Spinoff: Even the Democrats here are conservative!

[JudyJudyJudy]

I didn't want to take over MM's "I voted" thread, but this is so frustrating to me. I really don't have much of a choice on many of the positions for which I'm voting. I don't like the Republican candidates in the least, yet the Democrats are no better. Here are some examples of the so-called Democrats in my area.

I am a Georgia Democrat, or as many have said, a Southern Democrat. You will find that I am as conservative as most Republicans believe themselves to be, yet I put families, and the working man and woman first. I believe in common sense laws that protect and serve the community. I affirm Godly morals, family values and I believe in open and honest government. I believe that the government is to support, serve, and protect the rights of the people - not to slowly strip them of their rights and to be a burden on the public. I believe that less government is better government.


I was born into a military family and moved here to Bartow around the age of one and was raised a democrat. I’ve never considered myself to be a diehard party member and my conservative values reflect this.

-snip-

I decided to run for Sheriff on the democratic ticket for a simple reason. When I decided to run there was no time to organize a petition to run independent and I had to make a choice between two parties. If I ran, as republican only those who chose to vote the republican ticket would decide the race.

I won't be casting votes at all for some of the positions. In many cases, there is only the Republican with no one else running against him/her (most often, "him").

[MissionaryMomma]

You can write-in, right?

[xobehs]

We have a few people who lost in the republican primary so they petitioned, switched party and are running dem. I hear ya, Judy.

[Sameach]

I decided to run for Sheriff on the democratic ticket for a simple reason. When I decided to run there was no time to organize a petition to run independent and I had to make a choice between two parties. If I ran, as republican only those who chose to vote the republican ticket would decide the race.

How could anyone take this person seriously?

I'm sorry you don't have choices that represent your beliefs, Judy. That has to be a pretty helpless feeling. I know it too well--it's exactly how I feel about the P/VP ticket.

[xobehs]

Sameach, I guess it is pretty common here. Local folks tell me the only way the "old boys club" gets a run for their money after the primary is if a candidate does this and then works HARD after to get out there.
I am actually voting for the "real" republican sheriff (i guess I don't understand why Sheriff has to have a political party?!) as the other one isn't even living/working here- how can he care about what is best for **** county?

[Ilovemonkeys]

There are several offices here that only have a republican running.

And here we vote for ridiculous things, like fire district commissioner and coroner and yes they have political parties. That's something I don't get. Do you want a liberal or a conservative coroner?

[xobehs]

thanks for reminding me, ILM. Now I have to go study up on our Coroner Candidates. The Coroner election signs bum me out, do I *really* want to have to explain that one to the DC?

[RaisingThemLeft]

How very strange.

[TuetonicWillow]

If an area has no dem candidates for various offices, why not run yourself for the office of which you might qualify?

Not being facetious, I'm serious. Some years ago, a small local town outside the main "7 Cities area" complained via the media for ages about not having any dem options for city elections. Finally someone had sense enough to put herself on the next ticket. She won.

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

[MoonBound]

Um I guess I'd want a conservative coroner... no drumming up business please.

[Bellaelle]

We have a few people who lost in the republican primary so they petitioned, switched party and are running dem. I hear ya, Judy.

We have that here, too. However, it is Dems who switched to Rep.

[xobehs]

We have that here, too. However, it is Dems who switched to Rep.
Does your area vote primarily Dem?
It seems to me the candidates are taking quite a risk, financially even, to do so. But hey, if they have a good platform then go for it.

[JudyJudyJudy]

I'm not saying that I never would, but, for various reasons, I'm not at a point where I'm ready to run. In this area, I'd be wasting time and money anyway if I ran as anything other than a conservative. As for the examples I posted in the OP, I don't think I'd have much of a chance at sheriff :p, and the other one is for state senator.

[JudyJudyJudy]

I decided to run for Sheriff on the democratic ticket for a simple reason. When I decided to run there was no time to organize a petition to run independent and I had to make a choice between two parties. If I ran, as republican only those who chose to vote the republican ticket would decide the race.
How could anyone take this person seriously?

I'm sorry you don't have choices that represent your beliefs, Judy. That has to be a pretty helpless feeling. I know it too well--it's exactly how I feel about the P/VP ticket.
Actually I understand what he's saying. If the only candidates running are Republican, then the election would be decided at the primary. People from other parties would have no say whatsoever. Since I voted Democrat in the primary, I wouldn't even be able to cast a vote for sheriff. That's the case for many positions right now. I didn't have an option of choosing from the better of the Republicans who were running.

As someone else said, I don't understand why certain elections like sheriff are partisan anyway.

[Sputterduck]

Judy why do you torture yourself by living there? Move to California or something. :p

[JudyJudyJudy]

Sputter, I'd consider it, but I don't want to be too far from family, and I couldn't afford to live there!

[Bellaelle]

Does your area vote primarily Dem?
It seems to me the candidates are taking quite a risk, financially even, to do so. But hey, if they have a good platform then go for it.

Yep, this is one of the few areas in Texas where Dems hold the power.
I am actually voting for the Dem instead of the fake Republican in this race.(=

[xobehs]

Yep, this is one of the few areas in Texas where Dems hold the power.
I am actually voting for the Dem instead of the fake Republican in this race.(=
DH is in HOU and has said there is a lot of that sentiment going around, but for all we know the area is Dem? We were assuming since it is oil country it ran red.

[CatSoup]

I don't see being a conservative or a liberal as a Dem or Rep thing. I think there are a lot Dems and Reps that go either way, that's why I'm Ind.

[JudyJudyJudy]

I don't see being a conservative or a liberal as a Dem or Rep thing. I think there are a lot Dems and Reps that go either way, that's why I'm Ind.
What do you think the purpose of the parties are if there are no differences?

[CatSoup]

I didn't say that the parties were the same. I said that there were conservative democrats and that there are liberal republicans.

[JudyJudyJudy]

What do you think conservative and liberal mean?

[CatSoup]

lol They don't mean Republican and Democrat.

[JudyJudyJudy]

What do they mean? And what is the difference between Democrat and Republican in the general sense?

[CatSoup]

There a many differences between the Rep and Dem parties besides liberalism and conservatism. The best I can do for you is list the link for party history. Otherwise I would be here all night mentioning differences.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Party_(United_States)
http://www.lipolitics.com/_history.htm

[JudyJudyJudy]

Even based on those links, I'm not sure what you're arguing. My entire point is that the Democrats here claim to be as "conservative" as Republicans. Even the Wiki link you provided says,

Since the 1890s, the Democratic Party has favored "liberal" positions (the term "liberal" in this sense describes social liberalism, not classical liberalism).

I want my choices in Democratic candidates to agree with that ideology. I'm not sure what your argument is.

[CatSoup]

I didn't say that there were NO liberal democrats or even that the Majority of democrats weren't liberal. Read what I actually said. There are conservative democrats just like there are liberal republicans.
Frankly I'm not sure why you're taking issue with that when the point of your thread was that there were conservative democrats.