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Time to come clean
Topic Started: Apr 10 2004, 07:45 AM (875 Views)
Swidden
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Adm. Gadfly-at-large; Provisional wRench-fly at large
Intrepid2002
Apr 10 2004, 05:43 PM
Hello Everyone! I'm new to the board and find your topics and opinions very interesting. I'm going to fess up. I'm a registered democrat but I don't vote along party lines. I like to listen and evaluate for myself. There is one thing I would like to interject into this discussion. Bush and Kerry have a lot more in common than you all think.

I'm glad some of you aren't "hard core" and are open to change.

As a registered Democrat, I can't get overly excited about John Kerry. Loss of life is depressing. This is how shallow I am at this point: If Bush promises to get a manned mission to Mars and reinvigorate the space program, then I'll vote for him. It's about time we made TREK and DEEP SPACE a reality. :thud:

Like I said..... shallow :)

Welcome to SisterTrek Intrepid2002! Hope you enjoy it here.

(BTW, if you're interested we have a welcome forum that you might like to post an introduction in)
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Minuet
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Fleet Admiral Assistant wRench, Chief Supper Officer
I am a bit confused still. Why do so many people who are not hard core for one party or another still register as a member of that party. Why not register independant if you don't support a party platform per se?
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Swidden
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Adm. Gadfly-at-large; Provisional wRench-fly at large
Minuet, in California the State Supreme Court through out the open primary a while back as being unconstitutional. Thus to vote in a primary you have to be registered with a party to be able to vote in the primary. Independents having no party affiliation then cannot assist in the winnowing down of the candidates. Consider also that although we have the big 2 when it come to parties there are also: Libertarian, Green, Peace and Freedom, American Independent, Natural Science and a number of others. All have their own ballot in the primary.
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Adrian
Lieutenant Commander
I've always wondered how this happened.
Here in the US, the liberals are veiwed as the party of sin. More than once I've had people comment that they turned Christian, so they had to join the Republicans.
Sure, some of our supporters are from the Hollywood community, but that's because the Dems always supported free speech more than the Republicans. We never endorsed "wardrobe malfunctions" or questionable material.
On social issues the (modern) Dems suported minority rights, gay rghts, womens rights, and religious freedoms (among other social issues).
I never understood where this "party of sin" idea came from.

PS Howard Stern is registered Republican (last I heard).
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Minuet
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Fleet Admiral Assistant wRench, Chief Supper Officer
Swidden, 3 posters have indicated that they are not strong supporters of a particular party, but still have registered to those parties. I understand your point about the primaries, but some of the comments made still have me wondering.
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Surok
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Ensign
Minuet
Apr 10 2004, 08:50 PM
I am a bit confused still. Why do so many people who are not hard core for one party or another still register as a member of that party. Why not register independant if you don't support a party platform per se?

The main reason as far as I can tell is to be eligible to vote in party primaries. This is true in NY, but not everywhere.

Also, in some areas like Long Island (NY suburb), registering for one party brings certain advantages.

For example, my brother lives in what was until recently Republican-dominated Nassau county and registered as a Republican even though he would never vote for one. Why? He wanted a permit to make alterations on his house. For his neighbor it was a promotion in a city/county/town civil service job.

It is made clear in certain areas that it is of benefit to belong to one party or the other.
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Swidden
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Adm. Gadfly-at-large; Provisional wRench-fly at large
Adrian
Apr 10 2004, 07:26 PM
I've always wondered how this happened.
Here in the US, the liberals are veiwed as the party of sin. More than once I've had people comment that they turned Christian, so they had to join the Republicans.
Sure, some of our supporters are from the Hollywood community, but that's because the Dems always supported free speech more than the Republicans. We never endorsed "wardrobe malfunctions" or questionable material.
On social issues the (modern) Dems suported minority rights, gay rghts, womens rights, and religious freedoms (among other social issues).
I never understood where this "party of sin" idea came from.

PS Howard Stern is registered Republican (last I heard).

Well, historically, Catholics have tended towards being Democrats. Apart from abortion and homosexuality the Church has been a frequent champion of Liberal social issues.
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Swidden
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Adm. Gadfly-at-large; Provisional wRench-fly at large
Minuet
Apr 10 2004, 07:27 PM
Swidden, 3 posters have indicated that they are not strong supporters of a particular party, but still have registered to those parties. I understand your point about the primaries, but some of the comments made still have me wondering.

It is interesting, particularly when you consider that at the fouding of the country it was hoped that a party system could be altogether avoided. Jefferson in particular disliked the idea of political parties, but one more his personal contradictions is that he did become very adept and reliant upon utilizing the Democratic Republican Party (now the Democratic Party).
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8247
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Apparently we look like this now
Surok
Apr 10 2004, 09:56 PM
Minuet
Apr 10 2004, 08:50 PM
I am a bit confused still. Why do so many people who are not hard core for one party or another still register as a member of that party. Why not register independant if you don't support a party platform per se?

