In Florida, Ex-Republican Prepares to Run as Democrat

In Florida, Ex-Republican Prepares to Run as Democrat
By Kate Davidson, CQ Staff


Jim Piccillo, a lifelong Republican, plans to announce on Monday that he is launching a campaign in Florida’s 5th Congressional District — as a Democrat.

Piccillo is challenging four-term Republican Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite in what appears a long-shot bid in the GOP-leaning western Florida district. It is an unexpected turn for someone who still considered himself a Republican and wasn’t very politically active until just a few months ago.

Raised in a blue-collar Republican family in Buffalo, N.Y., Piccillo said in an interview with CQ Politics that he was prompted to break with his party roots last year by what he regarded as an overly negative tone taken by the GOP in its campaign against Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama .

Piccillo said his turning point came while he watched the Republican National Convention on television in September. Former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, delivering a partisan stem-winder in his keynote address to the convention, satirized Obama’s experience as a community organizer in Chicago before he entered politics, and was greeted with gales of laughter and chanting by the gathered Republicans.

Piccillo said in the interview, “When you are openly mocking someone who spent part of their life helping people who were low-income, who had health problems because of asbestos and mold in their homes, that’s not something to be mocked.”

Concluding that the GOP campaign had become less about why voters should support Republicans and more about why they shouldn’t vote for Democrats, Piccillo volunteered in his home area for Obama’s campaign. His switch came to the attention of the New York Times which featured him in a story published early last October about Florida voters abandoning the GOP.

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http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?parm1=5&docID=news-000003098336

Our soon to be governor (who will replace Sebelius once she is confirmed) is a former republican.

At least here it is.

Soon there will be only racists left in the GOP.

We are watching the republican party dying on the vine now.

BTW Newt & Sarah in 2012 .... that is the ticket.

I think the key to being a good leader is nothing more than treat your people like adults, tell them the truth, warn them of dangers and celebrate with them when it is warranted.

as Democrats, just because they can't get elected as Republicans.

would happen, too. I welcomed their votes in November and understood then also.

capitalism in this country, although the Democratic party is four-square behind capitalism.

Should they be asked to leave?

.. Right now, "progressives," Greens and Naderites run around the country running as Democrats, too. Ever had a problem with that?

Always looking to divide us.

You can never see beyond your own nose.

It's fine and dandy to point out moderate and Republicans who run as Democrats is bad. But pointing out those on the opposite end of the spectrum to the same is wedge wedge wedge.

Or was this just another example of your obsession with me?

And fully within your m.o. to seize upon every fucking opportunity to piss on greens/naderites "progressives" etc. despite these groups voting for democratic candidates and issues.

In our bi-partisan system when an (R) switches to a (D), these ex-republican now conservative democrats should be watched closely, for they will be fair-weather allies.

When a green votes (D) there is no "PARTY" line crossed.

And to my "obsession" with you, you are one of the few DLC-lovers that I don't ignore, so your BS sticks out like a fucking sore thumb.

If you haven't noticed, the Green party is a separate party from the Democratic party. So part lines ARE crossed.

I trust far lefties as much as a trust far righties.

And to my "obsession" with you, you are one of the few DLC-lovers that I don't ignore

Which is further evidence of your obsession with me.

I add all dlc boosters to ignore but you. Don't you feel special?

Greens or Naderites were the opposite of Democrats. I have no problem with anyone running around the country as anything they choose, but I am leery of people switching parties at this time. I don't know this person, so perhaps my concern is not warranted.

and by extension the never satisfied progressive movement.

If they weren't, they wouldn't have their own parties and movements. Dark agendas, real or imagined, can just as easily be assigned to Greens, socialists (the real kind), "progressives," and a host of other entities occupying the left as can be to those occupying the right who decide to run as Democrats.

describes themselves as a Naderite, a member of the Green Party, or a progressive would vote with the Republican party. I do believe that running as a Republican is a losing strategy in many states, so it might be expected that those with political aspirations would switch. We have such a person in my state. I'm sure there are many self proclaimed Republicans that would be welcome additions to our political system, regardless of the brand name they choose. I just don't know of any off hand.

Much of Nader's campaign in 2004 was financed and run by the GOP

financing his campaign, but I don't see how "Naderites" positions on policy in any way adheres to the Republican party, or why 'they' would work with the GOP.

... Naderites would not be compelled to work against Democrats.

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Repubs turned Dem are not necessarily to be trusted automatically, although Picillo could possibly be the real deal. Time will tell and I'll be watching him for signs of slippage back to GOPerland. I predict it won't take too long, and remember we are talking about Flori-DUH where Jeb Bush's legacy lives on ad infinitum.

who beat Cynthia McKinney in a Democratic primary. Heck, Palin tried to recommend a person for a Democratic Alaskan State Senate last week, who switched parties the week before.

Newsflash: Denise Magette is no Republican, either.

... and that was Republicans in McKinney's district.

