A Water Shed Day

[Conan71]

Since one of the posters asked me to clarify a statement I made about shedding 28 years worth of chains up on North Denver this morning, I figure I would come clean.  Today I changed my voter registration from Republican to "No Party".  The GOP is simply  nowhere close to what it was when I registered right after my 18th birthday.  My leanings seem to be more Libertarian, but Oklahoma does not recognize a third party.  Your are either R, D, or "No Party".

As I mentioned on Facebook, it seems like our Oklahoma legislators and the "far right" candidates for national office are engaged in some sort of medieval group-think that I simply cannot identify with.

I realize I now forgo the right to vote in Oklahoma primary elections.  I'll give that up so I don't have to be associated with backwards (yes, mouth-breathing is apt, oxygen-abusing is another) legislators who have no problem caving easily to the liquor lobby, yet they write stupid statement legislation which, in effect, declares Oklahoma a "pro-life" state, or gives teachers guidance about controversial subjects, or telling a 21 year old they must wait until the following morning to enjoy their first legal drink.

Who are these absolute nut-bags who have hijacked the GOP?  Have we not more pressing issues in the Oklahoma legislature?

I'm fully convinced that short of Tom Coburn, there's very few, if any GOP leaders or legislators who realize that true fiscal conservatism would dictate not borrowing into oblivion.  Republicans are just as culpable as their Democrat brethren in looting the Treasury.

I simply see that the two party system has become a scapegoat for America's ruling class to keep bilking the taxpayer and to be able to have someone else to blame for it. 

I've threatened this for several years but resisted so I could continue to vote in primary elections.  After seeing Santorum rise in the polls and seeing who he is working for votes and reading about one stupid piece of legislation after another, I realized the Repbublican party no longer represents most of the ideology I hold dear.  Either that or it was the pulled pork at BurnCo that made me snap.

[Townsend]

If I thought it would do any good, I'd tell you to forward that to someone.

[Hoss]

Since one of the posters asked me to clarify a statement I made about shedding 28 years worth of chains up on North Denver this morning, I figure I would come clean.  Today I changed my voter registration from Republican to "No Party".  The GOP is simply  nowhere close to what it was when I registered right after my 18th birthday.  My leanings seem to be more Libertarian, but Oklahoma does not recognize a third party.  Your are either R, D, or "No Party".

As I mentioned on Facebook, it seems like our Oklahoma legislators and the "far right" candidates for national office are engaged in some sort of medieval group-think that I simply cannot identify with.

I realize I now forgo the right to vote in Oklahoma primary elections.  I'll give that up so I don't have to be associated with backwards (yes, mouth-breathing is apt, oxygen-abusing is another) legislators who have no problem caving easily to the liquor lobby, yet they write stupid statement legislation which, in effect, declares Oklahoma a "pro-life" state, or gives teachers guidance about controversial subjects, or telling a 21 year old they must wait until the following morning to enjoy their first legal drink.

Who are these absolute nut-bags who have hijacked the GOP?  Have we not more pressing issues in the Oklahoma legislature?

I'm fully convinced that short of Tom Coburn, there's very few, if any GOP leaders or legislators who realize that true fiscal conservatism would dictate not borrowing into oblivion.  Republicans are just as culpable as their Democrat brethren in looting the Treasury.

I simply see that the two party system has become a scapegoat for America's ruling class to keep bilking the taxpayer and to be able to have someone else to blame for it. 

I've threatened this for several years but resisted so I could continue to vote in primary elections.  After seeing Santorum rise in the polls and seeing who he is working for votes and reading about one stupid piece of legislation after another, I realized the Repbublican party no longer represents most of the ideology I hold dear.  Either that or it was the pulled pork at BurnCo that made me snap.

I remember you saying you were weighing that option.  And since you've done so, I may weigh my option to switch from (D) to no party.  Like you, I assigned myself (D) out of high school, only because I had to choose and at the time, I chose (D) because, of all things, it was the first letter alphabetically.  I'm a social liberal but fiscally, I'm closer to a conservative.  You might call me a libertarian.

Some of you might call me something else.

[Townsend]

If I thought it would do any good, I'd tell you to forward that to someone.

OOOO, send it to Robby Bell's mom.  She'll know what to do.

[Conan71]

If I thought it would do any good, I'd tell you to forward that to someone.

I've already drafted a message I'm going to fly it into the capital building er um, email my legislators.

Seriously, I am working on a draft to send every Republican in the Oklahoma House & Senate.  I also plan to send letters to our national delegation from Oklahoma.  Perhaps if others start leaving the GOP in droves, someone will notice and ask why.

[Conan71]

OOOO, send it to Robby Bell's mom.  She'll know what to do.

