What if we resurrected the Democratic-Republican Party?

[aspiringconstitutionalist]

I'm not actually advocating anything serious right now, but the thought crossed my mind...

What if we were to resurrect the Democratic-Republican Party that Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe founded as sort of a broad libertarian-minded unity party, and encouraged the Libertarians, the Constitution Partyists, the Reform Partyists, independents, the anti-war Republicans, and the more libertarian blue dog Democrats to join? It doesn't seem like it would be unreasonable to suspect that we could cobble together a pretty hefty sized party.

These days, 50-60% of Americans long for a viable third party (http://www.pollingreport.com/institut2.htm). Recent polling data show that between 25-30% of those who call themselves Republicans oppose the war in Iraq and disapprove of the neocon Bush administration (http://www.pollingreport.com/iraq.htm). As recently as 1992, 19% of voters were willing to (and actually did) cast their votes for a third party presidential candidate. Tons of Democrats are disillusioned with their party for failing to forcefully oppose the war as well as the growing surveillance state and the government's spy powers. Throw in the Libertarian Party, Constitution Party, and disaffected, libertarian-minded independents who haven't found a party they like yet.

We could form a party with clear libertarian principles that advocates strict constitutionalism in government, with a religion-neutral policy (which would be more welcoming to those who'd like to join the Constitution Party but find the religionism a bit overwhelming), that is not afraid to strongly oppose the war(s) and the spy state. Including the names "Democrat" and "Republican" in the same phrase would also help connect to the roots of both major parties, would make modern Democrats and Republicans feel more comfortable about entering, and the name of course would sound a lot less fringe. If we play our cards right, we could attract a huge chunk of American voters.

Just a thought.

[aspiringconstitutionalist]

Here's a little history on it for those who are interested: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic-Republican_Party#References

[BarryDonegan]

you can only sit so hard on thomas jefferson before the msm slanders you as pro-slavery.

[aspiringconstitutionalist]

its essentially the beginning of the GOP, why resurrect it? Why not take the GOP back to its roots.

Actually, the Democratic Party is the ancestor of the Democratic-Republican Party. The Republican Party came into existence on its own in 1854.

[brooklyn]

I'm all for this. How do we set this up so that it is different from other third party attempts. I would be 100% behind this after what we experienced in Nevada with the GOP assh---s

[GunnyFreedom]

I'm all for this. How do we set this up so that it is different from other third party attempts. I would be 100% behind this after what we experienced in Nevada with the GOP assh---s

I imagine that the best way would be to overwhelm the existing GOP by a flood of Constructionists, unseat the entire establishmet, take over the National Committee, and impose a name change from the leadership to be accorded at the next RNC Convention. :D

[Kade]

If you stop insulting me for once, you will notice that I have been an advocate for this for a long, long time.

I am 100% in favor of this... Absolutely.

[nate895]

It is being resurrected...

http://jeffersonrepublican.blogspot.com/

They have two city council seats.

[nate895]

I imagine that the best way would be to overwhelm the existing GOP by a flood of Constructionists, unseat the entire establishmet, take over the National Committee, and impose a name change from the leadership to be accorded at the next RNC Convention. :D

Never gonna happen, even if we had 75% of the party grassroots behind us.

[hillbilly123069]

It has to die before it can be reborn.

[GunnyFreedom]

Never gonna happen, even if we had 75% of the party grassroots behind us.

How many votes did you miss your State Convention slates by?

[nate895]

How many votes did you miss your State Convention slates by?

We won them (well, 73/86). We got to the State convention and they just gaveled their way out of anything that might have been embarrassing.

[nate895]

Bump

[brooklyn]

And that is what they will continue to do if we don't form our own party.
We need to stop looking through only one side of the tube.
Yes, we are now more experiencied and know what to look for but so do they.
They stopped at nothing, including criminal actions to thwart our actions and will do so again. and again. and again.
I think we need a new approach, fresh ideas.
A new party sounds great right now.

[nate895]

And that is what they will continue to do if we don't form our own party.
We need to stop looking through only one side of the tube.
Yes, we are now more experiencied and know what to look for but so do they.
They stopped at nothing, including criminal actions to thwart our actions and will do so again. and again. and again.
I think we need a new approach, fresh ideas.
A new party sounds great right now.

I think a new party with the appropriate management can pick up a house seat per million dollars it spends on campaigning. That would vary state-to-state with Senate seats, of course. If a new party could get 10-20 seats in the House in 2010, and two or three in the Senate, I think it'd be considered viable in 2012 with the proper funding.

[aspiringconstitutionalist]

If you stop insulting me for once, you will notice that I have been an advocate for this for a long, long time.

I am 100% in favor of this... Absolutely.

Really?? Cool -- What sort of ideas have you come up with concerning this?

[BeFranklin]

I think a new party with the appropriate management can pick up a house seat per million dollars it spends on campaigning. That would vary state-to-state with Senate seats, of course. If a new party could get 10-20 seats in the House in 2010, and two or three in the Senate, I think it'd be considered viable in 2012 with the proper funding.

We could do it cheaper or even free with online targeted market. We haven't even begun to utilize online strategy this season. Most of what we did this election was online publicity, not targeted marketing.

[nate895]

We could do it cheaper or even free with online targeted market. We haven't even begun to utilize online strategy this season. Most of what we did this election was online publicity, not targeted marketing.

I think that would be an integral part of the strategy, but TV and radio ads are still the most effective medium.

[GunnyFreedom]

We won them (well, 73/86). We got to the State convention and they just gaveled their way out of anything that might have been embarrassing.

