"Today I left the Republican party ..."

Our DUmmie Ant Farm is endlessly entertaining. We get to observe the little critters in their natural habitat, burrowing underground, scurrying to and fro, all for our amusement. Sometimes something sets them off, and they go into a tizzy, swirling and circling in mad consternation. Other times they seem all energetic and upbeat. It's FUn to monitor the many moods of our DUmmie ants!

And when a new ant enters the ant farm, the long-time residents greet the newbie by extending their ant antennae in both welcome and suspicion. That's what he have going on today, as new DUmmie future_of_the_party (26 posts) announces, in this THREAD, "Today I left the Republican party ...." This thread was quickly kicked and recommended to the top of DUmmieland's "Greatest" list, garnering almost 400 replies in less than 48 hours!

So let us now peer through the glass of our DUmmie Ant Farm and see how the new convert is welcomed, in Bolshevik Red, while the commentary of your humble guest correspondent, Charles Henrickson, is in the [brackets]:

Today I left the Republican party ...

[Welcome to the Ant Farm, future_of_the_party!]

They mocked democracy and said that free men were weak! I am a man who loves liberty! Look into the eyes of your foe psycho republicans, and know that I will die for my freedoms! The world must never again mistake compassion for weakness! And while I live - it had better not!

[Stout words, brother! Speak truth to power!]

I have been mulling the switch for months now. Today I made the switch officially.

[Kind of like a sex change, isn't it?]

I hope you all can open your arms and embrace me as a fellow and future democrat.

[Group hug!]

When the mob and the press and the whole world tell you to move, your job is to plant yourself like a tree beside the river of truth, and tell the whole world— “No. You move.”

[Whoa! Metaphorical magic!]

Thank you DU!

[No, thank YOU! {BELLS, HORNS, WHISTLES, CONFETTI!!!} Now to your new neighbors, as they bring over the Welcome Wagon . . .]

Welcome to DU

[First reply, a hearty howdy!]

I'm curious what took you so long. george w bush was A-OK with you? Still, if you're sincere - welcome.

[Second reply, suspicion.]

I was asleep but now my eyes are open.

[Rip Van future_of_the_party]

Welcome! The fact that you already have a star by your name speaks volumes!

[Yeah, but making a small donation in a order to get a star COULD be a trollish trick to deflect suspicion. . . .]

First thing you need to do is buy a shirt.

[No shirt, no shoes, no service.]

Our arms certainly are open to you! Welcome to DU! Welcome in from the cold!

[Yes, a WARM welcome!!]

Nice to have you with us! The coffee's over in that corner. The beer in that one. Bathrooms, back there.

[Where Pitt is hunched over the porcelain.]

It's hard not to be a skeptic. . . .

[In DUmmieland it's hard not to be septic.]

Welcome to the house of many voices.

[A DUmmie will hear many voices in his head.]

Welcome. . . . It's a pretty messy tent here, though. . . .

[Watch out for the pizza boxes!]

Now will you work on others that are on the dark side and change them over too?

[Be a Little Lightbringer Underground Achiever!]

Changing your mind is very tough to do. The mind's ability to hold onto old beliefs is staggering.

[Look at Pitt, he's staggering.]

Ummm....welcome?

[This DUmmie is sniffing the new dog's privates.]

Welcome home, future_of_the_party ... we're a motley crew of in-fighting, not-always reasonable or coherent but highly opinionated bastards who will love you one minute and hate you the next. . . .

[DUmmie NanceGreggs is bucking for a Kewpie Doll.]

Please remember that DU . . . may be a bit more left than you are used to.

[Ya think?]

Welocme to the light, man.

[Duuude!]

I hope that the Democratic Part does not disappoint you while you realize that Democrats are not angles. . . .

[But they are obtuse.]

There's probably few around here more skeptical than I am when it comes to post Bush conversions, But I'm willing to give anyone a chance to show they are actually members of the human race rather than those alien posers who feed on the misery of those less fortunate than themselves. . . . I don't care what you call yourself so long as it's not one of those Vampirific Knuckle Dragging Spit Dripping Paleo Republicans.

