Yeah I meant more like staying the party you were elected but voting only for the other side while never voting for your side. Not actually switching to the other side officially.
In theory one could do this, but then you lose all backing from your party, and the side you “switch to” probably sees you as a double crosser, so you don’t have their trust either.
I’d also like to point out that in a bit ahitty system, switching sides doesn’t mean “never vote for you old side on anything.” That’s the point of having a larger group of people with different ideas. People may not align on everything, but there are some things we should be able to agree on, or at least discuss better than elementary school children before saying “he’s not in my club so I don’t care WHAT he has to say!”
I mean the opposite has happened. Democrat elected in turned Republican. Unfortunately we elect the person so if they fail their voters like that you have to wait till they screw up or reelection. This might vary by state though, but I think this is also the common logic for it?
Right I meant more of not “switching parties” like they did. Moreso, elected as a Republican and only vote with the democrats without changing your party.
In a small town election you may get away without having to do that. I read of a case where someone ran for republican, was unchallenged for republican candidates, then in primaries was voted in because she had an R in front of her name.
Can’t someone run as a Republican, gain office and then never vote for Republican ideals/far right stances? Or is that not a thing that can be done?
Considering a woman ran as a democrat then switched to republican as soon as she was in office, it doesn’t seem like anything stopping them.
And when I went to find a link apparently it’s happened multiple times just this year.
https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/05/politics/north-carolina-republican-supermajority-democrat-switch-parties/index.html
https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/13/politics/georgia-lawmaker-party-switch-democrat-republican/index.html
Yeah I meant more like staying the party you were elected but voting only for the other side while never voting for your side. Not actually switching to the other side officially.
Oh, gotcha! I think they would likely be ousted pretty quickly if they tried that.
In theory one could do this, but then you lose all backing from your party, and the side you “switch to” probably sees you as a double crosser, so you don’t have their trust either.
I’d also like to point out that in a bit ahitty system, switching sides doesn’t mean “never vote for you old side on anything.” That’s the point of having a larger group of people with different ideas. People may not align on everything, but there are some things we should be able to agree on, or at least discuss better than elementary school children before saying “he’s not in my club so I don’t care WHAT he has to say!”
So like reverse Joe Manchin…
I mean the opposite has happened. Democrat elected in turned Republican. Unfortunately we elect the person so if they fail their voters like that you have to wait till they screw up or reelection. This might vary by state though, but I think this is also the common logic for it?
Right I meant more of not “switching parties” like they did. Moreso, elected as a Republican and only vote with the democrats without changing your party.
Problem is you have to do/say a lot of terrible shit to get accepted by GOP voters. They want a track record of hurting people.
In a small town election you may get away without having to do that. I read of a case where someone ran for republican, was unchallenged for republican candidates, then in primaries was voted in because she had an R in front of her name.
Yeah I was thinking about that as I was trying to pay the scenario in my head. I couldn’t do it.