how did you happen to affiliate with your political party?

[lazygood4nothinbum]

in high school, even though i was a gay, pot smoking peacenik, i suspect i was drawn to the republican political party due to my youth-blinded attraction to money. but when i first registered to vote, knowing i was conflicted, i registered as an independent, deciding then that i would learn more about politics and make up my mind as to affiliation later in life.

within a few years i started feeling badly about not voting in primaries. i felt left out of the system. the candidates i seemed most drawn to and so the primary i cared more about was the democratic one. it was then that i realized i was no republican and changed my registration to democrat from independent.

how is it that you came to affiliate with your current political party?

 

[MasterBlaster]

When I was in school I thought that we should have more subsidies, more government paid services and so on.

Then I grew up, got a job, moved out of my parents basement, and started paying taxes. Somehow that great big bite every paycheck got under my skin.

That's when I switched over. Somehow the world looks different when you are paying the bills.

 

[OKLibrarian]

I listened to a fair bit of Rush Limbaugh in junior high. With that experience in mind, I registered as a Democrat.

Seriously, Social justice and civil rights are more important to me than the state of my checkbook, so I'm a "liberal". That said, the government needs to be a lot more fiscally responsible than it is, and I would probably be more inclined to be an old school fiscal conservative if such a beast still existed. If a libertarian ever looked remotely electable, I might go that direction as well.

 

[unclemick]

Having been born in Western Washington - I have two votes - Democrat or stay home.

If somebody else has a good idea - convince a Democrat and I'll vote for the Democrat you have convinced.

heh heh heh - works for me.

 

[youbet]

lazy.....

Your story is a perfect example of why state rules and regs should have you register to vote, not register as an Independent, Republican or Democrat.

For myself, I'm a Chicago/Cook County Democrat (in spirit, don't live in the city limits any more) and a state and federal Independent. I've seldom seen a lineup of party candidates that justifies voting a straight ticket. I try to do my due diligence and pick 'em one at a time.

 

[haha]

I read an interesting social psych study that used identical twin studies (genetically identical but raised apart) to show that much of political preference, as with much of everything else, is inherited.

I find this easy to believe. Some Democrat ideas are attractive; but I feel deeply that they would certainly screw it up in the execution so I don’t think I could bring myself to vote for one of them. This is so even when, as recently, the opposition ran a chimpanzee.

Ha

 

[LeatherneckPA]

I grew up in a household where my parents didn't get anything handed to them for free, and did not believe that government handouts were good for anyone else either. You want something? Get off your dead @$$ and work for it, just like they did. It rubbed off on me.

Then I became a Marine, a cop, and a CO. I've spent 30 years working with the by-products of government give-away programs, affirmative action, and lowering our standards to make "everyone a winner".

HORSEFEATHERS!!! You reap what you sow. And if you're just going to sit around and wait for somebody to hand it to you, then you should get nothing.

Nowadays I vote based upon three primary criteria: (1) the candidate must actively support our veterans, (2) the candidate must actively support law enforcement and preferably capital punishment, and (3) the candidate must actively support the US Constitution, especially the 2nd Amendment. And then there are the minor considerations to use for tie-breakers.

(1) The candidate must support a woman's right to choose an abortion, not as a means of birth control, but rather in cases of rape, incest, or detectable birth defects that would impair the quality of life for the infant or endanger the life of the mother. Although I don't think I've ever met a mother who would choose her life over her baby's.

(2) It helps if the candidate is a bona fide veteran; not National Guard or Reserves. Combat vets are even better.

(3) Pro-hunting is a big plus.

(4) Green Peace, PETA, Sierra Club, or Handgun Control are all immediate disqualifiers.

(5) Firefighters and cops are big plus. Lawyers are a big minus. And I just flat out HATE career politicians who have never had a real job.

Zz-z-z-i-i-i-ippP. Flame away! I am a PROUD CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICAN!

