[WestRiverTraveler]

I spoke to the local GOP state rep candidate over the weekend. Nice guy. Old school NE Republican. RINO by current standards. From what I can see, he's running a great campaign. He's certainly working is butt off knocking doors and talking to people. According to him, his single biggest barrier is the R next to his name. Mind you, our state rep until 2 years ago was Republican. Over and over again, he's hearing that people just can vote for any Rs given the state of the party in 2022.

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by WestRiverTraveler

I spoke to the local GOP state rep candidate over the weekend. Nice guy. Old school NE Republican. RINO by current standards. From what I can see, he's running a great campaign. He's certainly working is butt off knocking doors and talking to people. According to him, his single biggest barrier is the R next to his name. Mind you, our state rep until 2 years ago was Republican. Over and over again, he's hearing that people just can vote for any Rs given the state of the party in 2022.

Which candidate said this?

[WestRiverTraveler]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

Which candidate said this?

John Rasimas. Madison and Durham.

I told him that I appreciated his campaign, but I'm not voting for him. He asked why not. I said, "you are running as an R. Can't vote for any Rs with current state of the party. He said, "That's my biggest barrier. I hear that a lot."

He assured me he would be independent, etc, etc.

[SteveM85]

Originally Posted by WestRiverTraveler

John Rasimas. Madison and Durham.

I told him that I appreciated his campaign, but I'm not voting for him. He asked why not. I said, "you are running as an R. Can't vote for any Rs with current state of the party. He said, "That's my biggest barrier. I hear that a lot."

He assured me he would be independent, etc, etc.

R is the new F word in CT

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by WestRiverTraveler

I spoke to the local GOP state rep candidate over the weekend. Nice guy. Old school NE Republican. RINO by current standards. From what I can see, he's running a great campaign. He's certainly working is butt off knocking doors and talking to people. According to him, his single biggest barrier is the R next to his name. Mind you, our state rep until 2 years ago was Republican. Over and over again, he's hearing that people just can vote for any Rs given the state of the party in 2022.

Originally Posted by WestRiverTraveler

John Rasimas. Madison and Durham.

I told him that I appreciated his campaign, but I'm not voting for him. He asked why not. I said, "you are running as an R. Can't vote for any Rs with current state of the party. He said, "That's my biggest barrier. I hear that a lot."

He assured me he would be independent, etc, etc.

I get so mad when I hear RINO. That’s insulting as if just because you aren’t far right you can’t be part of the party.

I’m a moderate Republican and I’ve looked at the ballot. I’m voting for one Republican but that is for a minor office and I know the candidate. It kills me because there are issues like affordable housing, juvenile crime and police accountability that should be changed IMHO. I just can’t in good conscience vote for a party that has fallen so far here and especially nationally. Integrity is very important to me and I just don’t see it in the Republican Party today. Jay

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by WestRiverTraveler

John Rasimas. Madison and Durham.

I told him that I appreciated his campaign, but I'm not voting for him. He asked why not. I said, "you are running as an R. Can't vote for any Rs with current state of the party. He said, "That's my biggest barrier. I hear that a lot."

He assured me he would be independent, etc, etc.

So, here you have what seems to be a friendly guy, politically moderate and yet you still refuse to vote for him because of his party affiliation. That’s the problem with today’s political climate. And it proves my case I noted earlier that the issue doesn’t lie solely within the party - the Connecticut populace voting one way regardless is the bigger problem.

[SteveM85]

Originally Posted by JayCT

Integrity is very important to me and I just don’t see it in the Republican Party today. Jay

I would agree, I don't know why they care if two men get married or someone doesn't want to carry a rapists baby, it should be none of their business, I get it, but what is it about the other party, the one booked on Big Pharma bonus accruals, that waves paychecks in middle classers faces to bow down to their vax demands that has integrity to you? Help me connect the two

[WestRiverTraveler]

Originally Posted by JayCT

I get so mad when I hear RINO. That’s insulting as if just because you aren’t far right you can’t be part of the party.

