Republicans for Obama a Return to Traditional GOP Values
In June the McCain campaign released a list of "prominent Democrats and Independents" supporting John McCain. Few of the names were prominent, and a review by the Huffington Post found that more than half of the list had "either obvious ties to the Republican Party or are regularly touted by GOP politicians as Democratic defectors."
The newly announced group of "Republicans for Obama" hope to have a more lasting impact. They certainly have a higher profile than McCain's Democratic defectors (other than top surrogate and possible veep Joe Lieberman). Organizers on a conference call this morning included former Iowa Congressman Jim Leach, former Rhode Island Senator Lincoln Chafee and Rita Hauser, a member of President Bush's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board. The Republican Mayor of Fairbanks, Alaska also endorsed Barack Obama today. (There's an already existing Republicans for Obama website founded by John Martin, a Navy reservist who served in Afghanistan and lives in The Bronx.)
These so-called "Obamicans" -- throwbacks to the days of traditional Republicanism -- are disgusted by the Bush Administration's militant foreign policy, reckless spending and cronyism at home, and America's plummeting reputation in the world. In John McCain, they no longer see a maverick, but a continuation of the Bush-Cheney era.
"From my perspective, this is simply not a time for politics as usual," said Jim Leach, one of the smartest and most decent members of the House of Representatives, who represented eastern Iowa for three decades until 2006 and was one of only six House Republicans to presciently oppose the war in Iraq. "The case for inspiring, new political leadership and a social ethic has seldom been more self-evident."
Adds Leach: "Barack Obama's platform is a call for change. But the change that he is so gracefully articulating is more renewal than departure. While a break from the ideological policies of the moment, it is rooted in very old American values that are as much a part of the Republican as the Democratic tradition. There's an emphasis on individual rights, fairness and balance at home, and progressive internationalism."
Says Rita Hauser, "It is not traditional Republicanism to make war on everybody who disagree with you." The longtime foreign policy hand called McCain's response to the Russia-Georgia conflict "bellicose [and] threatening."
Like Leach, Lincoln Chafee is a reminder of the days when moderates could find a home in the Republican Party as advocates for fiscal responsibility, environmental protection and restraint in foreign policy. Chafee left the Republican Party in March to vote for Obama in Rhode Island's Democratic primary. He was the first Democrat Chafee had ever voted for.
Chafee served alongside McCain in the Senate; they were the only two Senate Republicans to oppose the Bush tax cuts in 2001. Chafee has since watched McCain adopt the very policies he once denounced. "Seeing the two different John McCain's is a fracture in his credibility," Chafee says.
How big of an impact this group will have remains to be seen. Obama performed well in traditionally Republican areas in the Democratic primary and attracted legions of "Obamicans" in swing areas like Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Yet partisanship has hardened since the primary has ended (usually the opposite occurs), with both Obama and McCain now drawing 90 percent support from self-identified members of their parties.
Both candidates have attempted to encroach on the other party's turf. McCain has made a bid for disaffected Clintonites, and elderly and blue-collar Democrats. Obama has courted moderate and suburban Republicans in swing states like Virginia and libertarians out West. It only takes a few points here or there to alter the election.
The newly announced group of "Republicans for Obama" hope to have a more lasting impact. They certainly have a higher profile than McCain's Democratic defectors (other than top surrogate and possible veep Joe Lieberman). Organizers on a conference call this morning included former Iowa Congressman Jim Leach, former Rhode Island Senator Lincoln Chafee and Rita Hauser, a member of President Bush's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board. The Republican Mayor of Fairbanks, Alaska also endorsed Barack Obama today. (There's an already existing Republicans for Obama website founded by John Martin, a Navy reservist who served in Afghanistan and lives in The Bronx.)
These so-called "Obamicans" -- throwbacks to the days of traditional Republicanism -- are disgusted by the Bush Administration's militant foreign policy, reckless spending and cronyism at home, and America's plummeting reputation in the world. In John McCain, they no longer see a maverick, but a continuation of the Bush-Cheney era.
"From my perspective, this is simply not a time for politics as usual," said Jim Leach, one of the smartest and most decent members of the House of Representatives, who represented eastern Iowa for three decades until 2006 and was one of only six House Republicans to presciently oppose the war in Iraq. "The case for inspiring, new political leadership and a social ethic has seldom been more self-evident."
