WV: Justice rejoining GOP

[PragmaticPopulist]

Was always suspicious of him. Maybe he switched because Trump is remaking the GOP into a protectionist, pro-spending party. Before that, pretty much the only thing that made him a Democrat was his spending policy. And I don't think Justice has said anything about health care(?)

[NewYorkExpress]

How the Hell does he plan to win a Republican Primary against say... Morrisey, Jenkins (if either of them don't beat Manchin this cycle), Mooney or McKinley? His constant party switching would be seen in a primary as a detriment, not an asset (just like Charlie Crist).

[mcmikk]

Also, congrats on your reelection, Senator Capito!

[BuckeyeNut]

F[inks] kek.

[Dr. Arch]

Total scum.

[Catholics vs. Convicts]

He was a Republican until 2015 and switched before he ran for Governor.

It makes me wonder why he even switched in the first place. I'm guessing now that Justice never wanted to be a Democrat to begin with, and he always intended to switch at some point after being elected. He probably just thought that given WV's past partisan history, it would still somehow be easier running as a Democrat at the state level. Either that or he thought it would be easier to avoid a Republican primary.

Bingo.

[Virginiá]

How the Hell does he plan to win a Republican Primary against say... Morrisey, Jenkins (if either of them don't beat Manchin this cycle), Mooney or McKinley? His constant party switching would be seen in a primary as a detriment, not an asset (just like Charlie Crist).

Well, he is the incumbent now. On top of that, he is very wealthy and as far as I know, at least semi-popular, right? I'd think he would have the nomination locked up in 2020 if he wants it.

[BuckeyeNut]

Who is WV's Lt. Gov?

Never mind, the Senate President is the de facto Lt. Gov.

[krazen1211]

WE HAVE 34 NOW

Republicans have the most governors in nearly 100 years. As a Republican and Trump supporter, this makes me happy.

[Adam Griffin]

Laws need to be passed that prevent politicians from switching parties while in office, unless they are willing to resign their seats. Ideally, Justice would be violently escorted off the premises by the WV Democratic State Committee, who would appoint his successor for the remainder of the term.

You dance with the one who brought you - if you get tired of two-steppin', then take a seat.

[Kamala]

Okay - make fun of me now. I concede Justice is a scumbag. Charlotte Pritt 4 Eva.

[TheSaint250]

Laws need to be passed that prevent politicians from switching parties while in office, unless they are willing to resign their seats. Ideally, Justice would be violently escorted off the premises by the WV Democratic State Committee, who would appoint his successor for the remainder of the term.

You dance with the one who brought you - if you get tired of two-steppin', then take a seat.

Why? That's someone's choice to identify with the party of their choice. You could make the argument that preventing that violates Freedom of Speech (how you would like to identify politically). If the voters have a problem, then they will vote out the politician later.

[krazen1211]

Laws need to be passed that prevent politicians from switching parties while in office, unless they are willing to resign their seats. Ideally, Justice would be violently escorted off the premises by the WV Democratic State Committee, who would appoint his successor for the remainder of the term.

You dance with the one who brought you - if you get tired of two-steppin', then take a seat.

Why? That's someone's choice to identify with the party of their choice. You could make the argument that preventing that violates Freedom of Speech (how you would like to identify politically). If the voters have a problem, then they will vote out the politician later.

There is only 1 governor, so switching does not matter much.

But in 2000 the Republicans won the Presidential election and narrowly held the Senate, even though they lost several Senate seats. Moderate Republican James Jeffords had just won election caucusing with the winning Republicans. Then the moderate Republican senator turned around and handed the US Senate majority to the party that emerged from the 2000 election with 50 Senate seats—a minority because Dick Cheney broke ties in favor of Republican control.

A legislature might want to discourage bait and switch tactics.

[Adam Griffin]

Laws need to be passed that prevent politicians from switching parties while in office, unless they are willing to resign their seats. Ideally, Justice would be violently escorted off the premises by the WV Democratic State Committee, who would appoint his successor for the remainder of the term.

You dance with the one who brought you - if you get tired of two-steppin', then take a seat.

Why? That's someone's choice to identify with the party of their choice. You could make the argument that preventing that violates Freedom of Speech (how you would like to identify politically). If the voters have a problem, then they will vote out the politician later.

It's also somebody's choice to run for office and utilize the resources of party apparatuses (money, ballot access, party staffers, proprietary data, etc) to get elected. It's obvious he ran as a Democrat because running as one made his ability to obtain the office easier than running as a Republican - that indicates that Democrats contributed to his campaign in ways above/beyond him doing them a favor.

