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Related: About this forumHello! I am A.J. I need some advice from some Veteran Democrats
Hello, DU Forum. I am new here. I have posted on many political forums but this is the first one that I actually feel at home. Anyways, my name is A.J. I am from northern Louisiana. I am 18 years old and I plan to attend community college in the fall. I am a partisan Democrat and I'm not afraid to tell people that. I've been struggling with an issue that's been pressing on me for some time. I would like to see what fellow Democrats think.
At what point is it OK to vote for a Republican, in your opinion? I ask because many of our elections here in Louisiana have no Democrats running. For instance, in a local election, a Democrat judge just stepped down and three Republicans are vying for his seat. Now, morally speaking, I would never vote for a Republican if there were a Democrat in the race. But in this situation, should I just not vote? Or should I go with the one who is most progressive?
Take another example, from last year. Last year we had a Lieutenant Governor spot open. Two Republicans were vying for the office. One was a hard-line, right wing, tea party endorsed Republican and the other was a moderate conservative. There were no Democrats in the race. In this situation, would I just not vote? Or would I go for the one who is more moderate. (The moderate Republican won the office because many Democrats decided to vote for him.)
To me, voting Republican is a last resort. I see the party as truly immoral and against the interest of every free American. In your opinion, however, is it ever acceptable to vote for a Republican?
Please remember that I am young and looking for guidance from my party brothers and sisters. I am very loyal to the Democratic Party and I want whats best for America and the idea of voting for a Republican disgusts me. But, like in the judgship case, I can either vote for one of the three Republicans or not vote at all.
What do you think, DU?
Thanks so much!
OKNancy
(41,832 posts)and vote for the one who would do the least damage.
Welcome to DU. I'm a yellow dog Democrat too. Not ashamed to admit I'm a partisan either. Good for you.
gkhouston
(21,642 posts)Great question. Welcome to DU!
RainDog
(28,784 posts)I always vote for the candidate who is most likely to do the least damage - if your choices are between a hard line right winger and a moderate conservative - it's a given, to me, that I would prefer to have someone who would not be barking insane.
AJTheMan
(288 posts)Yeah I asked a friend what he would do. He said if there are no Democrats running, it's still important to vote and make your voice heard. So even if that means voting for a Republican, at least vote for the one who is more centrist.
RainDog
(28,784 posts)is because, even tho much of the Republican base has become barking insane - most Americans aren't.
Republicans couldn't steal, much less win, an election with someone like Santorum or Bachman, so, even tho the base may be barking insane, most of the power brokers aren't.
The same situation holds for Palin - while a part of the Republican base may adore her, she is such a polarizing figure she would ultimately hurt the Republicans because she would motivate people to go to the polls to vote against her.
Waiting For Everyman
(9,385 posts)I agree with the advice already given above. It's great that you found this place, I'm sure you'll find it interesting.
yellerpup
(12,254 posts)When you don't have a choice between R & D, study the candidate's position on the issue(s). When I am not happy with a candidate's position I won't vote for them no matter which party. You don't have to fill in every blank. Just vote for the ones you feel would represent your ideals and positions.
secondwind
(16,903 posts)Skinner
(63,645 posts)And to answer your question: If there are no Democrats in the race, then maybe it's okay to vote Republican. But even then it's questionable.
Vincardog
(20,234 posts)What to do with your vote. My advice is to vote for whom ever will do the least harm. OTOH I will vote for anyone other than a R every chance I get.
AJTheMan
(288 posts)Voting Republican is generally antithetical to American success. However, there is one candidate in this race who has promised to be Independent as a judge and has said that he is not beholden to any "political machine" as he puts it. His two challengers both say "as a life long Republican," which indicates that they will make decisions based on a Republican point of view. The one who I am most likely to support is Republican but he says he is Independent in his views and not a part of a political machine that is bent on controlling all three branches of government. It sounds like he is personally a Republican but whenever it comes to doing his job he will be independent and not view things from a Republican lens. It also helps that he has a pretty good set of qualifications for the office.