That was your state convention? 159 Attending? At 107 then you would have a super majority. So bring 21 more voters to your next state convention and unseat the chair first off. Replace with your own Parlimentarian immediately, and you control the gavel.

8-)

Even with only a simple majority, you could have done anything you wanted to if you knew (and your chair recognized) Robert's Rules.

But 2009 is special. it is the election of all the party chairpersons. The executives who actually run the GOP. So bring 21 more voters, and now your own guy owns the state GOP.

[GunnyFreedom]

Idea: every C4L group going into convention bring with them a parlimentarian.

[nate895]

That was your state convention? 159 Attending? At 107 then you would have a super majority. So bring 21 more voters to your next state convention and unseat the chair first off. Replace with your own Parlimentarian immediately, and you control the gavel.

8-)

Even with only a simple majority, you could have done anything you wanted to if you knew (and your chair recognized) Robert's Rules.

But 2009 is special. it is the election of all the party chairpersons. The executives who actually run the GOP. So bring 21 more voters, and now your own guy owns the state GOP.

Our state convention had apx. 1400 delegates. We had, at least by the end of the convention, a majority by 10 seats. They got out of us passing any more resolutions by having made, at the beginning of the convention, a rule book that prevented us from going off of their set agenda without a 2/3 majority. The reason they were able to pass that is that the sympathetic Huck and Romney delegates were unaware of their plans, and they had rushed through by limiting debate to twenty minutes, which was just short enough to prevent the seating of our alternates.

[BeFranklin]

That was your state convention? 159 Attending? At 107 then you would have a super majority. So bring 21 more voters to your next state convention and unseat the chair first off. Replace with your own Parlimentarian immediately, and you control the gavel.

8-)

Even with only a simple majority, you could have done anything you wanted to if you knew (and your chair recognized) Robert's Rules.

But 2009 is special. it is the election of all the party chairpersons. The executives who actually run the GOP. So bring 21 more voters, and now your own guy owns the state GOP.

Ok, that should be our next short term goal for 2009. We haven't lost momentum as our convention we just had shows. We can do it :) I nominate you for organizing it :D

[aspiringconstitutionalist]

bump

[Jeremy]

Uh, in case you didn't know the real name of it was the Republican Party....

[acptulsa]

Isn't that the party we have? As in, isn't that the only party we have?

[aspiringconstitutionalist]

Uh, in case you didn't know the real name of it was the Republican Party....

It was called both the Republican Party and Democratic Party interchangeably. Hence why the overall name of the party was the Democratic-Republican Party.

[Jeremy]

It was called both the Republican Party and Democratic Party interchangeably. Hence why the overall name of the party was the Democratic-Republican Party.

No, the word "democrat" was used as an insult back then. Some Republicans were affiliated with the Democratic-Republican Societies (which the Federalists did not like). I'm guessing historians use the name to avoid confusion (or maybe the societies name just caught on after a while). Although parties weren't much of anything back then and no one cared about names, they refereed to themselves as Republicans.

[aspiringconstitutionalist]

No, the word "democrat" was used as an insult back then. Some Republicans were affiliated with the Democratic-Republican Societies (which the Federalists did not like). I'm guessing historians use the name to avoid confusion (or maybe the societies name just caught on after a while). Although parties weren't much of anything back then and no one cared about names, they refereed to themselves as Republicans.

"Democrat" started out as an insult, but it was soon embraced by the more libertarian faction of the party by the beginning of the 1800s. "Democratic-Republican Party" was the name of the group for the bulk of its existence.

[Jeremy]

It's still the Republican Party. :D

[aspiringconstitutionalist]

It's still the Republican Party. :D

It's actually the Democratic Party these days. The Dems are really the only currently existing party descending directly from the Democratic-Republican Party.

[nate895]

It's actually the Democratic Party these days. The Dems are really the only currently existing party descending directly from the Democratic-Republican Party.

The GOP is descended too.

It goes

Dem-Rep of Jefferson-Democrats
or
Dem-Rep of Jefferson-National Republican Party-Whig Party-Republican Party

[aspiringconstitutionalist]

The GOP is descended too.

It goes

Dem-Rep of Jefferson-Democrats
or
Dem-Rep of Jefferson-National Republican Party-Whig Party-Republican Party

Actually, the modern Republican Party is not descended from the Whig Party. It is another party entirely that rose up of its own accord, though many Whigs happened to defect to it.

[nate895]

Actually, the modern Republican Party is not descended from the Whig Party. It is another party entirely that rose up of its own accord, though many Whigs happened to defect to it.

Former Whigs made it. If we decided to form this party, and it replaced the Republicans as the Right-wing party, we'd be considered descended from them. In your instance, the Democratic Party was the idea of Martin Van Buren, not a descendant of the party of Jefferson, when we know it is since it had the same ideas as one faction of the party.

[Jeremy]

No, Whigs did not make the GOP. That's like saying Republicans made the LP.

[nate895]

No, Whigs did not make the GOP. That's like saying Republicans made the LP.

Former Republicans did make the Whigs, and the Republicans took a faction of the whigs. Libertarians have sometimes been members of the GOP, but the GOP never was a libertarian party. The Republicans were the former Northern, free soil, Whigs.

[aspiringconstitutionalist]

Former Republicans did make the Whigs, and the Republicans took a faction of the whigs. Libertarians have sometimes been members of the GOP, but the GOP never was a libertarian party. The Republicans were the former Northern, free soil, Whigs.

Whoa. I just went cross-eyed, reading that.

:D

[Grimnir Wotansvolk]

Those who frequent the chat know I'd jump at the chance for something like this.

I'm hypothetically on board.