The main reason as far as I can tell is to be eligible to vote in party primaries. This is true in NY, but not everywhere.

Also, in some areas like Long Island (NY suburb), registering for one party brings certain advantages.

For example, my brother lives in what was until recently Republican-dominated Nassau county and registered as a Republican even though he would never vote for one. Why? He wanted a permit to make alterations on his house. For his neighbor it was a promotion in a city/county/town civil service job.

It is made clear in certain areas that it is of benefit to belong to one party or the other.

Also, in some states, if you are registered Independant, you cant vote in primaries...local, state, or federal...unless there is an independant candidate.
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Intrepid2002
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UNGH!
8247
Apr 10 2004, 07:45 AM
I am actually a registered Democrat. I voted for Gore, and Clinton before him. I havent re registered yet, but when I do, I will register Republican. The reason I changed (from left to right) was because when I was in Tennessee...near Ft. Campbell...I became friends with alot of soldiers, and the majority of their beliefs about the country, and Republican vs Democrat as far as military spending, etc. swayed me. Then, 9/11 happened, and I knew the difference between how Gore would have handled it, and how Bush handled it. I knew that Gore would have handled it much like Clinton handled the terrorist attacks during his term. As far as the other differences such as decency, and morals like gay marriage issues, and everything Howard Stern stands for, well..I guess I just grew up.

John Kerry seems to be nothing more than a spoiled brat, who throws a temper tantrum whenever he doesnt get his way. Even if I wasnt going to re register Republican, I still wouldnt vote for Kerry. Anyone can see if they just open their eyes that he shouldnt be president, and if he is the best the Democrats have to offer, then that says something about the party as a whole.

By the way...my tax return this year was by far the largest I've ever gotten, thanks to Bush's tax cuts.

Quote:
 
John Kerry seems to be nothing more than a spoiled brat, who throws a temper tantrum whenever he doesnt get his way.


Too bad being a rich spoiled brat with a temper tantrum couldn't get this Yale grad and member of the ever so exclusive "Skull and Bones" out of the Vietnam War. Guess he wasn't as slick as others in his league. :thud:
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Minuet
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Fleet Admiral Assistant wRench, Chief Supper Officer
Surok
Apr 10 2004, 10:56 PM
Minuet
Apr 10 2004, 08:50 PM
I am a bit confused still. Why do so many people who are not hard core for one party or another still register as a member of that party. Why not register independant if you don't support a party platform per se?

The main reason as far as I can tell is to be eligible to vote in party primaries. This is true in NY, but not everywhere.

Also, in some areas like Long Island (NY suburb), registering for one party brings certain advantages.

For example, my brother lives in what was until recently Republican-dominated Nassau county and registered as a Republican even though he would never vote for one. Why? He wanted a permit to make alterations on his house. For his neighbor it was a promotion in a city/county/town civil service job.

It is made clear in certain areas that it is of benefit to belong to one party or the other.

If what you say is true then I am truely disgusted by the idea.

Even if one is registered to a party nobody outside of those responsible for making up the voting lists should know which one you belong to.

This does not fit in with the idea of a free society that the US holds so dear.
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Wichita
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The Adminstrator wRench
^^

Minuet County politics is nothing like that in my neck of the woods. Local politics has no party affliation and county politics is split by party in name only.

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24thcenstfan
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Something Wicked This Fae Comes
8247
Apr 10 2004, 08:54 PM
24thcenstfan
Apr 10 2004, 02:58 PM
Regardless of what party you are registered for, there was never any doubt in my mind that you were on the conservative side.  So in that regards, no big surprise.


Quote:
 
As far as the other differences such as decency, and morals like gay marriage issues, and everything Howard Stern stands for, well..I guess I just grew up.

I would like you to expound on this if you will. Because right now, my impression is that you think Democrats aren’t decent and moral, and are somehow the party for the immature…or heck I don’t know what you are saying.

I didnt have time to think this post out before I left for work this morning. I've found that most of the left wing such as people who view Stern, and Hollywood's attempts to offend everyone at the drop of the hat are usually democrats. You dont usually hear a conservative going to bat for someone like Stern. I wasnt saying that Democrats are immoral or immature. I just didnt have time to completely think out what I was trying to say. Sorry about that.

Thank you for clarifying your point 8247! :wave2:
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doctortobe
Speak softly, and carry a 57 megaton stick!
Another example of party affiliation leading to favoritism would be in the realm of academia. Ever try to get a job at a university while being a registered Republican?

Also, just to point out the obvious, being a card carrying Communist also tends to get one treated differently then normal.
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Minuet
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Fleet Admiral Assistant wRench, Chief Supper Officer
^^^Party affiliation should be protected by privacy laws. This is just flat out wrong, no matter which side is using it!
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