the green party is also a part of the wave of the future. libertarians and greens unite!
i could elaborate more. but that’s my two cents for now. (which doesn’t buy anything anymore!
thanx for the great question! nice blog as well:)
Larry said
I think it would waste a vote that could help put the wrong Democrat in the general election, and that is something I don’t want to happen.
mopenshaw said
Sorry; not enough will do this to accomplish the stated goal and the actual Paul supporters are almost identical to Dean’s the the last cycle; a lot bigger in noise than in vote tally. The real Republicans (myself included) will quickly fall in line behind the best opposition. And you would assure Hillary’s nomination who, if you are wanting out of Iraq quickly, will be quite dissappointing to you. I expect she’ll be wanting to prove she can ’set things right’ herself while there.
Jesse said
he is showing a great standing among the delegations. i think people will generally be quite surprised when the real numbers start coming in. the real reason polls exist are to help those who are trying to win. there is no way to know who will win based on them. that leads me to the obvious. if you would vote for paul but are afraid to…then one risks having Paul lose. if one really believes what the man is saying, then its worth the effort.
Justin said
Mopenshaw, I think the Dean comparison is wrong. Dean’s supporters liked the man and his positions, but their primary aim was to beat Bush. Given that, the slightest indication that someone was better at delivering said beating led them to jump ship.
Paul’s supporters would, in large part, not even consider any of the other Republicans in this race. Their opposition is to the parties and the government itself. As such, they aren’t going to move tactically to another candidate. More, since Paul couldn’t get much worse at campaigning, it’s not like he’s suddenly going to make a misstep that will drive them away.
In any case, I still don’t know whether Paul will end with the support of a committed 5% or grab larger numbers, but I do know that the dynamic is entirely different than the Dean campaign.
blogcruiser said
To some it may seem strange but that is one thing I like about an open state primary. People should not be tied to a primary. I live in South Carolina and can choose to vote in which ever primary I like and as far as I’m concerned they should all be like that. No one should be voting for a person because they are Democrat or Republican, they should be voting for they think is the best choice, in my opinion.
The issue of the vote as a wasted is nothing more than manipulative propaganda. Think about that previous statement a moment. If someone makes that statement sincerely than the propaganda worked as it is supposed too. If it didn’t work than everyone in this country would realize that anyone the people wanted could win. If the people went out there and voted for who they believed in and not the least of the evils of the candidates they were told have a chance, then there would be a difference.
Who is making the choice that someone can’t win? There is enough proof out there and most people realize that most polls are not very scientific or reliable any more. Polls have been proven that they can be manipulated or used by people the way they want. So are the thousands of polls used by people that have shown Ron Paul the leader with a landslide manipulated? Are the handful of polls used by the mainstream correct? I would certainly not choose my vote on any of the poll statistics. The choice is mine when I get in that voting booth and who wins will be up to who we choose this time around.
Well bottom line to your question is I’m independent and will always choose by the candidates which primary I vote in. I don’t have to do any paperwork in my state because it is my choice. However, if I did I would change it each and every year I needed to depending on the candidates I would be choosing.
Mauigirl said
An intriguing question indeed. I don’t know quite enough about Paul to personally want to vote for him but I do know he is the best of the bunch on the Republican side so I could certainly understand if some want to do this. My bigger concern is who on the Democratic side is going to win the nomination. If it were all tied up and one candidate were truly inevitable – and also someone I could wholeheartedly support – then I would consider voting in the Republican primary. But right now I think Obama still has a chance against Hillary and I still haven’t really made my mind up between them. Or I might want to vote my true conscience, which seems to gravitate toward Kucinich based on all his viewpoints. So I think I’d stick with the Democratic primary myself.
juliepippert said
I think you ought to vote for the candidate you feel is best to represent you, and if that means switching parties, then yes.
B I disagree with doing it as a tactic to stack the deck or whatever. I feel that’s an abuse of the system, even though the system is open to it. I guess I feel it’s against the intended spirit.
Julie
Using My Words
gorak said
If everyone votes for Paul, he wins. Its that fucking simple. Just everyone find whatever remnants of testicles you have, grab them, and pull the lever. You don’t need the media’s consent when you do this.
Jesse said
” since Paul couldn’t get much worse at campaigning”
I’mm not sure what you mean by that exactly.
The Paul campaign is made up of the people. It’s not bought and paid for by the candidate.
Dec 16th!! I’ll be there!! It’s going to be a grand Party!
["December 15th, 1791, the "Effective date" of The Constitution of the United States of America."]
“Speaking to the Boston Town Meeting on November 20, 1772, Samuel Adams stated the American case: “Among the natural rights of the colonies are these: First, a right to life; secondly, to liberty; thirdly to property; together with the right to support and defend them in the best manner they can. Those are evident branches of, rather than deductions from the duty of self-preservation, commonly called the first law of nature – All men have a right to remain in a state of nature as long as they please: And in case of intolerable oppression, civil or religious, to leave the society they belong to, and enter into another….”
Soon Committees of Correspondence were being organized to co-ordinate colonial resistance. On December 16, 1773, came the Boston Tea Party. The issue here was not the tea, but the authorities’ attempt to make good the losses of the East India Company by intruding that state-chartered monopoly with its legal privileges into the American market. Americans knew full well how the Company had been governing India and did not welcome its arrival on our shores.”
