Why Democrats Should Become Republicans

Matt Miller floats an unorthodox idea in the Washington Post today for Democrats frustrated by the "rightward lurch" of the GOP to the conservative fringes: He thinks those Democrats should switch parties and become Republicans. The idea—and Miller gives full credit to his wife for the idea of the "Patriotic Switch"—is that Democrats could fix the GOP from within by voting for moderate candidates in closed primaries, candidates who "otherwise have no chance of being chosen in races dominated by extremists."

At the same time, Democratic donors should set up funds dedicated to moderate Republicans, all in the name of the greater good. "The country needs to start electing sane Republicans who will support policies that promote equal opportunity, upward mobility, and economic security in the United States," writes Miller, who is generally considered a centrist. Besides, he adds, what better way to tick off liberal-hating conservatives than a "cheeky new movement called 'Democrats for a Sane Republican Party.'" Click for his full column. (More Democrats stories.)