Letter: Writer ignores the pulse of real voters

Posted 8/4/22

To the editor: In response to the recent letter (‘On three Democrats running as Independents’), where the writer decries the decision of three long-time Democrat politicians to leave the …

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Letter: Writer ignores the pulse of real voters

Posted

To the editor:

In response to the recent letter (‘On three Democrats running as Independents’), where the writer decries the decision of three long-time Democrat politicians to leave the party and run as independents, citing disappointment in their decision and faith in the “modern Democrats, ” I think it important to convey the bottom line to this letter: overzealous left-wing talking points that ignore the real pulse of the voters.

Some years ago, I was involved with a group called the ‘Make Every Vote Count’ coalition, whose bi-partisan mission was to get rid of straight-party voting. The organization’s catch-phrase was “Vote the person, not the party” – a phrase key to many voters in the East Bay today and quite counter to this letter.

Statistically speaking, the candidates subject to this letter are ahead of the curve.

According to a Gallus study, 2021 the general stability for the full-year average underscored a dramatic shift over, from a 9-percentage-point Democratic advantage in the first quarter to a rare 5-point Republican edge in the fourth quarter.

According to a report by The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), there is great cause for concern for their party, citing: the poll found that that 57% of voters in competitive congressional districts agree with the statement, “Democrats in Congress have taken things too far in their pandemic response,” and 66% of self-defined “swing” voters in competitive districts agree with that statement; 80% of swing voters in competitive districts agreed with the statement that “Democrats in Congress support defunding the police and taking more cops off of the street.”; and 61% of swing district voters agreed with the statement, “Democrats in Congress are spending money out of control.”
These polls and statistics show one thing: people are showing less faith in the “modern democrat” and all they stand for.

Locally, although a “Blue State,” Democrats have never had a majority. Current numbers show a total of 47.3 percent of voters are not affiliated with a political party – independents. This is followed by Democrats, who count 40.6 percent of voters (about 317,658 people on their rolls), and Republicans claim 11.8 percent of voters (about 91,875 off voter rolls).

Anecdotally, there have been voters, including Republicans, who voted for a Democrat council member in the past, if only because they like the individual and/or ideas. One example being a Republican town committee officer who voted for Democrat candidate Tim Sweeney the first time he ran for Town Council. That voter was me.

The bottom line is, no matter what letter shows disappointment in former Democrats who leave the party, the sentiment is that the party once of Roosevelt and Kennedy has left the people they claim to represent.

Furthermore, in November, however people vote, most people will vote by their conscience and on policies – not some blind party loyalty as the letter-writer conveyed.

William Sousa Grapentine
112 Mulberry Road
Mr. Grapentine is vice chair of the Bristol Republican Town Committee.

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Jim McGaw

A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.