Sharon Wason’s family has been in New Hampshire for 10 generations, many of them involved in GOP politics. When, 30 years ago, she introduced her fiancé to her grandfather, a GOP state representative, his first question was, “You’re not a Democrat, are you?”

He was, and so is Wason, a city planner in Manchester. In this primary Wason and her husband, Jim Shelton, a self-described “computer guy,” are deciding between Obama and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson. Wason wants a president who will protect the environment, reduce global warming and uphold abortion rights.

Raised Republican, [Sharon] Wason believes that she hasn’t changed. It’s the GOP that has grown more ideological and socially conservative, while New Hampshire residents have not. “A lot of moderate Republicans have that problem,” she says. “When I looked at what I believed in, I was a Democrat.”

That’s from a blurb in USA Today about how New Hampshire has a lot of “independent-minded” voters.

I think there’s a lot more people out there like this in the nation than we think of. They’re people who think of themselves as either “Republican” or “independent”, but the reality is that they’re far more in line with positions that the Democratic Party supports than they know.

Environmentally? It kills me that for years the Republicans have owned the hunter vote based on hype over gun control when the reality is that Democratic policies are probably far better for the environment (where, after all, the animals they hunt tend to live) than Republican policies are. Yeah, a lot of Democrats are uncomfortable with hunting in general, but overall if you’re a hunter and want your grandkids to be able to find geese or elk to shoot at, or fish in the streams and lakes and rivers, you damn well ought to be voting for the Democrats.

Socially? More and more people are coming around to Democratic positions. Abortion? The majority of this nation wants abortion to be legal. Oh, there’s plenty of people like me who’re personally very uncomfortable with it and who would like to see it disappear… but we are not going to outlaw it, period. Again, better to vote Democratic.

Democrats suffer from allowing the opposition to define their positions too much. Health care is a great example. You often hear the Republicans saying that the Democrats all want “socialized medicine”, muttering darkly about how horrible it is and vaguely communistic and you can’t get an operation when you need it!

Well, folks, this nation has already made that decision. We have socialized medicine ALREADY in America. No, seriously, we do. We just choose to deliver it via the most expensive manner we possibly can, through the emergency room.

See, anyone that wants healthcare and goes to the emergency cannot be turned away. It’s the law. That’s one of the big reasons why an ER visit costs so damn much and takes forever unless you’ve got blood spurting out of an open wound or something.

For anyone who doesn’t believe me… take 6 or 8 hours out of your day and visit your local county hospital in a big city. You’ll be shocked and amazed. Now, just imagine all those people going to a regular clinic where a physician’s assistant or nurse could treat them instead. Imagine the guy with no health insurance, coming into the ER with a diabetic coma emergency, getting the proper care he needs to maintain his blood sugar- and thereby saving thousands of bucks.

Well, we all pay for that stuff. Whether it’s through higher healthcare insurance premiums or via taxes and government aid, all of us wind up paying for the ERs of this nation- and since they’re open to all no matter what, we effectively HAVE socialized insurance.

Why not do that in a more logical, cost-effective manner? Why aren’t we working towards a solution which still assures us our excellent technology and fast service (which is, after all, what those of us who DO have insurance are always afraid of losing, right?) but cuts cost and increases access for all?

If you’re in favor of that, you’re in favor of Democrats, because Democrats are the only ones who’re offering even semi-realistic policies towards that goal. Republicans? Forget it.

The list of things like this goes on and on. The Democratic Party needs to do a better job explaining their OWN positions instead of letting the Republicans define them. The more they do, the more people will likely wake up and be somewhat surprised and say “gosh, you know something? I think I’m going to vote for a Democrat this time around!”