Posted on 08/17/2004 11:55:44 AM PDT by rface
Daryl Renschler said he's going to do something he has not done since 1976 - vote for the Democratic candidate for president.
In the era of Watergate and Vietnam, the lifelong Republican gave his support to Jimmy Carter. Today, nearly three decades later, Renschler finds himself again mistrusting the government and hating what he contends has become a quagmire of a war.
Come November, he'll vote for John Kerry.
"We were misled during the Vietnam War ... and they're misleading us now," said Renschler. "Normally, a war unites a country. This one split it.
"I don't know what we're doing in Iraq. Someone gets you in a mess; you need someone else to clean it up," he said. "Kerry has a better approach to extract us from this mess we're in."
The Solebury resident is part of the recently formed Bucks Republicans for Kerry, which hopes to get people to vote - particularly younger constituents - against George Bush.
"I'm ashamed to be associated with [the Republican Party]," Renschler said.
Across the country, groups are popping up in support of the opposition. And it's not only Republicans for Kerry. There are Democrats for George Bush, too, though that group has not manifested locally. Experts say issues like the war in Iraq and the economy drive voters to Kerry, and gay marriage and abortion push them to Bush.
"It's [one thing] to quietly say, 'I can't do it this time.' To do it more publicly is unusual," said Joan Hulse Thompson, an associate professor of political science at Arcadia University. "People are not just satisfied to vote against [George Bush] but to organize against him. That's a step beyond."
Sue Tinsman is taking that step. The 82-year-old lifelong Republican ticks off her beefs with Bush like clockwork. The war. The loss of international support. The economy. The environment. Education.
"I could go on and on. This is the most important election in our history," said the Solebury resident, who says her choice this year could even strain relations with longtime friends. "I'm a moderate Republican, but I don't think our administration is currently moderate. It's extremely conservative. Kerry is a moderate Democrat. There's not much difference between them and moderate Republicans."
In every election, voters cross party lines. There were Democrats for Richard Nixon and Republicans for George McGovern in 1972 - many of them split over the Vietnam War.
Election 2004 is no exception. According to Clay Richards, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll Institute, the crossover vote this year is about average, between 7 percent to 10 percent for each side. That's based on polls the institute has taken in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Florida, New Jersey and New York.
"There are not any large numbers yet. It's not heavily organized," Richards said. "It's not as much as the Reagan Democrats [who tended to be blue-collar union members]."
Some experts reason that Democrats will support Bush because they may support the war and they don't want to change the commander-in-chief at a time of continual fighting. But the real catalyst could be gay marriage.
"People are cross-pressured. They want to vote [on] certain issues but can't get it all with one candidate," said Hulse Thompson.
Same-sex marriage could push conservative Democrats, including Catholics and religious black men, to Bush's side, she said. Bush favors a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, while Kerry opposes same-sex marriage, but supports civil unions.
"People get confused on it," said Frank Colon, a political science professor at Lehigh University. Some, said Colon, think Kerry favors gay marriage, partially because his home state is Massachusetts, the first to issue licenses to gay couples.
Ted Morgan, also a professor of political science at Lehigh, says he's not surprised a Republican group for Kerry would crop up in Bucks County.
"It's exactly where I expect it to come from. It's an affluent area. There are old-money Republicans, and most are alienated by Bush. Kerry doesn't freak them out. He's one of them," he said. "Bucks is kind of interesting. It's kind of progressive. The religious right being in politics scares them. They're more libertarian."
Bucks County has always been a stronghold of Republicans. As of Aug. 7, there were 201,870 registered Republicans and 164,551 registered Democrats in the county. But the Democratic candidates at the top of the ticket in major elections in recent years have carried Bucks. Both Bill Clinton and Al Gore did it, as did Ed Rendell in his gubernatorial bid in 2002.
"Republicans, too, rallied around Rendell, and maybe that's being tapped to some degree [now]," said Colon. "Rendell is not a great coattail, but he may have given [Republican voters] pause to think, 'Maybe I'm going to continue in this direction.' In Bucks, there's a stronger independent group than people think."
Joseph Duffy, a Republican from Solebury, said he intends to vote Democrat in November.
"Kerry is a mixed-up fellow," he said. "But he's a far better choice than Bush."
Hilary Bentman can be reached at 215-538-6380 or hbentman@phillyBurbs.com
Bucks county is affluent, that's true. This is where New Hope is located, the artsy community of gays and leftist "intellectuals", now pseudo Republicans. Michener and Pearl Buck lived there.
Try this http://www.fundrace.org/neighbors.php but they only have this election cycle.
Count me as one of them!
but isn't that a bit politically self-serving since the end result could be a Kerry presidency...
Isn't it politically suicidal to reward a party that ignores you? What incentive will Republicans have to return to conservative ways?
knowing full well the danger such a presidency would place our country in.
