Any Known Party-Switching Courts?

[Free Bird]

Do we know or can we infer if there are or have been Senators that the opposite parties courted to switch to their side? Of course there are Specter and Jeffords who actually did it, but anyone else? I can think that the GOP has obviously courted Manchin, and Begich and Ben!Nelson in their time. Anyone else? I wouldn't be surprised if the Democrats tried to swoo Collins, Snowe, and Kirk.

[136or142]

Ben Nighthorse Campbell and Richard Shelby both switched from D to R sometime after the 1994 election.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

I'm surprised Murkowski didn't do a Lieberman after her last election I.e. Caucused but identified as an Indy for maximum pork for Alaska (a pork-loving state at the best of times)

Why on earth would they woo Kirk? Do you know how thick the Democratic bench is in Illinois?

[Miles]

I seems wackier now, but McCain was a prospect:

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[Nyvin]

Wasn't Begich hyper-liberal?   

Also I think occasionally Thad Cochran has voted with Democrats.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I also think Murkowski should have joined King in the Moderate Hero caucus.

[100% pro-life no matter what]

Manchin is the only one that I have heard for sure.  Collins is another possibility.  I'd actually say that Manchin is slightly further to the right than Collins.

Could y'all have imagined what it would have been like if Orman got to decide the majority himself last year?

[Stranger in a strange land]

Wasn't Begich hyper-liberal?   

Also I think occasionally Thad Cochran has voted with Democrats.

Yeah Begich was way too liberal to credibly switch parties: better to lose gracefully as a Democrat and run again down the road.

And Cochran, even if he did switch, would be unable to win reelection as a Democrat in Mississippi: the racial polarization there is too strong.

[Orser67]

I imagine Republicans tried to convince Lieberman to caucus with them.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Collins need to become a Dem because her chances of winning reelection is small in 2020.

Joseph Lieberman was a DINO, but he was the VP nominee in 2000 when the SCOTUS gave the election away. He's never going to caucus with GOP after that.

King was the only one after 2014, but he realized the Dems maybe back in power by 2016

[Free Bird]

Collins need to become a Dem because her chances of winning reelection is small in 2020.

Joseph Lieberman was a DINO, but he was the VP nominee in 2000 when the SCOTUS gave the election away. He's never going to caucus with GOP after that.

King was the only one after 2014, but he realized the Dems maybe back in power by 2016

Did you seriously just say that Collins has a small chance of winning in 2020 if she runs? Mods? Ban him. Now. He's clearly trolling, and King did the maybe game for attention

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

No, I hope she runs for Gov and Dems win that seat. The GOP rather have a hard time keeping senate in presidential years; so she might rather be gov.

[Türkisblau]

Collins need to become a Dem because her chances of winning reelection is small in 2020.

Joseph Lieberman was a DINO, but he was the VP nominee in 2000 when the SCOTUS gave the election away. He's never going to caucus with GOP after that.

King was the only one after 2014, but he realized the Dems maybe back in power by 2016

Did you seriously just say that Collins has a small chance of winning in 2020 if she runs? Mods? Ban him. Now. He's clearly trolling, and King did the maybe game for attention

You've said many equally stupid things, so if I were you I wouldn't comment on OC

What happened to your break anywho?

[/]

Manchin, King, Collins, Manchin, King, Collins, etc.

But anyway, I doubt IL Dems would want Kirk when they could easily elect a much more liberal person.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Kirk opposes immigration reform, in which its almost certain to pass if Clinton is president.

[Free Bird]

Collins need to become a Dem because her chances of winning reelection is small in 2020.

Joseph Lieberman was a DINO, but he was the VP nominee in 2000 when the SCOTUS gave the election away. He's never going to caucus with GOP after that.

King was the only one after 2014, but he realized the Dems maybe back in power by 2016

Did you seriously just say that Collins has a small chance of winning in 2020 if she runs? Mods? Ban him. Now. He's clearly trolling, and King did the maybe game for attention

You've said many equally stupid things, so if I were you I wouldn't comment on OC

What happened to your break anywho?

Said I'd maintain a presence on the top few boards

[VPH]

I think Dems approached Hagel at some point, even though he wasn't even that moderate.

[rbt48]

Republicans courted both Zorinsky and Exon.  I think they also tried to entice Zell Miller after Jeffords switched, but he declined.

[ElectionsGuy]

Wasn't Begich hyper-liberal?  

Also I think occasionally Thad Cochran has voted with Democrats.

He certainly wasn't on issues where you can't be in Alaska. You can't be anti-gun and anti-drilling, and he wasn't.

They only actual attempt I think was Republicans for Manchin, and even he quickly turned them down.

[Vega]

Yeah, I remember the weird scheme of Democrats to somehow get McCain to become a Democrat, and, be Kerry's VP in 2004.

[RINO Tom]

Manchin is the only one that I have heard for sure.  Collins is another possibility.  I'd actually say that Manchin is slightly further to the right than Collins.

Could y'all have imagined what it would have been like if Orman got to decide the majority himself last year?

Joe Manchin having a Southern accent and throwing a few bones to cultural conservatism does not make him to the right of Susan Collins (which he's absolutely not).

[MATTROSE94]

Manchin is the only one that I have heard for sure.  Collins is another possibility.  I'd actually say that Manchin is slightly further to the right than Collins.

Could y'all have imagined what it would have been like if Orman got to decide the majority himself last year?

If Joe Manchin survives reelection in 2018, I could definately see him switching over to the Republican Party, as he is a bit of an odd-man out in today's Democratic Party. On a side note, after the 2018 midterm  election, the only Southern Democratic Senators that might remain in office would be Mark Warner, Tim Kaine and possibly Patrick Murphy (assuming that he is elected in 2016).

[Horsemask]

Collins need to become a Dem because her chances of winning reelection is small in 2020.

Joseph Lieberman was a DINO, but he was the VP nominee in 2000 when the SCOTUS gave the election away. He's never going to caucus with GOP after that.

King was the only one after 2014, but he realized the Dems maybe back in power by 2016

hahahahahahahaha




As long as Collins keeps running, she will keep winning. She's popular among a broad spectrum...though it doesn't matter, cause I bet she runs for Governor in 2018.

[Rockefeller GOP]

Collins need to become a Dem because her chances of winning reelection is small in 2020.

Joseph Lieberman was a DINO, but he was the VP nominee in 2000 when the SCOTUS gave the election away. He's never going to caucus with GOP after that.

King was the only one after 2014, but he realized the Dems maybe back in power by 2016

hahahahahahahaha




As long as Collins keeps running, she will keep winning. She's popular among a broad spectrum...though it doesn't matter, cause I bet she runs for Governor in 2018.

[Thunderbird is the word]

i'm still mad that Democrats didn't put more resources into defeating her in 2014. Sheena Bellows was the best Democrat running that cycle yet all she got was crickets.