# What do Republicans have to do to win Democratic votes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [July 8, 2019, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-republicans-have-to-do-to-win-democratic-votes/836712 "2019-07-08T15:29:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2019, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-republicans-have-to-do-to-win-democratic-votes/836712/61 "2019-07-09T17:56:36Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > So if I’m a single issue “fiscal responsibility” voter, and between the two parties I have one group who wants to cut taxes and seemingly do nothing to cut spending, and another group who’s willing to raise taxes and cut military spending in order to balance the budget, which one should I vote for? Well, if one of them thinks we can get [$21 trillion out of the military budget](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/12/04/alexandria-ocasio-cortezs-trillion-mistake/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.504129e910c7) and spend all of it without addressing the deficit at all, it’s not an easy question to answer. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2019, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-republicans-have-to-do-to-win-democratic-votes/836712/62 "2019-07-09T18:06:27Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Well, if one of them thinks we can get [$21 trillion out of the military budget](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/12/04/alexandria-ocasio-cortezs-trillion-mistake/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.504129e910c7) and spend all of it without addressing the deficit at all, it’s not an easy question to answer. Is there anything the Republican Party can do to attract Democrats that you would find reasonable? ---
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2019, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-republicans-have-to-do-to-win-democratic-votes/836712/63 "2019-07-09T18:06:57Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Well, if one of them thinks we can get [$21 trillion out of the military budget](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/12/04/alexandria-ocasio-cortezs-trillion-mistake/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.504129e910c7) and spend all of it without addressing the deficit at all, it’s not an easy question to answer. > > Regards, > Shodan I guess its a really good thing that nobody on your side has ever said anything not quite accurate. Like for instance about airports during the revolutionary war. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2019, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-republicans-have-to-do-to-win-democratic-votes/836712/64 "2019-07-09T18:19:36Z")
> [@Airbeck](#): > > I guess its a really good thing that nobody on your side has ever said anything not quite accurate. Like for instance about airports during the revolutionary war. Given that we’re still hearing about how Obama said there were 57 states, we’ll probably still be hearing about AOC’s rookie mistake after civilization collapses due to global warming. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2019, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-republicans-have-to-do-to-win-democratic-votes/836712/65 "2019-07-09T19:06:11Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > There’s nothing the GOP can do to attract voters like the SDMB, because - > > If the GOP turned into progressive Democrats, the SDMB and voters like them would just vote for the progressive Democrats anyway. > > The GOP could continue to support ideas with widespread support - voter ID, a ban on third-trimester abortions except if the fetus is dead or dying or will kill the mother, nuclear energy, GMOs, things like that. The difficulty is that the mainstream media will not cover it if they support those issues - they will put Democrats on air and assist them in changing the subject. > > Same with the deficit, which should be a mainstream issue. That needs to be dealt with a combination of tax increases and spending cuts. The MSM will help the Dems call for tax increases, and then determinedly change the subject when the spending cuts turn into spending increases. See the Medicare Sustainability Act, and AOC’s notion of cutting $720B from the military, M4A and its increase of the deficit. Etc. > > Regards, > Shodan Basically, what it comes down to is if the GOP stopped being racist, anti-democratic and anti-science, it wouldn’t be the GOP. Regards, MM28 ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2019, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-republicans-have-to-do-to-win-democratic-votes/836712/66 "2019-07-09T20:20:29Z")
I don’t think there is anything a Republican could do to win my vote for the rest of my lifetime. ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2019, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-republicans-have-to-do-to-win-democratic-votes/836712/67 "2019-07-09T20:28:35Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > The GOP could continue to support ideas with widespread support - voter ID This is a perfect example of why reconciliation isn’t going to be possible. Voter ID support isn’t really all that widespread among Democrats, but in any case, its support in both party exists entirely because of GOP lies about voter fraud. If the actual facts were presented (that in-person voter fraud is vanishingly rare, and that “voter ID” laws disenfranchise tens of thousands of times more legitimate voters than fraudulent ones, usually along racial and economic lines), it would lose nearly all of it’s support among Democrats and Independents, but still be very popular with the GOP, to whom the racism and disenfranchisement _is the whole point_. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2019, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-republicans-have-to-do-to-win-democratic-votes/836712/68 "2019-07-09T20:48:12Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Well, if one of them thinks we can get [$21 trillion out of the military budget](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/12/04/alexandria-ocasio-cortezs-trillion-mistake/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.504129e910c7) and spend all of it without addressing the deficit at all, it’s not an easy question to answer. > > Regards, > Shodan What a great non sequitur! Let’s ask a question that _is_ easy to answer – If a bill magically appeared before the current congress that would balance the budget by cutting military spending and simultaneously raising taxes on the wealthy… a) Would this bill make it to the President’s desk? b) Would the president sign it? ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2019, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-republicans-have-to-do-to-win-democratic-votes/836712/69 "2019-07-09T21:07:20Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Well, if one of them thinks we can get [$21 trillion out of the military budget](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/12/04/alexandria-ocasio-cortezs-trillion-mistake/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.504129e910c7) and spend all of it without addressing the deficit at all, it’s not an easy question to answer. > > Regards, > Shodan Republicans have lost total credibility on the deficit - that tends to happen when you cut taxes for the wealthy despite increased military commitments and spending. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2019, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-republicans-have-to-do-to-win-democratic-votes/836712/70 "2019-07-09T21:39:33Z")