 

[Texas Proud]

Where I am from, if you do NOT vote in the primary your vote does not count... almost all office holders are Republicans.. the exceptions are the districsts that are allocated to the Democrats... so their decision is also in primary... general is only for laws...

 

[Cut-Throat]

I am a PROUD CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICAN!

After the last 6 years, If I were you, I'd look for a big rock to hide under.

I'm with OKLibrarian - It's mostly about Social Justice.

And since I am a Sportsman, I like to protect the environment to keep fish and Wildlife thriving and plenty of public lands to keep the sport open to the masses instead of the privleged few.

 

[CyclingInvestor]

I am fiscally conservative and socially liberal, so I have no party to turn to.

I started off Republican, but when the social conservatives took over I
switched to non-affiliated. I usually end up voting for the lesser of two
evils rather than liking any of the candidates.

For ballot measures, if I don't have time to analyze the wording, I score
them according to the list of supporters : -1 for each union, -5 for each
lawyer group, +1 for each taxpayer group, etc.

 

[youbet]

Only in America ......
do we use the word 'politics'
to describe the process so well:
'Poli' in Latin meaning
'many' and 'tics'
meaning
'bloodsucking creatures'

 

[Texas Proud]

Only in America ......
do we use the word 'politics'
to describe the process so well:
'Poli' in Latin meaning
'many' and 'tics'
meaning
'bloodsucking creatures'

Youbet... you should include who said this.... or at least who I heard it from.... Kinky..

 

[yakers]

I am a social liberal & fiscal conservative. I originally registered independent but have been registered Democrat for the last few years to get my say in a primary. I have actually voted Libertarian in a national election. I am strongly debt adverse, learned from my depression era father who *never* borrowed money, not even to buy a house, saved up & bought a fixer upper for cash. So I hated Johnson who tried to fund social programs and a war on borrowed money. Then I got to hate Regan who ran up bigger debts than preceding Democrats. If something is important the Pres should ask the people to pay for it, I think people would have agreed with Regan spending the Russians down the tube if he had asked. I actually liked that Clinton reduced our debt and hate that Bush is running a war on borrowed money. If the Republicans had been fiscally conservative I would be firmly in their court despite a number of social positions I do not care for.

The other thing I learned, at a young age, is the importance of not having one party in perpetual dominance. I lived in a Chicago Democrat area that did not even have a Republican local office. One election, spontaneously, 20%+ of the people voted Republican. Suddenly we were getting the lights and sidewalks fixed and Democrat contacts pouring over the neighborhood to figure out what had happened and how not to lose any more votes. I think that is one thing that hurt the south, being originally 100% Democrat and now 100% Republican, over time this is really IMHO not good for the local folk.

 

[Peaceful_Warrior]

I registered Republican originally as a teen, following in my Dad's footsteps. But there was a 'pre-vote' poll that my school did, so afterwards my Dad looked at my voting and said I was more a Democrat than anything else.

Then I didn't vote... ever. I was disillusioned with the electoral college and realizing that my vote doesn't matter.

Before the last election, I had met a woman from online who told me how she had recently had a discussion with a friend who was Libertarian and how she looked into it and decided to become Libertarian herself.

The conversation went no further, but I decided to do research and realized I most aligned with Libertarian and re-registered. Then in the last election I voted Libertarian knowing well that being in CA my vote *really* didn't matter since we're a Democratic state.

Though I do feel that Libertarianism in its extreme is flawed for global politics in this current state of worldwide affairs and evolution of humanity, I do believe that bringing some of the Libertarian elements to a greater political influence would be a good thing.

 

[ERD50]

If a libertarian ever looked remotely electable, I might go that direction as well.

I say there is still a good reason to vote Libertarian, even if the candidate does not look remotely electable. Let's just say, oh, 10% of the population voted Libertarian. The D's and R's would be looking at the 1% difference in votes between them and think 'Hmmmm, I wonder what it would take to sway some of that 10% Libertarian vote to MY side?'.