Thanks for the responses. My Congressman John Fleming (R-La) will be running for reelection this year. For those of you that haven't watched the news, Rep. Fleming is the guy who said that his family barely scrapes by on $400,000 per year. I intend to vote against him. Hopefully a Democrat will enter the race.
As some of you have said, I should possibly try to recruit candidates to run. I have already done this to some extent, asking the mayor of Shreveport (D) to run for governor against Bobby Jindal. One problem is that in the early 2000's a lot of Democrats switched their parties to run for reelection. We have a lot of Republican ex-Democrats running for office.
I find the fact that Bobby Jindal supports Governor Scott Walker absolutely reprehensible. Scott Walker is against working Americans in every form; save millionaires.
OK, well, I hope this post answered most of your questions.
kdmorris
(5,649 posts)In cases like that, I vote for the least offensive Republican running. The other option is, of course, to sit it out and not vote, but that always feels like giving up somehow. Meanwhile, try to get Democrats into the races so that you can be proud of your vote.
pacalo
(24,721 posts)I'm in the southern half of Louisiana, which has more of a mixed bag of political views. As you may already know, there are many Catholics down here who vote on the basis of their religious beliefs, & there are many people who are employed by the chemical & oil industries who generally vote on the basis of that alone -- but not all. On the other hand, we also have a diverse, but outnumbered, population that embraces Democratic ideals.
Just as OKNancy & gkhouston have advised you, I vote for those whose thinking most relates to mine. Actually, I'm so turned off by Republicans that I refuse to vote for any of them, although I've made exceptions for those who had previously been Democrats, like John Kennedy, the state treasurer.
We're not in the best situation right now, but with the help of the national GOP's extreme, radical views, I'm hoping that the craziness will eventually turn the tide, & perhaps more people will be willing to call themselves Democrats again.
How did you discover DU? Living in such a red state, as many DUers are, you'll find that DU is a wonderful oasis for progressives. I encourage you to read the terms of service so that you'll understand DU's expectations of its members. You're going to learn a lot here!
Again, welcome, AJ!
UrbScotty
(23,980 posts)Since one of them will be elected, you might as well pick the "least-bad" one.
It could be that they're just running as Republicans because that's what it takes to get elected. That happens a lot in local offices in West and Mid-Michigan.
rug
(82,333 posts)I write in a name. I do not vote republican, ever.
Lugnut
(9,791 posts)Welcome to DU.
I've never voted for a Republican and I've been voting for almost 46 years so I'm probably not going to be much help to you. I'm in a strong Democratic area in PA where most Republican candidates don't have a chance at winning.
fizzgig
(24,146 posts)i have voted for one or two moderate republicans in my life but do you have an option to write in a name on the ballot? that way you avoid having to vote for a republican.
AJTheMan
(288 posts)Spazito
(50,514 posts)Welcome to DU!
JNelson6563
(28,151 posts)I see you have already gotten some great advice here. You will find DU can be a most helpful place! And lots of great humor!
Welcome! My sympathies for your situation of often having no Dem on the ballot. I have that problem on a smaller scale here in one of the red zones of Michigan.
Cheers!
Julie
AJTheMan
(288 posts)harmonicon
(12,008 posts)Rhiannon12866
(206,276 posts)They're often decided in the Republican primaries and the winner of that will frequently run unopposed. *sigh* I have sometimes voted for whoever is the least objectionable, usually try to vote for a straight Democratic ticket, then look to see which offices are left, LOL.
For example, I have voted for my Republican assemblywoman, since she's pro gay marriage, supports animal rights and was in hot water with the party because she refused to endorse crazy Republican nut job Carl Palladino for governor. She usually runs unopposed, but when a Democrat (who I met) ran against her, I voted for him. My advice is just to do the best you can by learning what the candidates' positions are. I feel your pain...
And welcome to DU! You've come to the right place!
TexasTowelie
(112,516 posts)I urge for you to vote on each eventual race rather than mark a straight party ballot. There may be some offices where there is no Democrat, but someone from a third party that might provide a better alternative to the Republicans listed.
AJTheMan
(288 posts)Now if all three candidates are Republicans and Republicans are fascists, how can I morally vote for one of the three?