We’re ALL Democrats now?

Everyone one has a story about someone they know or someone in their family who has finally decided that it’s not in their best interest to be Republican any more. I got one such story forwarded to me yesterday from a friend whose cousin changed parties because he finally realized that fiscal conservatism no longer lies with the Republican Party.

I agree with what John Cole has to say about that in The Fickle Finger Of Foreclosure:

To recap, these people were Republicans when they had a steady job, health insurance, a suburban house and a SUV, but switched to the social welfare party as soon as times went bad. I’m sorry if this sounds insensitive, but that’s pathetic. If you spend your life voting to force people in hard times to get off their ass and take some responsibility for their lives then suck it up and practice what you preach when the bottle stops on you.

Since 2000, I have often repeated–most often under my breath but sometimes aloud–when faced with the arrogant selfishness that is characterized by the modern-day Republican, “You’re just one personal disaster away from being a Democrat.”

And from Kos:

My wife’s Cuban grandparents were lifelong Republicans (as is usually the case in that community). My grandfather-in-law used to forward to me Republican direct-mail pieces to tweak me. Then he got sick, his medicines were costing over one grand per month, and suddenly, the whole family was railing about the costs and expecting the government to pick up the slack. He’d spent his lifetime sending money to the GOP — the same GOP that claimed the government has no role in making people’s lives better and which had enabled the pharmaceutical industry’s egregious business practices — yet suddenly he expected the government to bail him out, and was outraged that more help wasn’t available!

Everyone has stories like this one.

Now, it’s never a bad thing when people realize that government can play a positive role in our society. And while it would be nice if such conversions could happen like John’s and mine did — based on reason and analysis and not personal hardship — fact is, a lapsed Republican is a lapsed Republican. And the more of those we have, the closer we are to a solid, generational, progressive majority.