(Sorry. I can’t respond to Justin any other way)
kip said
Wait a minute. Are we talking about the same Ron Paul? The guy who wants to get rid of Social Security, Medicare, FEMA, OSHA, the EPA, the CIA and the FBI, the FDA , the AMA, and even the United Nations (which, last time I checked, we don’t own)? They guy wants us out of Iraq – so do all the Democratic candidates. Why would anyone want this weirdo in the White House?
bbartlog said
If you think most of the Dems actually want us out of Iraq (before let’s say 2013), you haven’t been paying attention. Or maybe you mean they ‘want us out of Iraq’, but being oh-so-practical they realize that idea isn’t ’serious’ so they won’t actually do anything about it.
My wife changed her voter registration to vote for Paul.
get rid of Social Security, Medicare, FEMA, OSHA, the EPA, the CIA and the FBI, the FDA , the AMA, and even the United Nations
For SS and Medicare the idea is to phase out the programs gradually (while paying existing beneficiaries from the surplus we get by closing foreign military bases). The FDA and AMA are tools of corporate America and I would be happy to see them gone. For the rest, I can see why someone would want them around – but since I don’t have another candidate available who has promised to end all our wars (on drugs, terror, and Iraq), I have to make some compromises.
laiven said
Listen, Ron Paul may or may not win the primary, so go vote for him.If you think he best suits your principles. At that point, it doesn’t matter because there will definately be a democrat running, even if have the democrats go an vote for Ron Paul. However, if he doesn’t win the primary come on back and vote democrat
chew said
In Maine, according to Rupublican Party Headquarters, the cutoff for caucus participation is 15 days prior, not three months as previously indicated, so there is still time for people who are motivated.
fightingwindmills said
I’m not sure if it’s smart or not. On February 12th in Virginia, the republicans are having a primary and the democrats are having a caucus. What is the difference? I plan to vote for Ron Paul in the open republican primary. According to pledgeforpaul.com, out of 5,364,000 people in Virginia, only 664,000 voters turned out for the 2000 primary. So, to me, that makes participating smart because people who are pro-Paul can easily “take over” if not many others are turning out to vote in the state primary.
See also: http://paul4prez.blogspot.com/2007/07/ron-paul-and-primary-turnout.html
jeanne said
I’m wondering about this part of the question;
“And I guess the same question could be posed of a Republican that thinks one Democratic candidate would be better than another?”
My theory is that in the recent Iowa caucuses the huge increase in democratic voters coincided with the drop in republican voters because a large number of republicans switched parties and voted for Obama because they are really afraid of Hillary getting the nomination.
I think most republicans would rather have the republican nominee (in lock step for whoever it is) face off with Obama because he would be easier to beat than Hillary (or Edwards) and an Obama presidency would be much more palatable for them than Hillary.
I also think the republicans will now coalesce around McCain.
John said
I am at this very moment considering changing my party affiliation to Republican in order to vote for Ron Paul in the Pennsylvania primaries. I was registered independent most of my life, joined the Democratic Party in the mid-80s when I had kids in order to vote for school board members in the primaries, then switched to the Libertarian Party when Harry Browne ran. Philosophically I am a left-leaning libertarian, so naturally Ron Paul is my favorite candidate out of the entire field. But I am still having reservations about being stamped a Republican, even for a short while. I think I will get over my reservations and just do it.
Oscar said
Well, I do not know about this specific situation, but another thing that I have heard is also happening is that Independents, like myself, would rather vote Republican if Obama gets nominated instead of Hillary. I said this today and a friend of mine also had the same opinion, and mentioned some others are thinking of doing the same thing.
Catherine Morgan said
Hi Oscar…I’m not sure I understand? Why only if Obama gets nominated?
Jesse said
Catherine, my perspective about what oscar meant is tha Obama is even more “left” than Hillary is. We are all aware of “bipartisan” objectives. I think this is another example of the similarity between the two parties, hence and consequently the strong and growing movement of ‘independent’ voters.
Ron Paul is doing well only moves up in the polls. Slowly but steady nonetheless. I predict third at least in New Hampshire. Hopefully second. First seems like too much of a long shot.
The rhetoric of “change is starting to consume the media these days. The difference of change as opposed to experience on the democratic side is no match for the real change that a Ron Paul administration can bring. His voting record proves it. And Paul’s fight against statism and war for over 3 decades is hope for us all in that regard. Hope to see you all in the primaries!
Maine Feb 3rd!!
1st time republican and possible town committee chairman!
Catherine Morgan said
Hi Jesse…Thanks for explaining. You might be interested in a post I just did for the Care2 Election Blog — Why I am Still Undecided.
Sharon said
Since I live in MI and have been disenfranchised by the DNC and my elected representatives, I have little choice but to vote for a Republican in the primaries. I am doing research now, perhaps Ron Paul is the good “second choice” since my preferred party is off the table…..
Catherine Morgan said
Hi Sharon. I think if I was in your boat, I would vote for Ron Paul too.
Jane M said
So many compelling thoughts here. New Mom and 1st time Republican here too, and all for Dr. Ron Paul.
I barely made my ‘change of party’ for New York in time, but got it done on the deadline date.
Notice I am not voting for Hillary, and DEFINITELY not voting for Guiliani.
Ron Paul ALL THE WAY!
Josh said
Great post. You may be interested in this too: http://www.americansforisrael.com/
Lorie said
Hi all. I’m new here and I am curious to know what it is about Ron Paul that all of you find so compelling?
fightingwindmills said
Hi, Lorie, I have some explanations and personal opinion blog posts on my site which you are welcome to “come over” and read. Just type “Ron Paul” into my search box and you’ll get some results.
Marc said
I believe that all the people that want to give a vote to Ron Paul and register with the Republican party should do so. Many deluded people voted for Mickey Mouse in the 60’s! Then again, the results and the candidate are and would be strikingly similar.