[Puny earthlings! Fools! Don't you know we Republicans are really . . . Vampirific Knuckle-Dragging Spit-Dripping Alien Posers from Outer Space!]

hey welcome !..and I'm not even American !

[Is that you, Barack Obama?]

Welcome to the Big Tent!

[But if I were you, I wouldn't put my sleeping bag over there by Barney Frank.]

*cough* deadlyaj *cough* Can't believe this is on the front page.

[Ruh roh! DUmmie Starry Messenger has discovered a previous thread that could spell trouble for DUmmie future_of_the_party. . . .]

I'm just sorry I didn't see this last night. I remember what got him granite and seeing him on the front page here makes me cringe.

[DUmmie future_of_the_party is a previous tombstonee??]

The funny thing is...a year ago he addressed his "fellow Democrats" on DU...but now he says he's only just left the Republican party.

[DUmmie Jackeens blows the whistle too! The lights in the guard towers scan the grounds!]

future_of_the_party is deadlyaj who was tombstoned a while ago.

[Oops! The jig is up!]

This poster is a zombie.

[LOCK! BAN! DELETE! AA-OOGA!! AA-OOGA!!]

Deadlyaj is my OLD roomate

[future_of_the_party claims a case of mistaken identity! I DON'T think it's going to work!]

The plot thickens!

[The burial plot for the tombstoning!]

Dum de dum.

[DUm!]

Aw geeze. What more proof do we need here? DNA?

[Ready . . . Aim . . .]

I don't understand why people keep recommending this and welcoming him.

[Because they're DUmmies?]

I do not think that Future has a Future here.

[Days of Future Past.]

Ahh he will just come back as someone new again! remember how many times Bev harris did the same gig.

[Ironically, DUmmie flyarm, one of the cheerleaders from the Andy FUndraiser, now reminds us how easily the DUmmies are DUped!]

- - - - -

BONUS DUFUAGE

From further down the DUmmie thread:

We don't know who you are... here we don't ask for your credentials. here we don't ask you to beg forgiveness for being a jackass republican all your life. . . . here we don't demand you ask for absolution. . . . we don't berate you for these things. . . . here we do not ask for credentials, require abasement or a loyalty oath. we give shelter to everyone. so here, your past is washed away, and you are born anew.

[I guess the born-again DUmmie's past was NOT washed away. The credentials committee went and excommunicated him.]

Wow. People are *still* falling for this. Is there ANYTHING DUers won't fall for?

[Let's see . . . BBV Bev, I BELIEEEEEEEEEEEEEVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, The Andy Situation, MIHOP, THE DAY WHEN EVERYTHING FINALLY CHANGED!, Fitzmas Freudenschade, LOUSY FREEPER TROLLS!!! . . . Nope, there's not much the DUmmies won't fall for.]

We're a big mixed bag of nuts, ya know.

[A bunch of nutbaggers.]

This site is full of Republicans now, so you'll fit right in! Or, I should say, you would fit right in, if you were for real.

[Hee! Hee!]

Some comments on the Traditional divisions within the GOP.

Both parties are coalition, some members are not even on talking terms with each other but are in the same coalition. The classic situation was FDR retaining the Southern segregationist while catering to Civil Rights for Blacks, the later to recruit Northern Blacks to the Democratic Party, the Majority of Blacks in the US were Republicans till the 1930s, the chief reason for Stevenson defeat by Eisenhower in 1952 was 1/3 of all blacks voted for the GOP (The last time that occurred).

