# Is Olympia Snowe Next? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 29, 2009, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-olympia-snowe-next/494773 "2009-04-29T21:08:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![groo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecd19e/32.png) [@groo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groo)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2009, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-olympia-snowe-next/494773/41 "2009-04-30T13:01:24Z")
When I start hearing every bankable Republican for the past 20 years as being RINOs, I start suspecting that people like Snow are actually true Republicans and are trying to get the party back to its basics. Her op-ed piece int the NYT said as much: fiscal conservatism, personal liberty. There was a time many years ago when I’d have long, interesting discussions with Republicans, but then the Republican party got caught up in this religious nonsense and fiscal-and-moral schizophrenia, and most of my discussions with Republicans have become just plain torture ;). So either the Republican party returns to its roots or it scoots off to the margins while some right-leaning part of the Democratic party cleaves off and starts championing the Republican platform as defined in the dictionaries. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2009, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-olympia-snowe-next/494773/42 "2009-04-30T15:49:43Z")
Snowe and/or Collins may switch, it is impossible to tell, because if they do it will not be based on any political calculus. It would be based purely on ideological grounds, that they feel that the GOP no longer represents their interests. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2009, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-olympia-snowe-next/494773/43 "2009-04-30T16:06:52Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Well, being in the minority party is a lot less fun than being in the majority party. … Being one of the small handful of Senators who control the balance of power between filibuster or not (remember that a few Democrats won’t just vote against filibuster if they are against the particular legislation) is a lot more fun than being taken for granted by any party. And whatever the letter after their names they are that. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2009, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-olympia-snowe-next/494773/44 "2009-04-30T16:51:18Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Being one of the small handful of Senators who control the balance of power between filibuster or not (remember that a few Democrats won’t just vote against filibuster if they are against the particular legislation) is a lot more fun than being taken for granted by any party. And whatever the letter after their names they are that. Yeah, but you can get that as Ben Nelson as easily as you can as Susan Collins or Olympia Snowe. Committee chair roles though are “Letter After Your Name” dependant. Again, not that I suggest she _would_ change but there’s advantages to being in the majority part if you’re going to be straddling the line anyway. I suspect though that she considers herself a Republican and will stay with the party barring some major event. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2009, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-olympia-snowe-next/494773/45 "2009-04-30T17:32:20Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > She also could switch to make a point. She’s been saying ‘big tent’ and if the GOP creates a pup tent and she is left standing outside in the rain saying ‘big tent’ she may leave just to say “hey, you guys have made a tent so small I don’t feel I belong or am welcome.” It may be a smaller tent, but it is the [Tent of Freedom[sup]®[/sup]](http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/4/28/725461/-Sanchez-baffled-by-GOP-spin:-What-the-hell): > [@](#): > > CNN’S RICK SANCHEZ: [Specter] seems to be saying that Republicans are making it very difficult for other Republicans to win because, and he said this on several times, you tell me what you think of it: You’re shrinking the electorate to an extreme to a point where a regular Republican can’t win. What do you make of that argument? > > **SENATOR JIM DEMINT (R-SC):** That’s quite the opposite. **We’re seeing across the country right now that the biggest tent of all is the tent of freedom.** And what we need to do as Republicans is convince Americans that freedom can work in all areas of their life for every American, whether it’s education or health care, or creating jobs… ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2009, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-olympia-snowe-next/494773/46 "2009-04-30T17:56:58Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > It may be a smaller tent, but it is the [Tent of Freedom[sup]®[/sup]](http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/4/28/725461/-Sanchez-baffled-by-GOP-spin:-What-the-hell): FI, how could you not quote the best part: > [@](#): > > Sanchez: What the hell does that mean? The ‘biggest tent’ is ‘freedom’? Freedom? You’ve got to do better than that!" ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/47e85d/32.png) [@Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Lance_Murdoch)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2009, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-olympia-snowe-next/494773/47 "2009-05-01T04:10:39Z")
It means the senators from that tent have been set free. By the voters. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2009, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-olympia-snowe-next/494773/48 "2009-05-01T04:20:30Z")
Is that where we can buy those Freedom Fries? Oh [this is interesting.](http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/04/party-of-nobody.html) > [@](#): > > the number of Republicans has decreased by about 5 percent since Inauguration Day, from roughly 27 percent to 22 percent. The number of Democrats has also decreased slightly, however, from 38 percent to 35-36 percent. The gains have been made by independents, whose numbers have increased from 30 percent to about 36 percent, such that there are now roughly equal numbers of independents and Democrats. People are not running to the Democratic Party. They are just leaving the GOP. Saying that you do not belong where the GOP is right now is following the electorate’s inertia. Flipping from the GOP into the Democratic Party is apparently not. ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2009, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-olympia-snowe-next/494773/49 "2009-05-01T11:51:54Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > Snowe and/or Collins may switch, it is impossible to tell, because if they do it will not be based on any political calculus. It would be based purely on ideological grounds, that they feel that the GOP no longer represents their interests. Once they help Maine legalize SSM they may have to. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2009, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-olympia-snowe-next/494773/50 "2009-05-01T12:22:00Z")
> [@cosmosdan](#): > > Once they help Maine legalize SSM they may have to. Why? What will the RNC do? How will Rush and others bloviating affect them? As an aside - as Senators how does the prospect of legalized SSM in Maine need their help? ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2009, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-olympia-snowe-next/494773/51 "2009-05-01T13:52:39Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Why? What will the RNC do? How will Rush and others bloviating affect them? > > As an aside - as Senators how does the prospect of legalized SSM in Maine need their help? I was partly joking, suggesting if they came out to support SSM in Maine the hardliners in the RNC might accuse them of abandoning Republican ideals. The problem is IMO the connection of basic conservative principles of small government and spending with issues such as SSM, abortion, stem cell research etc. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2009, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-olympia-snowe-next/494773/52 "2009-05-01T14:24:05Z")
Oh I thought it was a real reference to the news that [the Maine Senate passed a SSM Act](http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/01/us/01maine.html?ref=global-home) and that Snowe _is_ considered to be solidly pro-gay rights. ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2009, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-olympia-snowe-next/494773/53 "2009-05-01T20:26:21Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Oh I thought it was a real reference to the news that [the Maine Senate passed a SSM Act](http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/01/us/01maine.html?ref=global-home) and that Snowe _is_ considered to be solidly pro-gay rights. Ohhh I hadn’t seen that yet. Cool. I’ll bet my sister who still lives there is disgusted, but hopefully not. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-olympia-snowe-next/494773.md?page=2)