I’m a moderate Republican and I’ve looked at the ballot. I’m voting for one Republican but that is for a minor office and I know the candidate. It kills me because there are issues like affordable housing, juvenile crime and police accountability that should be changed IMHO. I just can’t in good conscience vote for a party that has fallen so far here and especially nationally. Integrity is very important to me and I just don’t see it in the Republican Party today. Jay

I'm with you, Jay. I hate it, too. After being called a RINO and seeing it used on every Republican I supported once the "Tea Party" reared its head, I decided that since I was Republican in name only, I wouldn't be a Republican any more. Problem solved.

@kidyankee

I also know the Democrat state rep, John-Michael Parker. I don't agree with every vote he makes, but he returns my phone calls if I want to talk about an issue. Nice guy, strong commitment to help the community. Wicked smart, too.

You can think whatever you want about how and why I vote- but know this, until 2014, I was an active Republican. I was a GOP ward committee member in Boston. I was Baker delegate to the 2010 convention. I met Geoff Diehl at the 2010 GOP convention, when he was first running for his state rep seat. I was field director for a Republican state senate campaign. I door knocked and phone banked for Baker, Scott Brown, and the replacement to Scott's seat, Richard Ross. I've given hundreds of hours to time and hundreds of dollars to GOP candidates.

I saw EXACTLY where it was going, from the inside. I'll leave it at that. I don't want a yellow or this post deleted. Since then, I've split my ticket a lot, but I haven't since 2018 for Baker.

So, it's not about a blind blue vote for me. To keep this on topic, I don't have any issues with Ned. Is perfect? No. Is he pretty darn good for a Democrat? Yep. If Rasimas ran as an Independent, he might have my vote. Maybe, maybe I could vote for Stewart with an R in front of her name. Maybe. There are consequences in my book for staying in that party. If you are actually going to be independent, be that. But you can can't play both sides and get my vote in 2022. Not John, Not Bob. None of them.

[SteveM85]

Some posts here prove my point.
Lamont has CT in the palm of his hand right now under a spell. He's like Glenda the witch hypnotizing the populace "there's no place like CT, there's no place like CT".

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by WestRiverTraveler

I'm with you, Jay. I hate it, too. After being called a RINO and seeing it used on every Republican I supported once the "Tea Party" reared its head, I decided that since I was Republican in name only, I wouldn't be a Republican any more. Problem solved.

@kidyankee

I also know the Democrat state rep, John-Michael Parker. I don't agree with every vote he makes, but he returns my phone calls if I want to talk about an issue. Nice guy, strong commitment to help the community. Wicked smart, too.

You can think whatever you want about how and why I vote- but know this, until 2014, I was an active Republican. I was a GOP ward committee member in Boston. I was Baker delegate to the 2010 convention. I met Geoff Diehl at the 2010 GOP convention, when he was first running for his state rep seat. I was field director for a Republican state senate campaign. I door knocked and phone banked for Baker, Scott Brown, and the replacement to Scott's seat, Richard Ross. I've given hundreds of hours to time and hundreds of dollars to GOP candidates.

I saw EXACTLY where it was going, from the inside. I'll leave it at that. I don't want a yellow or this post deleted. Since then, I've split my ticket a lot, but I haven't since 2018 for Baker.

So, it's not about a blind blue vote for me. To keep this on topic, I don't have any issues with Ned. Is perfect? No. Is he pretty darn good for a Democrat? Yep. If Rasimas ran as an Independent, he might have my vote. Maybe, maybe I could vote for Stewart with an R in front of her name. Maybe. There are consequences in my book for staying in that party. If you are actually going to be independent, be that. But you can can't play both sides and get my vote in 2022. Not John, Not Bob. None of them.

The reasons you vote the way you do are irrelevant. You said it yourself - decent candidate, decent guy, but you refuse to vote for him because of his party. That’s the very problem with voters today.