Now the GOP is made up of the following groups:
1. Northern Rural Voters, these people vote how their ancestor shot in the Civil War (Southern Whites did the same till the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights act). These Northern rural voters vote GOP on the local levels and carry that to the State and National Levels. The problem for the GOP is this group has become less and less enchanted by the GOP. This group want the Government to fix the roads, provide Education, and help society as a whole, objectives that the present GOP has been abandoning since Reagan. Like southern white (who are noted for voting Democratic at local elections, GOP in national elections) Northern Rural Voters have started to vote Democratic on the state and National level while staying GOP for local elections. The Local rural GOP is still staying on traditional GOP role as Government is a necessary evil, but the key it is necessary and as such provides more good then evil.
2. Wall Street/ "Hamiltonians" i.e. follower of Hamilton and his policy that what Government should do is help business. These are at present the strongest group within the GOP for the simple reason they have the most money. Whenever they get control over the GOP you get something like we have today, a Government that does all it can to help the Rich but tells the working class and the poor that they are on they own.
3. The Edmund Burke Conservatives. Edmund Burke was an English politician (Believed to have been a Catholic, but never admitted to be such for that would have prevented him from being a member of the English Parliament when he was a member in the late 1700s). He supported the American Revolution but opposed the French Revolution for the former was a revolt AGAINST change, the later was a Revolt for Change. Burke believe society should NOT change unless it was clear that the change was for the good, change for change sake should be avoided, but change that is needed must be done. These have always been the intellectual back bone of the GOP (In many ways Hamilton was more a follower of Burke then he was a "Hamiltonian" I described above). Burke opposed the French Revolution for it represented a radial break with the past, a break that was to severe to be done quickly and in Burke's view would lead to more problems then solution. The Classic case for the Burkean Conservatives was the 1964 Civil Rights Act, it was just a modest change and a much needed one thus more GOP congressmen voted for it then Democratic Congressmen (Remember a good number of Democratic Congressmen in the 1960s were still Southern Segregationist that opposed to the 1964 Civil Rights Act). After the collapse of the GOP during the Great Depression, but before Nixon opt for his "Southern Strategy" this was the major force within the GOP. It has since been sidelined by the Neo-cons.
4. Southern Conservatives. Both the Democratic party and the GOP had members who were into power for power sake, a strong military but minimal domestic spending (Such Domestic spending, in this groups eyes, did nothing but weaken the ability of employers to exploit their employees). This group, like the wall street barons above, want the ability to exploit anything to make money, even if it means it harms other people, the planet or anyone else. This group oppose Government restrictions as to how they can spend their money, what they can buy and how they dispose of their waste. This group believe that NONE of that is the concern of Government. In the Democratic Party this was the people most for segregation. In the GOP the most opposed to government regulation of the Economy, pollution etc. This differ from the Wall Street Barons only in that they tend to have less money but more people (Thus the Wall Street Baron have done they best to help this group, for it shares much of the same view as Wall Street but at the local level as opposed to Wall Street).
5. The religious Right. Now the Religious right has had a strange history. Prior to the 1950s, it was part of the Democratic Party(and in some parts of the Rural South still is). This group is often used by group #4 to stay in power by group #4 (and Wall Street) telling them that if they vote GOP the GOP will make sure their religious views are not only protected but implemented as much as possible. This groups is pro-choice and Anti Gay Marriage (Through only part of it is truly anti-gay). They would like support for religious education but oppose restrictions on how they spend that money. They believe if a more "Christian" view of the world is adopted by the Government, the world would be a better place. Till the 1960s these were solidly Democratic, mostly do to the Democratic party attitude to help individuals and groups of lower income. In the 1950s, as desegregation became bigger and bigger, these groups were used to justify segregation, various parts of the Bible was used to show segregation was "God's way". Martin Luther King was attacked excessively for as a minister he was not viewed even by whites as in league with the Devil, but he opposed segregation. The real swing occurred with Abortion, for abortion was clearly NOT a racist issue so could be used to to get this group to vote for the GOP who constantly said they would abolish abortion. Many old segregationist joined this revival and swung from opposing desegregation to opposing abortion. Many religious people were able to forgive people for they previous stand on race and accept the attack on abortion. During the Desegregation fight, the Democratic Hold over the Religious Right weakened as the National Democratic Party embraced desegregation. With the abortion issue the GOP saw a chance to move these former Democrats to the GOP by pining abortion onto the Democrats and portraying themselves as Anti-abortion. This worked for over 30 years, but only as long as the GOP could claim it was out of office OR stop by the Democrats do to the Democrats control of at least one branch of the Government. That ended in 2000 when Bush won the Presidency and the GOP retained control of the House and Senate. Furthermore every GOP Supreme Court Nominee since Reagan has been presented as Anti-abortion and pro religious right. The problem was the GOP failed to do anything for the Religious right. Month service was provided, but no national law as to abortion. No National law for financing religious schools, no national program to support the Religious Right. Furthermore the Religious right had a problem with the Iraq war, it was clearly NOT a "Just War" as most christian doctrine have held to be a requirement since the days of Thomas Aquinas, and while some of the religious right was willing to ignore almost all of the above, most of the religious right wanted some show of support for their agenda. The problem was the Right wing Religious agenda involved spending money that did NOT go to Wall Street nor to those people who wanted power for power sake. In many ways this lack of response to the Religious right lead the Religious right to boycott the last two elections. They would NOT vote for a Democrat but would also not vote for a Republican (in many ways the Vote on Same Sex marriage in California was a God send to the GOP, it lead to a turn out of the Religious Right that strengthen the GOP candidates running in California, which some people believe was the plan from day one i.e. Get the Religious right out to vote against Gay Marriage and while they in the booth they will cast their vote for the GOP candidate. Now a lot of blacks came out and voted against Gay Marriage, but most lived in Solidly Democratic districts, the GOP wanted the vote out in the marginal district, where the GOP could lose the seat. In 2008 the religious right was ineffective, with many of its members either voted for Democrats or stayed at home (The Majority voted for the GOP, but NOT in the numbers in the recent past).