Adds Leach: "Barack Obama's platform is a call for change. But the change that he is so gracefully articulating is more renewal than departure. While a break from the ideological policies of the moment, it is rooted in very old American values that are as much a part of the Republican as the Democratic tradition. There's an emphasis on individual rights, fairness and balance at home, and progressive internationalism."
Says Rita Hauser, "It is not traditional Republicanism to make war on everybody who disagree with you." The longtime foreign policy hand called McCain's response to the Russia-Georgia conflict "bellicose [and] threatening."
Like Leach, Lincoln Chafee is a reminder of the days when moderates could find a home in the Republican Party as advocates for fiscal responsibility, environmental protection and restraint in foreign policy. Chafee left the Republican Party in March to vote for Obama in Rhode Island's Democratic primary. He was the first Democrat Chafee had ever voted for.
Chafee served alongside McCain in the Senate; they were the only two Senate Republicans to oppose the Bush tax cuts in 2001. Chafee has since watched McCain adopt the very policies he once denounced. "Seeing the two different John McCain's is a fracture in his credibility," Chafee says.
How big of an impact this group will have remains to be seen. Obama performed well in traditionally Republican areas in the Democratic primary and attracted legions of "Obamicans" in swing areas like Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Yet partisanship has hardened since the primary has ended (usually the opposite occurs), with both Obama and McCain now drawing 90 percent support from self-identified members of their parties.
Both candidates have attempted to encroach on the other party's turf. McCain has made a bid for disaffected Clintonites, and elderly and blue-collar Democrats. Obama has courted moderate and suburban Republicans in swing states like Virginia and libertarians out West. It only takes a few points here or there to alter the election.
Credit: Ali Berman
The Nation.
Thank you for this website! After many years of voting based solely and, I now see, superficially, on the pro-life issue, I've had enough of GOP deceptions and abuses of power. McCain/Palin promise exactly what the Democrats have described: more of the same.
I am casting a pro-life vote for Obama and in that regard agree with the assessment of Frank Schaeffer described here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/frank-schaeffer/frank-as-a-former-pro-lif_b_119435.html
Good luck with this site!
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I'm pro-choice, but I think it's time we do better in reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies and abortions. We can work together to solve this problem if we don't allow extremists to polarize us.
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Politicians who are "advocates for fiscal responsibility, environmental protection and restraint in foreign policy" already exist and they are called "Democrats".
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Finally! A website and a viewpoint that I (a lifelong republican) can get on board with! Enough of the Bush-Cheney deception, lies, & corruption. Obama-Biden 2008!
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Nice website. It's good to have found at least a small locus of folks who have the same beliefs that I do. I've been a registered republican since college (late 80s) and since then, it's just been in steady decline, it seems. The religious contingents have gotten a hold of the leadership of the republican party and are using them for their own purposes. Or did I get it backwards? Doesn't matter. This whole phenomenon is perverting the values that traditional republicans have held dear.
You should put up a web store with bumper stickers with your logo. I'd buy one. Kind of like a perversion on the "Jews for Jesus" bumper-sticker campaign that's been going on. But different. Maybe not so subtly different.
I think Cafepress.com has a good offering to do this.
Good luck, and may our causes (and this country) be victorious.
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I'm with you. I voted for Bush in 2004, and almost immediately began regretting it, largely for the reasons you outline here. The GOP is no longer Grand, due to Bush, Cheney, Rove, et al. Perhaps I could once again vote for a future GOP ticket or platform, but not before the toxic deadwood is cleaned out.
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I never saw the GOP platform as anything more than let's get all the money, put as much in our bank accounts as possible, give the rest to the military industrials, bankers and developers, and let the great unwashables fight over the scraps, religion, the environment and other "foolish" issues of personal morality.
The Democrats always had a platform of diversity and addressing issues of concern directly. An actual sense of caring for the village now, and in the future.
The modern conservative political movement:
Too much idiot, not enough village.
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As a Democrat, I have often wondered what happened to the Republican party and why was it taken over by the right wingnuts,religious right, NRA,Bushes and Palin? Could they not have seen what has happened to our country under that Republican banner? The Republicans I knew wanted fiscal responsibilty, smaller (not ineffective) government, and had leaders of principles and integrity (for me that was Eisenhower), or a least preached that.
Now is the time to put country first and Vote for Obama. In all our hearts we know he is better for our nation. He may not be perfect but he is the better choice at this time. Come home to America and let all of us make this a better nation for our children. Let's leave those who follow something about which to be proud. I am a former Jr. Officer Naval Officer and was active from 1960-1964 and I believe I know how to put America first. Bless us all.
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