That's it! After two presidential elections in Nevada and a life spent trying to be a common sense voter and not relying on my party affiliation, I have decided along with my wife to vote a straight ticket ballot for the first time in my life. The surprise? A life-long Republican, I will cast every vote at my disposal for Democrats in 2006.
I've always been progressive to moderate and have generally tended to vote for moderate to liberal candidates but felt some obligation to register as a Republican in 1976 out of loyalty to Bob Dole who took time at the state fair to talk about politics, the obligation to vote and the need for choices in American politics. Although I cast my vote for Jimmy Carter after watching Nixon botch things, and voted for Carter again in 1980, I voted for Dole, Nancy Landon Kassebaum and other Republicans along with Democrats in every election since.
But today, as I was perusing the blogs and growing more morose and depressed over the votes in the House and Senate this week, I saw the first dribbles of news regarding Representative Foley comes across DailyKos, Atrios and First-Draft and couldn't believe what I was seeing. Not that I'm surprised as the worst-of-the-worst seem to have been coddled and propped in the rising flood-waters of this pseudo-Republican hurricane that's devastated America since 1994. But to read just before dinner that another Representative whom the page actually worked for had informed house leadership nearly a year ago sent me over the edge.
As my wife and I discussed this over dinner we came to the conclusion that there is only one way we can send a message to our local and national representatives. We will vote Democrat in this and every subsequent election until we have a cadre of Republican candidates who can represent Nevada and America well. Do I expect this to pay off this year? No. I expect most of the Republicans in Nevada will win their elections locally and state-wide. But I will sleep better at night knowing that my vote and my money are going to support candidates I feel are running ethical campaigns. And when the DeLay dollars come home to roost on Jon Porter and the budget deficits of all those votes come home to roost on Gibbons, I'll at least have a clear conscience.
I would hope to see a massive national wave of advertising starting next week with the quotes from the Foley IM's scrolling over the local Republican candidates photo's. Let the candidates scream foul play...it's just a page from the Rovian play book. Will I change my party affiliation? I doubt it. I want to see the Republican party return to fiscal conservatism and a laissez-faire social policy. By voting in Republican primaries, I have a chance to take this party back from the freaks.