They’ve also lost all credibility on patriotism, what with outing a CIA operative for political payback on her husband and supporting a Russian intelligence asset for president. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2019, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-republicans-have-to-do-to-win-democratic-votes/836712/71 "2019-07-09T21:52:31Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > As \*\*Shodan \*\*points out, the problem with a lot of these suggestions thus far is that if presented with a liberal Republican Party, and a liberal Democratic Party, most Democrats would still vote for the Democratic Party anyway. How do these suggestions change that? I addressed this point. I said it wouldn’t be enough for the Republicans to stop doing bad things. I agree with Shodan; people would still vote for the Democrats (who have a history of not doing bad things) over the Republicans (who would be recent converts). To win over new voters, the Republicans need to go beyond imitating the Democrats and offer something that the Democrats aren’t offering. And it’s got to be something real. Not just something like “We’ll protect you from the imaginary threat of socialists taking your house.” ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2019, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-republicans-have-to-do-to-win-democratic-votes/836712/72 "2019-07-09T21:59:59Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > I believe the Republicans of my childhood would have no problem saying something like, “Of course it’s bad that people die from lack of access to health care, and we truly want to help those people. We feel that the free market, and not the government, is in the best position to do that.” And if this position was backed up by evidence, Democrats would have no problem voting for it. In 1965 the Republicans of my childhood joined Democrats to vote[313-115 in the House and 68-21 in the Senate to pass Medicare.](http://acsc.lib.udel.edu/exhibits/show/legislation/social-security) ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2019, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-republicans-have-to-do-to-win-democratic-votes/836712/73 "2019-07-09T22:10:34Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > As \*\*Shodan \*\*points out, the problem with a lot of these suggestions thus far is that if presented with a liberal Republican Party, and a liberal Democratic Party, most Democrats would still vote for the Democratic Party anyway. How do these suggestions change that? Looking at my own life, I’ve pretty much voted for the Dems down the line. So it might help answer Velocity’s question for me to analyze the times that I didn’t. In 1980 I voted for Congressman Anderson (A moderate Republican running as an independent. I voted for my states (moderate-to-liberal) Republican Governor in the 70’s and 80’s (Bill Miliken), more times than I can remember in those pre-term-limited days. (I also voted for a couple of Republicans that I knew personally for local office.) So I guess the answer would be “GET BETTER CANDIDATES”. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2019, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-republicans-have-to-do-to-win-democratic-votes/836712/74 "2019-07-09T22:21:43Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > Basically, what it comes down to is if the GOP stopped being racist, anti-democratic and anti-science, it wouldn’t be the GOP. > Regards, > MM28 This. We don’t need a better Republican Party, we need better citizens. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2019, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-republicans-have-to-do-to-win-democratic-votes/836712/75 "2019-07-09T23:06:52Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I addressed this point. I said it wouldn’t be enough for the Republicans to stop doing bad things. I agree with Shodan; people would still vote for the Democrats (who have a history of not doing bad things) over the Republicans (who would be recent converts). To win over new voters, the Republicans need to go beyond imitating the Democrats and offer something that the Democrats aren’t offering. > > And it’s got to be something real. Not just something like “We’ll protect you from the imaginary threat of socialists taking your house.” What’s imaginary about a wealth tax or the other nutty far left ideas being floated by nutty far left democrats running for president? Should we not believe their pandering? ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2019, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-republicans-have-to-do-to-win-democratic-votes/836712/76 "2019-07-10T00:06:03Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > What’s imaginary about a wealth tax or the other nutty far left ideas being floated by nutty far left democrats running for president? Should we not believe their pandering? I don’t know that a wealth tax would qualify as a “nutty idea”. Most of the middle class pays a tax on the main repository of _their_ wealth. It’s called the _property_ tax. So what’s wrong with requiring the wealthy to pay a tax on the main repository of _their_ wealth? ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2019, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-republicans-have-to-do-to-win-democratic-votes/836712/77 "2019-07-10T00:57:20Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > In 1965 the Republicans of my childhood joined Democrats to vote[313-115 in the House and 68-21 in the Senate to pass Medicare.](http://acsc.lib.udel.edu/exhibits/show/legislation/social-security) If you’re old enough to clearly remember things from 1965, the “Republicans of your childhood” would be called Democrats today. (The Republicans of today would have been called “Disney Villains” then. The sort of stuff they’ve done in the last ten years would have been inconceivable for a political party that still called itself “American.”) ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2019, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-republicans-have-to-do-to-win-democratic-votes/836712/78 "2019-07-10T01:03:41Z")
Just two examples of how far right the GOP has gone. Obamacare was originally a Republican proposal. Not just Romneycare in MA, but a very similar proposal was made in response to Hillary’s proposals in 1993. Obama clearly expected the GOP to go along and tried hard to make it bipartisan. But the Newtered Republicans turned against it. Second, carbon tax was originally a conservative proposal–a market-based solution to avoid the government having to set quotas for each company and the complications of selling quotas. Instead the Republicans decided that climate change was a fiction. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2019, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-republicans-have-to-do-to-win-democratic-votes/836712/79 "2019-07-10T01:23:07Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Same with the deficit, which should be a mainstream issue. That needs to be dealt with a combination of tax increases and spending cuts. The MSM will help the Dems call for tax increases, and then determinedly change the subject when the spending cuts turn into spending increases. See the Medicare Sustainability Act, and AOC’s notion of cutting $720B from the military, M4A and its increase of the deficit. Etc. What?! A decrease in the military budget under the guise of cutting spending; does this woman’s perfidy know no bounds? ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2019, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-republicans-have-to-do-to-win-democratic-votes/836712/80 "2019-07-10T01:48:32Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > Republicans have lost total credibility on the deficit - that tends to happen when you cut taxes for the wealthy despite increased military commitments and spending. Don’t forget Medicare Part D (for prescription drugs); a whole new entitlement and not a peep about how to pay for it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-republicans-have-to-do-to-win-democratic-votes/836712.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-republicans-have-to-do-to-win-democratic-votes/836712.md?page=5)