I realize that she didn't run against Majette but she still won.

Meaning more Democrats voted against her than for her.

In fact, Democrats in congress broke with tradition and DID NOT restore her seniority.

his job."

Nothing like the cold slap of reality to wake you up.

Permenant Republican Majority any one? We don't need any more damned republican-lite Blue Dogs

Let me get this straight:

So someone whose brain has been hard-wired for Authoritarian Conservatism all their adult life, and:
- supporting everything the Corporate Elite wants
- was a member of the Bush Crime Family (all republicans in DC 2000-2008)
- has been working towards the destruction of the Middle-class for years
- knows that they cannot possibly get the job this time around by advertising that they are Republican,

and all they have to do is get a new publicist, CHANGE their clothes and POOF, they now see the light and are Progressive or liberal?

And you buy this eh? Really?

He could be the real deal but skeptical scrutiny is warranted.

out of 'wasn't very politically active'? Overreact much?

:thumbsup:

Those of you who think this is a rah-rah moment for Democrats. In Florida it's all about entrepreneurship. In times of war, be the wolf. In times of peace, be the peacemaker. They are chameleons. They will say and do whatever they have to do, to be where they need to be to make all those decisions that will put them in a place where they can take care of their own private circles.

I do not mean to sound paranoid but ANY republican Jumping ship should be sent around speaking for at least two or three years. Before even thinking of putting them on a ballot. as if their convictions are true then they will be fine. if not their true convictions will reveal themselves eventually.

I have to say from his statements as to why he's going Dem,he understands that it's not just about winning and gaining power, it's about doing some public good. I might be naive but I think he'd be a good representative no matter the party. Even if he's a centrist that's much better than an ideologue that can't deal with facts and reality that shoot down their view of the world.

they say there's no place for them in the nearly libertarian republican party of our district.

this is what I have been waiting for and have been suspecting for years, many of the so called Dems are really repugs and now they will begin infiltrating the Democratic Party to stop progress and the new American President..

The hardliners in the GOP are pushing them out. I personally know at least 5 lifelong Republicans are voted Democratic in the last election because they're sick of the right wing blowhards taking over the party. Edit to add: We should welcome Moderates with open arms. The Democratic party will go the way of the GOP if all that we accept is staunch liberals.

AND I WOULDN'T THINK OF LEAVING MY PARTY UNLESS IT WENT WACKO THE THE REPUBLICAN PARTY HAS. ITS ASHAMED BECAUSE THIS COUNTRY NEEDS 2 PARTIES. WE NEED GOOD REPUBLICANS WHO REALLY CARE ABOUT OUR COUNTRY TO BRING THE PARTY BACK FROM THE BRINK OF HELL. ONLY THEN CAN THIS COUNTRY GET GOOD IDEADS.

the Democratic Party into two parties, one DLC, the other Progressive.

The fact is soon there will be no political future for GOP politicians in much of the country. This is already nearly true in New England; as the party tacks further to the right it will eventually be true everywhere but portions of the South and pockets of the West.

A one party system won't last for long. As is obvious from this thread, there is a serious divide between the right of the Democratic Party and its left. When the GOP is off the screen as a credible party, the Democrats will split to form the next "two party system".

:shrug:

The district has a PVI of R+9. It's conservative. You don't trust this former Republican? Fine, let's nominate a true progressive Democrat -- who will then get stomped. Ginny Brown-Waite won re-election in 2008 with about 60% of the vote.

I understand the frustration. A Blue Dog Democrat is in some ways more annoying than a right-wing Republican. Nevertheless, the correct assessment of someone like Piccillo isn't to compare him to Dennis Kucinich. It's to compare him to any other Democrat who has a legitimate shot at beating Brown-Waite. Any Democrat elected from that district will tack to the right on some key issues, but will be an improvement over Brown-Waite (90% rating from the American Conservative Union).

:shrug:
The DLC/Blue Dogs already vote with the Republicans most of the time.
Same Old Shit, New label.

I mean, what could a good Republican disagree with?
*More War

*Trickle Down Bailouts of The very rich

*Too Big to Fail is not a problem

*Increase the Defense Budget

*Bust the Auto Unions

*MORE Free Trade

*More Imported Low Wage foreign workers

*No prosecutions of Bush criminals

*No Health Insurance CEO left behind "Health Care reform"

*"Entitlement Reform" (still coming)

What difference does the label make when the policy is the same?


"But we need a 60 vote Majority in the Senate"
The "New Democrat" Party couldn't pass Progressive Legislation with a 90 seat majority if half of them are Republicans who merely swithced the letter after their name.

The NeoCons and PNACers strangled the Party till it changed from Bad to Horrid....

They have become The Pub Lemmings following them PNACers/etc.

Many others will also jump the GOP Ship as She flounders in heavy seas

See: Lincoln & Mario Diaz-Balart, Dexter Lehtinen.

I hope Piccillo wins.