IMO, each of the parties becoming a bit more Libertarian may be a good thing. Third parties can affect the political climate, even if they don't get elected.

-ERD50

 

[lets-retire]

I am fiscally conservative, but socially mid road/right liberal. I look at things primarily fiscally first then socially. All the freedoms protected by our government are worth nothing if we fail to protect ourselves. This includes financially as well as from the bad guys. If the government can't pay for the most basic defense, like police and military, then other nations and criminal will be able to destroy our way of life, making the constitution irrelevant.

If it doesn't look like it will make fiscal sense then why spend the money? Handing out welfare checks sounds nice, but really does nothing to solve the problems. So why do it?

 

[Cut-Throat]

Third parties can affect the political climate, even if they don't get elected.

-ERD50

They sure can!

- And most often they help the political party that is farthest from their beliefs! - Ask the Ralph Nader supporters in the 2000 election what they think of the latest 2 Supreme Court Justices that they helped appoint!

Take Political Science 101 and then you'll know how to vote and implement your beliefs!

 

[chinaco]

I was influenced by my father and registered as a democrat at 18. However, I am conservative on certain issues. I consider myself an independent at this point in my life and vote accordingly.

 

[donheff]

Flaming liberal. Registered Democratic.

 

[FIRE'd@51]

- And most often they help the political party that is farthest from their beliefs! - Ask the Ralph Nader supporters in the 2000 election what they think of the latest 2 Supreme Court Justices that they helped appoint!

Or, how about Ross Perot in 1992?

 

[Mwsinron]

After the last 6 years, If I were you, I'd look for a big rock to hide under.

I'm with OKLibrarian - It's mostly about Social Justice.

And since I am a Sportsman, I like to protect the environment to keep fish and Wildlife thriving and plenty of public lands to keep the sport open to the masses instead of the privleged few.

Why I made plenty of money during this administration didnt you?

 

[ERD50]

They sure can!

- And most often they help the political party that is farthest from their beliefs! - Ask the Ralph Nader supporters in the 2000 election what they think of the latest 2 Supreme Court Justices that they helped appoint!

Sure, that can and does happen, but I don't think it is a given.

IMO, Ross Perot forced the R's and D's into a more substantive debate at least.

Take Political Science 101 and then you'll know how to vote and implement your beliefs!

That sounds very naive to me.

-ERD50

 

[Cut-Throat]

That sounds very naive to me.

-ERD50

I can tell you've never taken Poly Sci 101 - Third parties are ineffective in countries that decide elections based on plurality such as the U.S. - They are only effective in countries like France where elections are decided based on Majority Vote.

In the U.S. a third party will only help a party that is farthest from its beliefs as it splits the vote of the supporters and hands the election to opposition.

Naive it may be, but that is Political Science 101

 

[Eagle43]

I find this easy to believe. Some Democrat ideas are attractive; but I feel deeply that they would certainly screw it up in the execution so I don’t think I could bring myself to vote for one of them. This is so even when, as recently, the opposition ran a chimpanzee.

Ha

Ditto.

 

[ERD50]

I can tell you've never taken Poly Sci 101 - Third parties are ineffective in countries that decide elections based on plurality such as the U.S. - They are only effective in countries like France where elections are decided based on Majority Vote.

In the U.S. a third party will only help a party that is farthest from its beliefs as it splits the vote of the supporters and hands the election to opposition.

Naive it may be, but that is Political Science 101

My 'naive' comment was not directed to third parties being ineffective or not.

My 'naive' comment was directed to your statement:

Take Political Science 101 and then you'll know how to vote and implement your beliefs!

How can I vote and implement my beliefs when neither party represents my beliefs? Does Poly Sci 101 have an answer to that?

I guess it is find a third party that is 180 to your beliefs, and support them. Hey, sometimes the end justifies the means...

-ERD50