political strategy

[The Grand Nudger]

It’s your vote, but there probably isn’t any realistic expectation of effect - as it’s either unlikely to beat the magats in the primary game…or….if it does, there’s no actual difference between magats and supposed moderates on voting record, or….on the chance a miracle occurs and it does work and some unicorn candidate does appear the disenfranchising impulse of the entire republican establishment will immediately come into play.

Ultimately, you’re just registering your preference for what kind of face you’d like to see on the guy beating the dogshit out of you. I get that.

[Ranjr]

We did that here in your neighbor to the east in the early 90s.  A nut named Tommy Robinson had instigated embarrassing controversies to rouse the rabble on his way from Pulaski County Sherriff to US Representative and a run for Governor.  Many of us crossed over in the primary to vote for Sheffield Nelson, a trust fund dandy, to keep the rabble rouser quiet.  Nelson won the nomination but lost to Clinton.

[Spongebob]

I don't post here much but got to thinking about something and thought it worth popping in to see what kind of reaction I'd get. 

I'm politically center left which means I tend feel forced to vote democrat in our screwed up binary election system. lesser of two evils so to speak. 

but given the gerrymandering and the fact that the republicans have a growing MAGA base, means we could find ourselves with them in the governing majority with speaker Marjory Taylor Greene, a scary thought if ever there was one.  

but what if democrats in solid red districts in places with closed primaries switched parties to register as republican? I wonder if them forming an alliance with moderate GOP voters would reduce the power of the maga wing? if a district is heavily red anyway at least it would be a Liz Cheney or Mitt Romney instead of a crazy moonbat.

the system we have ain't going anywhere any time soon so may as well adapt strategies to take this into account. 

I recently decided to register as a republican for this very reason. (I'm in a very red state, in a very red district where democrats have zero chance. the republican primary is the only election that actually matters here) Bare in mind that in the general election, the party you are registered with doesn't matter, so you aren't forced to vote republican in the general election just because that's who you're registered with. but it does matter in giving you access in primary elections, at least in places with closed primaries. 

what do you think?

That would require a lot of planning, coordination and agreement.  Sadly, Democrats don't do very well with that.

[brewer]

cheers, Brewer!

at the other two replies I have to ask. if you're in a solid red district in a solid red state, in an election cycle where quite frankly where democrats have zero chance, what do you do?

I've actually seen election cycles where there wasn't even a democratic challenger in my district, leaving the GOP candidate to run in the general unopposed.  

and in the general you can vote however you want regardless who you are registered with.

so even if I grant you that it might not work, I certainly don't see how it hurts either. I think right now, its more likely a moderate republican could feasibly win vs AOC in Oklahoma.

and to the point about moderate republicans being spineless and more worried about winning elections, well if they see they can win without having to pander to alex jones, they might come back from crazy town. I mean we'd still disagree about economic policy but they at least wouldn't think forest fires are caused by space jews.

but even if they don't, what harm is caused by people in solid red districts strategically gaining access to the only election that matters in their solid red district/state, the republican primary?

if I am a republican or democrat, I can vote democrat in the general, assuming there's even one running in my district and believe it or not, as I mentioned above,  I've seen elections where the GOP candidate ran unopposed because my district is so lopsided, nobody wanted to even waste their time running as a democrat here.  

if I'm a democrat I have access to the democratic primary if there is one to pick which candidate I want to see go on to lose the general.

if I'm a republican I can vote in their primary and have some say in who goes on to win the general.

if its an alex jones clone winning the primary, they'd have won anyway regardless of my registration.

if its a moderate who wins because there's enough moderate republicans left combined with democrats who switch parties in solid red districts, even if they're by nature spineless and opportunistic, they'd take note of their new voter base and have incentives to vote accordingly. and if they don't well we're back in the same boat we would have been in regardless.

so I can see how my plan might help, I can see your point about how it might not work, but I don't see how it hurts anything either. nor does it seem to be in conflict with longer term goals like convincing people to change their minds on their political beliefs or amending our broken system in many ways to ensure it better represents us all.  it just gives a possible solution for folks like me in solid red districts who otherwise sees no other immediate options at my disposal.

do keep in mind I'm referring specifically to deep red states and districts.  I'm not suggesting people in purple or blue districts do this, and also if you're in a place that allows open primaries, its a moot point for you anyway how you register.

I used to live in a red district/red state, almost all the ward-city-county-state candidates were republicans. Not getting a choice in the primaries was not an option.

Now I live in a purple district/red state but still most of the candidates are republican. We'll see 0/1 dem to 3 or more pubs on the ballot. So even though purple is still comes down to choice. The nice thing about being registered republican is that I get all republican candidate positions in the mail/email prior to the election. Helps cut down on the research. 

More often than not I still vote republican at the district/city/county/state level, that's where the talent is. Historically federal has been different.

[Pat Mustard]

Always vote Republican, literally every single time.

Why? You're literally voting for the anti-USA party.

[brewer]

^^^ This is why I don't like politics.

[Hillbillyatheist]

^^^ This is why I don't like politics.

same.

[The Grand Nudger]

Some people are going to be pretty confused that any american would vote for an anti-american party. That outta be a lesson in the ability of the republican establishment's alleged moderates to rein in the crazies, should anyone help to elect more of these alleged moderates.

[Divinity]

At the national level, there's no such thing as a 'moderate' Republican. There may be some like Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger who expect some level of decorum to be upheld, but make no mistake that they approve of many of the policy positions of their party and refuse to implement even the best policies of the opposing party.

[Spongebob]

This is true. The GOP has cleansed the party of any hint of moderation. It was once a fairly wide tent but that's no more. Locally I suppose there could be more diversity. You can only know that by examining each local district.

Astonishing to think that just over 100 years ago, the Republican Party was the more progressive party.