Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been A Democrat?

Over the years there have been some infamous characters in US politics. Ones that have commanded the ire or focus of the public. Some party changers do it because they want a better chance to be elected, others...maybe they were such a train wreck that they wanted to infect the reputation of the other party with their character.

While no means comprehensive, as many switched parties in the final days of the Whig Party as they divided into Free Soil and Non-Free Soil before becoming the Republican Party, here are some of the biggest jackasses one time or another Democrats.

Raymond Moley He was a speech writer and advisor as the founding member and recruiter of Roosevelt’s “brain trust.” Credited with FDR’s use of “The Forgotten Man” and claims to have coined “New Deal” to describe the Progressive policies. A Democrat until mid 1933 when realization of FDR’s policies and what the DNC was becoming caused him to change to a harsh critic of the New Deal and Liberalism in general. Still he wrote speeches for FDR until 1936, but 1939’s After Seven Years defines his conversion to a conservative Republican.

Wendell Willkie This was another Democrat that converted due to FDR and his socialist progressive policies that ended up becoming the 1940 Republican candidate after swapping parties in 1939. An early singer of praises for FDR, their conflict came to a head battling over the TVA. Willkie was a corporate lawyer that found that FDR was bad for private enterprise and is known for famously declaring, "I did not leave my party. My party left me.” Willkie would not be the last to say that. The odd thing about 1940 was that Willkie did not campaign in the primaries, instead saying he would accept the nomination counting of public dismissiveness of Dewey’s isolationist stance towards WWII. In the end, Willkie lost by 4.9 million popular votes (45%) but only took 10 states for 449-82 Electorial College loss.

Joseph McCarthy Yep, one of the most hated and despised people who so personified over zealous which hunts to uncover the original
Russian Collusion as to be the etymological root of the word McCarthyism was a Democrat until 1944. In 1950, he called the Roosevelt-Truman era 20 years of treason. Despite hindsight opinions, McCarthy captured the support of the American people to the point that any Republican with his endorsement never lost an election. It might be interesting to note that not only have the support of the Catholic voters (about a 25% voting block at the time) but was never spoken ill of by JFK. Robert even worked for McCarthy as a young lawyer. It would be remiss to omit that after the Soviet Union’s collapse, records of Russian infiltration efforts show that McCarthy actually underestimated the number of Russian operatives working within the government and government programs.

Ronald Reagan A whole thread could be written on Reagan. Instead I will summarize that in the 1980’s with refined grace and elegance, Reagan defined Conservatism and is credited with the revival of US as a right of center country from the double black eye of McCarthyism and Nixon’s Watergate. But he wasn’t always a Republican. In his early days, a Democrat that hailed FDR as a hero, he became the president of one of the most powerful unions, the Screen Actors Guild, in 1947 and was re-elected for seven one year terms dealing with the House Un-American Committee and the Blacklist Era. Yet he also ferreted out communist sympathizers at the same time as he shifted more toward the right in the 1950’s. However he didn’t become a Republican until 1962.

Strom Thurmond Often the poster child of how Republicans are racists because of his views on desegregation. In fact, he called Brown v Board of Education (1954) decision as the beginning of the Supreme Court instilling liberal leaning views across the United States. A long time Dixiecrat, even a 1948 third party bid for the presidency, Thurmond didn’t become a Republican until 1964.

(Continues)

It is here that I have to interject to note that the 1960’s are tumultuous turning point in US politics with 1964 being a Red Letter Year. The DNC had long been an umbrella party of various factions holding more sway over the overall party going back to the Anti-Federalists that battled the Federalists on ultimate ideology for the directions of the US. A long an involved topic worthy of a separate thread. But to summarize the transitions Bourbon Democrats gave way to progressive socialists under FDR’s Progressivism. Now we are seeing another exodus of Southern Democrats (Dixiecrats) opposing Johnson’s democratic socialism takeover of the party. This moved heralded Barry Goldwater (the noted Republican’s opposition to the primarily Republican sponsored Civil Rights Act of 1964) to the forefront of the GOP. But it should be noted that Goldwater only opposed the House version of the bill for reasons best described as Libertarian in the imposition of individual business decisions. Similar to the sentiment that bakeries should be able to not make gay wedding cakes if they don’t want to make them.

But this short break is a good transition point to look very big politician, that wasn’t always a Democrat.

Hillary Clinton In 1960 at the age of 13, she canvassed Chicago’s South Side on behalf of Nixon becoming well aware of voter fraud by finding empty lots as addresses of the voter rolls. 1964, she was a Goldwater Girl. In 1965, she was president of Wellesley College’s Young Republicans her freshman year. 1968, she went to the RNC to back Rockefeller for VP. It was Nixon’s rejection in favor of Agnew that made her leave the Republicans forever and foster a particular hatred for Nixon as she called the convention’s message veiled racism.

Leon Panetta The one time Director of the CIA under Obama, was a Republican until 1971 when he switched parties along with New York Mayor John Lindsay. Panetta was also Bill Clinton’s Chief of Staff from 1994-1997. Coincidentally, Lindsay (as a Republican mayor candidate) was endorsed by Hillary back when she was a Republican in college. Two party switchers for one there.

Donald Trump Support him or hate him, Trump has an odd political history. A Democrat until 1987, when he became officially a Republican until he joined the Reform Party from 1999-2001 and ran for President. From 2001-2009, he was a Democrat again until declaring himself Independent in 2011-2012 when he once again became a Republican, but declined to run in 2012 despite an initial flirtation with the idea.