Oh, you mean the lady who didn't want her taxes raised but had no problem shilling about looking for a municipality to provide millions in property subsidies to relocate her amusement park?

[Townsend]

Oh, you mean the lady who didn't want her taxes raised but had no problem shilling about looking for a municipality to provide millions in property subsidies to relocate her amusement park?

Yes, that one.  She's a wonderful example of what can be done for the Republican Party...and child rearing.

[RecycleMichael]

Dang it conan. I was thinking about becoming a republican just so I could hang out with you.

[YoungTulsan]

I'm fully convinced that short of Tom Coburn, there's very few, if any GOP leaders or legislators who realize that true fiscal conservatism would dictate not borrowing into oblivion.  Republicans are just as culpable as their Democrat brethren in looting the Treasury.

You must have missed this guy: 

[swake]

You must have missed this guy: 

He's not a Libertarian, he's an idiot with a fundamental inability to understand basic economics or the banking system.

[TheArtist]

  I changed my affiliation to Independent a while back.  Mostly so that when I am in a discussion I am not immediately pegged with one extreme view or another.  You say one thing and then its as if they know your entire leaning on every issue and cease to listen.  Some of my Democrat friends think I am very Conservative on many issues and some of my Republican friends think I am very Liberal on many issues.  I don't like either party entirely and yes in this state in particular it seems like the Conervative Republicans in power have just gone absolutely batty on so many things.  Perhaps some day if enough of us go "no party" or Independent we can make our voices heard, or at least cause both parties to court us and listen.

[nathanm]

I remember you saying you were weighing that option.  And since you've done so, I may weigh my option to switch from (D) to no party.  Like you, I assigned myself (D) out of high school, only because I had to choose and at the time, I chose (D) because, of all things, it was the first letter alphabetically.  I'm a social liberal but fiscally, I'm closer to a conservative.  You might call me a libertarian.

Some of you might call me something else.

I may just do the same. While I may have different ideas as to what our country would ideally look like than most around here, it's fairly clear that apart from a few exceptions everybody with a D or an R after their name is beholden to special interests. At this point, the main thing that keeps me voting for Democrats (on the national level anyway) is that I get the sense that the country turns to smile slightly more slowly with them in charge than it does with Republicans in charge.

And don't get me started on Ron freakin' Paul. He often says nice things, but he seems to be a troglodyte at heart. It's just that he wants the state government to repress you instead of the federal government. I guess that's marginally better than the others. Would be nice if he could grasp the fact that we are no longer on the gold standard, but that's a lesson the vast majority of our leaders could stand to learn.

Anyway, until we reform our elections, we can change our registrations all we want and it won't make a damn bit of difference between the gerrymandering and the ease of buying off all the candidates up front in what few competitive districts remain.

[AquaMan]

I was not so comfortable when my party was running guys from New England that had little in common with the rest of the country. I still consider myself a moderate whose had the carpet under my feet yanked to the right. I waited patiently to see if the party would at least move geographically to the center and it has. Philosophically the party still yells left but in operation it is more pragmatic. Clinton changed welfare. Obama has yielded on liberal principles as well otherwise the left wouldn't be so mad at him.

It doesn't surprise me that many moderate republicans (socially liberal-fiscally conservative) also feel uncomfortable with movement their party has made. This was always the party of business. Now it is the business of politics. One gets the feeling they would sell out the country to get power back. Moderates have waited patiently to see if it is an aberration and it is not. It is currently a witches brew of money, craziness, religion, 50's moral values and hatred. 

I'm too unmotivated (lazy) to change party affiliation to independent and too optimistic that my party can reform itself. If ever there was a good time for a third party though, that made sense, this seems it. Until then we're all stuck. This will take a good decade to bleed out of the system and start over.

[Red Arrow]

Dang it conan. I was thinking about becoming a republican just so I could hang out with you.

Do you also have a bridge for sale?  Waterfront property? ...

[Red Arrow]

 I changed my affiliation to Independent a while back.  Mostly so that when I am in a discussion I am not immediately pegged with one extreme view or another.  You say one thing and then its as if they know your entire leaning on every issue and cease to listen.  Some of my Democrat friends think I am very Conservative on many issues and some of my Republican friends think I am very Liberal on many issues.  I don't like either party entirely and yes in this state in particular it seems like the Conervative Republicans in power have just gone absolutely batty on so many things.  Perhaps some day if enough of us go "no party" or Independent we can make our voices heard, or at least cause both parties to court us and listen.

Unless the "No Party" group can put up a viable candidate, "you" are guaranteeing that both the Ds and Rs will put up more extreme candidates.  There's a lot I don't care for with the current crop of Rs but I am unable to align with the Ds. In order to have any say, I'll stay registered R and try to help.