political strategy

[Hillbillyatheist]

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?

[Ahriman]

Always vote Republican, literally every single time.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

I’m not at all sure that enough moderate Republicans would ally themselves with Democrats to make your plan feasible.

Boru

[Hillbillyatheist]

@ Ahriman

if you're a democrat in the general then voting republican then makes less sense unless you happen to find yourself for whatever reason wanting to be a swing voter that year. or of course are a republican.

now if you're a republican then you would want to consider a similar strategy if you were in a solid blue district. perhaps you and moderate democrats would get more kyrsten Sinema types and less AOC types representing you. no doubt as a republican you would find that choice the lesser of two evils.

Frankly I'd be all for that as unpopular as that might make me here. we need more moderates in both parties and less flame throwers if we ever want to get anything done and avoid the increasing hostilities that make me worried about a possible civil war breaking out in the future.

the extreme gerrymandering we have now tends to create incentives for politicians to cater to the extremes in their own parties instead of trying to reach and find middle ground and reduce hostilities.

but gerrymandering isn't going away anytime soon. so we may as well adapt.

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@ BrianSoddingBoru4

likely the same with democrats. people would feel icky about being registered with the party they more likely disagree with more often.

[Fake Messiah]

Your plan sounds like



The only right way seems to be to make every vote count/ make the popular vote count because anything else is disrespectful towards the voters.

[Hillbillyatheist]

that is a good long term goal but what about right now? obviously the long term goal would be fixing our system in many ways. I link ideas like rank voting over first past the post for example. obviously making sure people have access to the ballot and that their votes counts seems like a good end goal too.

but in about 10 months, I will go the polls in district and state that is blood red. many Americans will do likewise. in an election cycle that has headwinds strongly favoring the republicans at the moment.

my two options are to vote in the democratic primary for a congress person who will then go on to get spanked in the general or vote in the GOP primary and if enough moderate GOP types and democrats did likewise would mean a rep like Mitt Romney, instead of a crank representing my district and state.

I don't see how my short term strategy is in conflict with your long term goals. you could think of it like triage before you get the hospital for treatment. obviously long term I want gerrymandering gone. short term its not happening. but the 2022 election is and its not looking good for the democrats right now.

[brewer]

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)

I'm a centrist and been registered republican for years for this exact reason. If I lived in a primarily dem state I'd register as dem.

[The Architect Of Fate]

Moderate republicans at least on the federal level are about as effective as a screen door on a submarine. These cowards have been totally willing to facilitate and support the Trumpist when it suits their agenda. Romney had no qualms about taking a cushy job in the Trump regime till the Orange Overlord kick him to the curb and looking at his voting record shows you all need to know about how "against Trumpism " he is on key issues. The same goes for Liz Cheney.

[The Grand Nudger]

I somehow doubt that moderate leftists are going to be as motivated as right wing fascists in republican primaries. If it ever were effective, they'd definitely change the state to a primary state, anyway.

[Hillbillyatheist]

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.