Elizabeth Warren She believed the Republicans were the best guardians of the market until 1995 when she became a Democrat. Coincidentally she also became a full law professor at Harvard and was asked to be an advisor for the National Bankruptcy Review Commission in 1995.

Lyndon LaRouche I have to include this one not only because he ran for president 8 consecutive times (1976-2004) but because he actually makes Pelosi and Waters look sane and rational individuals on their worst days. Lyndon LaRouche is a living breathing political conspiracy theory making machine, the depths of which cannot be contained here so read his Wikipedia page But to highlight, he is the source of Reagan’s October Surprise, claims to have invented SDI, has the ear of politicians and government officials all over the world, had the most successful civilian intelligence network, injected Marxist/Leninist teachings into higher education and is even a major proponent of the Verdi A in music. A Democrat since 1979, but the DNC will not accept his delegation votes. But if you want to point fingers for looney left for years to come, read that wiki page.

Well that's quite a collection of information, but I'm missing the value of this post.....

It seems you're trying to show that Democrats jump over to Republican side once they embrace some morally repugnant ideology (which is weird coming from a conservative leaning poster)....

Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been A Democrat?

Hell would have to freeze over before i would.

I believe that question is Are you now or have you ever been a communist?

a reply to: Sillyolme

Nope.

Are you now or are you a Russian Bot is that question.

a reply to: neo96

Yes.

Bip-bop-busted.

a reply to: Ahabstar

Names change, descriptions change. This is not done by accident.

Just look at things like, "The Patriot Act".



Might as well call it the "Freedom For Jesus Apple Pie" act.





The bottom line should always be, are you for more freedoms or less?

Regardless of party affiliation.


In my opinion.

originally posted by: Ahabstar

Elizabeth Warren She believed the Republicans were the best guardians of the market until 1995 when she became a Democrat. Coincidentally she also became a full law professor at Harvard and was asked to be an advisor for the National Bankruptcy Review Commission in 1995.

Funny how that works, isn't it?

a reply to: Ahabstar

That was a lot of info put into a simple question. Possibly changing the topic to here are those that changes affiliation would be better.
On topic though I as a Democrat have ZERO problem voting for a republican. As long as someone is willing to stand for my constitutional right then they got me. THAT is it.

a reply to: Ahabstar

Proud to be a liberal Democrat. FDR defined what it means to be a Democrat in his 1936 speech at the Democrat National Convention:

"An old English judge once said: 'Necessitous men are not free men.' Liberty requires opportunity to make a living - a living decent according to the standard of the time, a living which gives man not only enough to live by, but something to live for.

For too many of us the political equality we once had won was meaningless in the face of economic inequality. A small group had concentrated into their own hands an almost complete control over other people's property, other people's money, other people's labor - other people's lives. For too many of us life was no longer free; liberty no longer real; men could no longer follow the pursuit of happiness.

Against economic tyranny such as this, the American citizen could appeal only to the organized power of government."

a reply to: Wayfarer

Actually it goes both ways. There were quite a few that changed from Republican to Democrat for various reasons including disassociation with a major Republican figure. They generally remain in local of state levels of politics though. Ron Paul is known for being a Republican, Independent and Libertarian. Joe Lieberman has been a Dem and Independent as well. But neither of them really drew any real public ire of say Trump who has been just about everything but an avowed Communist...unless Russian Collusion.

a reply to: dfnj2015

FDR defined what it meant to be a liberal by throwing Japanese in fema camps, and confiscating our gold and silver after pilfering Fort Knox.

And importing German POWS for slave labor for the likes of Morgan canning.

As far as examples go that was a good one of what it means to be a liberal.

I used to be quite liberal. Voted for Clinton in 1992. I also was heavily into the black power movement for lack of a better term.

However, I always held conservative views. I just didn't know how to really contextualize them or had anyone to really discuss and debate them when I was younger, so I just kind of went along to get along since most of the people around me were liberal.

It really wasn't until college that I discovered talk radio and reading books by Thomas Sowell and some other black conservatives that I really started going right. I just couldn't logically follow a lot of leftist positions. Almost hurt my brain trying to make sense of some of the illogical positions leftist hold sometimes.

With that said, I don't identify as either Republican or Democrat. I frequently vote for both parties.

originally posted by: neo96
a reply to: dfnj2015

FDR defined what it meant to be a liberal by throwing Japanese in fema camps, and confiscating our gold and silver after pilfering Fort Knox.

And importing German POWS for slave labor for the likes of Morgan canning.

As far as examples go that was a good one of what it means to be a liberal.

I think Arthur Jones as the Republican candidate in Illinois is much more representative of Republicanism though. Potato/ Po-Nazi

Ya know.

a reply to: Sillyolme

Some would say there is no difference between a Democrat and a communist. LaRouche kinda embodies that, but he also thinks the soviets were trying to assassinate him. Along with the Lybians and maybe some random field mouse as well. Everyone wants to kill him because he knows too much. Seriously, big time loon.

a reply to: Ahabstar

Some would say there is no difference between a Democrat and a communist.

Is there?

a reply to: Ahabstar

Thats an impressive roster or rogues gallery of ideological imposters hell bent on self agrandisement.

No wonder the country is a screwed up mess.

I despise both parties, but Trump and his constant pack of baying hyenas have made it so I’ll never touch anything right wing with a ten foot pole.

I’d be perfectly fine with everything he claims to stand for being wiped away as if it never existed. So I’ll probably vote Democrat from here on out.

a reply to: Wayfarer

Geez.

I didn't even get in to branding us like Cattle with the Social Security number, and forced taxation,forced rationing, global world war.

So no That strawman don't fly.

Po-Nazi

The only difference between Hitler and FDR was FDR didn't have gas chambers.