Nobody's saying that politicians shouldn't be able to switch affiliation: I'm saying that you shouldn't be able to keep the office you were elected to as a member of that party if you choose to do so.

What you're trying to claim is akin to claiming that nobody can smoke because there are penalties (i.e. taxes) when you do so.

[Alabama_Indy10]

Laws need to be passed that prevent politicians from switching parties while in office, unless they are willing to resign their seats. Ideally, Justice would be violently escorted off the premises by the WV Democratic State Committee, who would appoint his successor for the remainder of the term.

You dance with the one who brought you - if you get tired of two-steppin', then take a seat.

Why? That's someone's choice to identify with the party of their choice. You could make the argument that preventing that violates Freedom of Speech (how you would like to identify politically). If the voters have a problem, then they will vote out the politician later.

It's also somebody's choice to run for office and utilize the resources of party apparatuses (money, ballot access, party staffers, proprietary data, etc) to get elected. It's obvious he ran as a Democrat because running as one made his ability to obtain the office easier than running as a Republican - that indicates that Democrats contributed to his campaign in ways above/beyond him doing them a favor.

Nobody's saying that politicians shouldn't be able to switch affiliation: I'm saying that you shouldn't be able to keep the office you were elected to as a member of that party if you choose to do so.

What you're trying to claim is akin to claiming that nobody can smoke because there are penalties (i.e. taxes) when you do so.

What? That's crazy.

[Adam Griffin]

What? That's crazy.

No, it's not. The party and its supporters elect a candidate. Without them, a candidate wouldn't be in office. They ran as a member of that party, deliberately used its resources, and was elected by their constituents with the expectation that they would serve as a member of that party. To switch parties mid-cycle is false advertising and a breach of contract with both the public and the party.

[Adam Griffin]

Anyway, I'm not going round-and-round with a bunch of hypocrites about whether political affiliation and the institutions that are supported by them should mean anything in this country anymore.


Are we even sure that Justice is becoming a Republican? The WVGOP seems horribly out of the loop if so, based on this tweet from just a few hours ago. Could Justice (and even Trump) be announcing that he/they are going indy or starting a new party?

[MAINEiac4434]

How the hell does any Democratic official join the GOP in 2017 of all years??

When you only became a Democrat in 2015 out of political convenience.

[publicunofficial]

The RGA have taken down all the anti-Justice ads they had on YouTube.

[MAINEiac4434]

I feel good now for "endorsing" the Green/Mountain Party candidate on the Atlas mock elections thingy.

Charlotte Pritt is a major FF.

[TheSaint250]

What? That's crazy.

No, it's not. The party and its supporters elect a candidate. Without them, a candidate wouldn't be in office. They ran as a member of that party, deliberately used its resources, and was elected by their constituents with the expectation that they would serve as a member of that party. To switch parties mid-cycle is false advertising and a breach of contract with both the public and the party.

Well then that's not the government's problem. The government shouldn't be interfering in this.

But you're right. Let's end this here.

Actually though you make an interesting g point. WI Trump and Justice announce a new party? It's unlikely but that would be a heck of a surprise.

[Heisenberg]

How the Hell does he plan to win a Republican Primary against say... Morrisey, Jenkins (if either of them don't beat Manchin this cycle), Mooney or McKinley? His constant party switching would be seen in a primary as a detriment, not an asset (just like Charlie Crist).

Against Mooney? LOL Justice wins easily. Mooney carpetbagger to Charles Town (which is culturally and historically more like VA and MD than WV), on the extreme tip of the eastern panhandle with the sole intention of running for WV-02 because MD-06 had been made too Democratic. He's even a former MD GOP chair and has been an RNC delegate from Maryland before. He is such a phony. He always underperforms his elections (primary and general), is very incompetent, and even appointed a sitting MD state senator to be his chief of staff. And he was never even well liked in Maryland. He'd be a disaster, and deserves to lose.

[PragmaticPopulist]

Sad to say it, but WV isn't the future of the Democratic Party, at least in the short-term.

The only way I see it happening is if a Republican Governor pulls an LBJ and acknowledges that coal isn't WV's future, and pushes for new industries. The GOP would take a big hit for it, just like Democrats took a big hit in the south after the civil right act was passed. Doubtful that would happen.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

Sad!

[Free Bird]

I feel like he always planned to and just ran as a Dem for convenience.