I have never ever had the compulsion to vote republican. EVER.

What makes us think that previous Bush supporters will really vote for a democrat? When they are finally in the voting booth, will they be able to vote for Hillary or Obama or John or Dennis? I can't picture it, based on my dislike for republicans.

The BS about kowtowing to them to get votes is just that: BS. If given a choice between a republican and a Republican, they'll vote for the Republican every time.

:puke:

That would be like cutting off my nose to spite my face

or something like that. :shrug:

However, not all Bush supporters are Republicans. He did get a fair amount of support from Independents in both elections, and I *hope* that there is enough disgust for the current "Administration" to convince them to vote Dem in the next Presidential election.

I can always hope, right? :)

...and hard to explain.

The good thing is that some Republicans made the switch in 2006 when they voted their Blue Dogs in. For them, it'll be easier to vote Dem the next time. For the other Republicans on the fence, I think it will have to be something of an incremental shift. A lot of them already think the GOP has moved away from them, if they can be persuaded that the Dems have a path back to sanity in world and domestic affairs, I think they'll switch.

It will have to be a centrist though - I can't imagine a lifelong Republican embracing Kucinich, for example. This is why we got the Blue Dogs - they have to be centrist, or even right-of-center, just to be elected.

But I am wondering what Karl Rove is up to.

...I voted for George H. W. Bush.

I'm very sorry. Had he been sent packing in '88, no one would have ever looked twice at his worthless sons.

I may have voted for Rs on the town ballots without even knowing since it's not listed.

for governor of Oregon once in a primary. Good guy. But never knowingly
ever voted for another republican. Never will, even if they walk on water. p

John Silber was just too far out in right field. Weld was far more moderate than Silber and he had to contend with a Democratic legislature so the risk was low.

Now if we're talking only about the presidency, no I haven't voted for a Republican and can't imagine doing so in 2008. There is no Republican who would get my vote over any of the Dems in the race, period.

He was totally out there.

making me part of a very small crowd,only 29,173,222 voted for him.

Repukes will vote (R), Dems (D). The battle is for the independents and the moderates in the middle. Whoever can win them wins.

in Florida in 1979 to vote for Howard Baker in the 1980 primary, just to try to stop Raygun. Futile effor, Baker dropped out.

The losers.

And am old enough to remember real honest to goodness moderate republicans. Never voted for em but didn't cringe at the very mention of their names, and was relatively OK with it when they won in state and local elections. Honest , decent men who I disagreed with but respected.

Ron Paul.

1988, I voted for Lowell Weicker over Joe Lieberman. I just wish he had won!!1!!

about the diehards anyway. Wish I why I will hold my nose and vote for Hill if she is the nominee. Obama too.

Our Democratic county commissioner is a corrupt prick with an ego the size of Wisconsin, and a guy who loves to hear his own voice for hours upon end.

He had a Republican challenger who wasn't that offensive, had a couple of good local policy ideas. So I voted for him. He of course lost, because the people in the condo communities here think this particular county commissioner walks on water because he does so much blatant pandering to them.

But I think that's about it. Had Rod Smith gotten the Democratic nomination in the Florida governor's race against Charlie Crist, I might have been tempted to go with Crist, but Jim Davis was palatable enough (albiet something of a weak candidate in the end) that I had no qualms voting Davis over Crist (who as Republicans go isn't all that bad).

The first time was when a homeless guy from Baltimore got himself on the 6th District US House of Representatives ballot - as the Republican candidate - and Beverly Byron was running basically unopposed, I felt that a homeless guy should at least get some votes.

The second time was for Connie Morella in MD 8th district, she was my English Prof, I liked her personally and I acted with her son Paul in various DC productions. Here's some text from Wikipedia regarding Ms. Morella:

"She opposed her party's positions on abortion, gun control, gay rights, and the environmental movement, voted for government funding of contraceptives and needle exchange programs for drug addicts, and favored the legalization of medical marijuana. She also received some support from organized labor and opposed many tax cuts. She voted against declaring English the official language of the United States and in 1996 against a bill overwhelmingly approved by Congress and signed by President Bill Clinton, to combat illegal immigration. Morella was the only Republican in the entire Congress to vote against approving both the use of military force in Iraq in 1991 and in 2002. Indeed, by many surveys, her voting record was consistently one of the most liberal of any Republican in the House."

- So, you'll forgive me for voting for this very reasonable republican.

That was during the 2004 elections. He was running for Rep. for my district. There were no Dems for local offices on the ballot. I live in a 100% red county in Georgia. The only reason I voted for him is because he is an animal rights advocate and has done a lot to benefit the animals here.

My very first vote ever was in Virginia--voting for Mark Warner for governor. I didn't get to vote for Al Gore in 2000 (the first year I was old enough to vote) because my Mom was ill from her chemo and needed me with her at the hospital that day. Bush won Virginia by a sizable margin, so my vote didn't really matter, but still...I wish I could have cast it. My first Primary vote was given to John Kerry in 2004, my first Presidential vote was given to John Kerry in 2004. I'm supporting Hillary in the upcoming primary, and whichever Dem gets the nomination in the general.

I have voted one or two local Republicans, but only if they were the better candidate. Them being the better candidate in a national election has never happened yet, but I don't see myself doing it any more.

I actually convinced my dad, who is a Conservative Libertarian and who has seldom voted Democratic, to vote a straight Democratic ticket last year. He said he "held his nose" while doing so, but doesn't regret it, and wants to get the NeoCons out of office more than anything. Thanks, Dad! Unfortunately, I foresee him voting for Paul this time, but... can't win all of them, I guess. I will at least give him credit for voting what his beliefs are, even if they are screwed up (to me), as opposed to the rash of "Liberpublicans" who claim to be libertarian but somehow love Bush and authoritarianism.

Those who decide after a round of eeny-meeny-miny-moe.