Socially Conservative Democrat vs.Socially Liberal Republican

[Pushed To The Left]

Who would you choose? If the Republican was more progressive on an issue such as the drug war, gay rights, etc. and the Democrat was not, would you cross party lines?

[La_Serpiente]

1. I would vote Lincoln Chafee over Bayh of Indiana

[cyclezealot]

2. I agree.

But, I would be pressuring Chafee to become a Democrat. Dubya can't be doing well in Rhode Island. that is a dead end for Chafee, I would think..The party of Dubya/Grover Norquist.
Should that liberal Repug. however, vote for Bush's tax cuts and sign on Norquists' anti tax pledge- then all bets are off. I would vote for neither.
Socailly liberal, yet return the U.S. to the era of William McKinley is not progressive.
Yet, I agree.. Some of my favorite pols have been Mayor John Lindsay, former Gov. William Milliken of Mich., Sen. Jacob Javits of NY.

[phillybri]

5. Excellent point....

:kick:

[0rganism]

3. Depends. On one issue only? Probably not.

But if the election were between L. Chafee and Z. Miller, I'd go with Chafee every time.

[ldoolin]

4. Depends

That would depend on whether it's just one issue that the Republican is better on, or a whole list of issues. It would also depend on how liberal the Democrat is on issues other than social issues. For example:

If the Democrat is pro-life and voted for the flag burning amendment, but is also a leader in Congress on single-payer health care and disarmament, the Democrat would get my vote without a second thought. Example: Dennis Kucinich.

If, on the other hand, the Democrat is a waffling moderate on economic issues, and/or a leader of the "tough on crime" crowd, that taken in conjunction with their social conservatism would make it very likely for me to vote for a socially liberal Republican. Examples: Zell Miller, Dianne Feinstein.

If the Republican is such a strong leader on issues like opposition to the Patriot Act, opposition to the Iraq war, and opposition to the war on drugs that it trumps their economic conservatism, I would vote for that Republican until such time as a Democratic candidate comes along who takes an equally strong position on those issues. Example: Ron Paul.

If the Democrat's "social conservatism" is on an issue like immigration or guns (that the Democratic establishment is currently on the wrong side on), but they oppose the Religious Right's agenda and are a solid pro-labor or pro-environment liberal, the Democrat would get my enthusiastic vote. Examples: Wisconsin Secretary of State Doug LaFollette, former Washington congresswoman Jolene Unsoeld, and former Colorado governor Richard Lamm.

If on the other hand the Democrat's social conservatism tends more toward the Religious Right's anti-gay and anti-abortion agenda, I'd be more likely to vote for the socially liberal Republican. Example: Joe Lieberman.

Specific examples of where the liberal Republican would have gotten my vote over the "Democrat": 2000 California U.S. Senate race, Dianne Feinstein (D) vs. Tom Campbell (R): Would have voted for Tom Campbell. 1988 Connecticut U.S. Senate race, Joe Lieberman (D) vs. Lowell Weicker (R): Would have voted for Lowell Weicker.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

6. I'd look at their economic policies

Whatever their stands on behavioral issues, they don't really have much control over what people do in their private lives. Their economic policies can have a massive influence on our daily lives.

If the Republican was "socially liberal" because he was a closet Libertarian, for the legalization of drugs and gay marriage and abortion, but always wanting to privatize everything and advocating the removal of environmental and labor protection laws, then I would definitely NOT vote for him.

If the socially conservative Democrat was someone like Minnesota's Jim Oberstar, socially conservative but strong on labor and economic issues and against foreign intervention, then I'd vote for him with no qualms whatsoever.

For me, the economic and international issues trump everything else.

[Az]

7. Given those options I would vote 3rd party

Anything less is just enabling the slide to the right. I don't want a tamed Republican party and I do not want a Conservative Democratic party. I am a left leaning liberal. I will vote for whoever best represents my ideas.