AS you can see these are the Five main groups within the GOP. The Rural Farmers are leaving as are the Burkean conservatives. The Religious right is standing on the side line leaving only Wall Street and their allies the Southern Conservative leadership still active within the party. These two groups are NOT big enough for the GOP to win back control of the Government, but neither is willing to make the compromises needed to get the other three groups back in. This happened in 1936, after losing the 1932 election the GOP retreated to its then inner core, Wall Street and its supporters and lost all but two states in 1936. In 1940 the GOP realized it had to broaden its base and nominated an ex-new dealer. In 1944 and 1948 the GOP ran a tough on Crime ex-DA (Dewey), while emphasizing that inner cities were controlled by the Democrats and how corrupt such cities had been since the Civil War (While ignoring the fact that until the 1920s, with the biggest exception of New York City where both parties fought for control of the city, almost every city in the US was GOP controlled. Yes, when the Cities were they most corrupt, the GOP controlled them). These old GOP city bosses were just northern versions of what I called "Southern Conservatives:" i.e. more concern about how they can use government to enrich themselves and their friends then in doing what is good for society).

It took the GOP till 1952 to win back control of the Presidency. While the GOP had regained control of the House in 1946, the passage of the Taft Hartley act and other restrictions on the New Deal acts, convinced enough americans NOT to put them back in till 1994. Eisenhower won with a GOP controlled Senate, but he lost it within two years and the Senate stayed Democratic till Reagan. All during that time period the GOP tried to get people to vote for them but could not for the simple reason no one trusted them when it came to domestic policies (Till 1994). Since 1994 the GOP has shown that it has reverted to what the American People rejected in 1936, till 2008 the GOP kept it hidden but between Hurricane Katrina (and the lack of Government support for the victims), Bush showing how NOT to fight a war, and the downside of the housing bubble has put the GOP in the same view of the American people it had in 1936. I do not know if it is going to change. It should, but it will have to be beaten up some more before it does so. Just like the Democrats were beaten up in the 1920s (and again in the 1990s) for being viewed as being to far to the left. Sometime a party needs to be beaten up to fly right and the GOP needs that to happen to it over the next few years (OR I fear it will disappear and the Democratic Party taking its place on the Right as nature abhors a vacuum and without the GOP the Right will be a power Vacuum pulling the Democratic party to the right, a huge fear of mine for the Country has been going to the left over the last 10-15 years and if the Democratic party goes to far to the right, a new party will have to form to the left, a party that will have a hard time winning any elections).

[DUmmie happyslug does this HUGH, long, Pittian, historical-analysis essay, as Reply #336 on this thread, long after the OP has been exposed and banished . . . and NO ONE WILL READ IT!! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!]