What could be more dangerous than the current situation, where BOTH parties are destroying our country with unchecked immigration, big government and tyrannical laws like the PATRIOT Act?
People died to give us our right to vote,
Which is why I won't waste mine on a Republicrat like Bush!
Can our country survive two more Ruth Vader Ginsberg type justices...let alone the one who currently serves a life term?
That's what a Republican majority in the Senate is for.
"We were misled during the Vietnam War ... and they're misleading us now," said Renschler"
This is the hypnosis of the Far left at work here. Only Kerry and his camp claim America was misled in Iraq. I am so tired of hearing we were misled. The only misleading is being done by the left misleading america into thinking that GW is a bad president. There were WMD's, Saddam evil, We were right to go to war.... What is the misled statement all about... Too many people watching Michael Moore movies. I think Michael Moore should be brought up on charges of sedition.
I agree .. just being a registered republican does not guarantee the person supports the repub policies. And .. any republican who votes for Carter - IS NOT A REPUBLICAN.
Don't forget presidents use executive orders (remember Clinton) to get what they want!
As to spending...when you fight a war you spend money, sorry,that's the way it is!
Only you are confused Franky. Kerry IS for gay marriage. You may be confused by his obfuscation and flip flops.
Any Republican who was foolish enough to vote for Jimmy Carter is better off in the other party.
Lifelong Republican voting for Carter - that must be a lie! There is not such a thing, besides - maybe she was with Kerry in Vietnam! LOL
"I'm a moderate Republican, but I don't think our administration is currently moderate. It's extremely conservative. Kerry is a moderate Democrat."
What planet has she been living on? She's obviously a Liberal and merely defines 'moderate' as someone who agrees with her.
"Depends... I like to think of myself as fiscally conservative and you can imagine in that respect Bush has a been a huge failure. Upsetting to no end really."
I don't believe we ever had anything more than a "projected surplus" with Klinton, you cannot have a true surplus with the national debt continuing to rise as it was everytime I checked. Bush now has to face huge war costs while at the same time we are locked into spending increases mandated by past actions of both parties and the social security mess is beyond repair in my opinion.
In the era of Watergate and Vietnam, the lifelong Republican gave his support to Jimmy Carter. Today, nearly three decades later, Renschler finds himself again mistrusting the government and hating what he contends has become a quagmire of a war.
If the numbskull voted for Carter the caterer hes not a lifelong Republican !
Dontcha just love lieing wishy washy humans ?
Daryl might want to ponder a moment as to how big a mistake he made in 1976. Heck, this year was the first time since 1980 that the 'Rats have allowed Jimmy Carter to speak at their convention. Two dozens years of shameful banishment at the hands of his own!
Today, nearly three decades later, Renschler finds himself again mistrusting the government...
Daryl mistrusts government so decides the fix is in giving power to the party that will only further increase the size and power of government? Duh!
Normally, a war unites a country. This one split it.
Daryl might want to ask himself why this war split our country. Could it be that the 'Rats have worked countless hours of overtime to ensure that our country is split?
Daryl, you're a dope.
I respect your opinion, albeit sadly. My own thoughts on the Republican Party leaning off the Conservative track is not betrayal but an effort to become entrenched as the Majority. This requires concessions to attract some of their voter base away from them. This has worked to some degree to the point where they have no real issues to stand on. With a greater majority in the House and Senate AND a President who won't loom as a veto threat...the Republican Party could achieve some REAL fiscal reform and address urgent issues.
This wont work if Republicans cut the legs off their party. The Immigration issue is no small fix. The numbers are quite large of suspected illegals already in our borders. To remove this huge group would be quite expensive both financially and from admin/enforcement costs. The economy probably couldnt survive the sudden loss of their productivity. Just saying our own unemployed would fill those jobs is dishonest at best which is why you have to be realistic not just venting anger. The real solution will be both complex and costly so knee jerk reactions to thinking the President is ignorant of our border problems is absurd.
The Majority in the Senate that you boldly profess will keep Kerry and his ilk from getting more Ruth Vader types onto the Supreme Court Bench is tenuous at best. The Democrats are fully infiltrated by Liberals and in case you didnt notice...they have a "win at all costs strategy" to get their power back.
The threat is very real not illusory and if you really want to turn your back on an opportunity to restore the Country we all once knew then may you have peace of mind when the results roll in on Nov. 2nd.
Rich Republican WOMEN will defect to Kerry, just as they did for Gore. Most affluent Republican men I know are still pulling the lever for Bush. The 2000 election exit polls in Bucks and other affluent suburban counties in the NE and Midwest showed that it was the women in these counties that went heavily for Gore, while the men still went for Bush (women outnumber us on election day you know).
Maybe if Bush puts in more appearances at an Oakland County "lifestyle mall" (you know, the ones with Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware), the "ladies who lunch" will view him more favorably.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.