Are you a former Republican?

[RiverStone]

I'm so sick of media pundits saying the Dems simply "don't have the votes" to De-fund the Iraq war. Well, somewhere along the way, many former Republicans within the American public have indeed changed their vote. If they can do it, so can obstructionists on The Hill.

So if you are a former rightie, then congrats on seeing the light of day and finding your way here; even more importantly, voting Dem in 2008! WELCOME :hi:

I've pretty much voted straight Democratic all my 30 voting years (minus a couple of votes here and there for Independent locals). Yet if you (former repub) managed to switch parties and perspective, then maybe the same can happen with some of our elected Red State Representatives? Of course, they are more beholden to corporate and special interests - but YOU showed us it can be done, then they can too.

They could vote ----finally--- to end the unlimited blank check for Shrub's immoral war before month's end. Maybe they could use a little inspiration (or common sense).

QUESTION: Did you have a defining moment which brought you to change from red to blue?

[frogcycle]

1. Watergate

[shance]

2. Yep. Said adios in and/or around 1990.

Anita Hill and Iran/Contra were the awakenings for me.

[More Than A Feeling]

3. Not just Republicans, many formerly conservative Democrats

have changed their minds about the war.

[RiverStone]

4. Good point.

Yet why do so many conservative politicians, regardless of party, have their lips firmly glued on Shrub's lying ass?

When at the same time, other members or our great society seem very able to extricate themselves from the garbage heap that defines the rethug party?

[OHdem10]

20. Why GOP go lockstep.

IMO, there is an authoritarian Mindset among Republicans.
I swear it is in the genes. They tend to have an unquestioning
attitude toward authority. It took me a long time to be able
to intellectualize and internalize this for myself. Authority
Figures are very important to them. "Rules are important
for them. Those Gop Politicians we have now are opportunists.
They are not even good Republicans. (I should say many, not all
the GOP Politicians). They have become greedy for power which
gives the GOP a bad impresseion. Regular Republicans believe
for example, Teachers should be shown utmost respect. Discipline
Seriously if needed.

Take this as an illustration;

When you listen to GOP discuss the Ad and Gen Petreus.
Hanity"s whole point. General Petreus because he is a Soldier
no one should say one ill word about him. Authority figure
must be revered. A person like me(Liberal) has a difficult
time with this narrow thinking.

To me General Petreus can be a marvelously effective General
run the operation in Iraq smoothly and be highly regarded
by his colleagues and troops. He can also be political.
Political is not all bad. We would not have Consitution
had therr not been politics. It is not unreasonable to
believe that General Petreus when giving Report to Congressz
just might select the best points to emphasize and report on.
No Commander is going to undercut the President---Commander
IN Chief. I can respect Gen. Petreus as a General, but
can question at the same time.

To a Republican their mindset is such they can not comprehend
that I qestion----this must mean I am against him. It is
that authority thing. Politicians know better but use
this for political reasons. This is why they chew on MoveON.


I see this authority thing as something the GOP have to guard
against. This is how Fascism creeps in.

[RiverStone]

23. Yep.

Thanks for sharing a thoughtful review OHdem10. I think you got "the authority thing" right on when it comes to understanding why righties do what they do. At least here in the progressive wing of the DEM party, we encourage independent thinking! :applause:

[midlife_mo_Jo]

5. Yes.

No defining moment, really.

Just general disgust with the neo-cons.

[OHdem10]

6. Having been raised in the South, one my say my ealier

years might have been influenced by Conservatism.
Even then I did not fit the usual profile. I supported
Civil Rights, Voting Rights, etc.

I wandered astray and voted for Regan 1st term. Voted
Democrat 2ond term and have voted Democratic Party ever
since.

I have Republican Husband and Republican Relatives.

I think all this helps me. I can quickly figure out
what the GOP are up to most of the time.

[Xipe Totec]

7. Yes - Ronald Fucking Regan

First and Last Republican I ever voted for was Jerry Ford.

[Arugula Latte]

11. Me too. I was "for" Ford when I was a kid because my parents were.

When Reagan was elected in 1980, I had an overwhelming realization that I hated his fucking guts and everything he stood for and that I was a liberal. I was 14.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

8. most of my family are rabid republicans

in 76, I studied in the soviet union, and was conservative as possible. As I grew, I realized that there was something to fear from the religious maniacs of our country. When they married, in a man on dog ceremony, the GOP, and the GOP proceeded to push out all liberal GOPers, moderates and socially aware pols, I moved to the left. Then, I saw what Bush I did to us, I moved further. Still, some of the attacks on Clinton made me wonder, and then, when Bush II took over, I was shocked, first by the way he did it, then by the Supremes, and then by how protesters were attacked, and how the black caucus was ignored, and finally, by the media coverage.

Since then, I found this place, and found a home with people with similar ideas.

[Left Is Write]

9. No.

I have never voted for a Republican for anything.

[redqueen]

10. Nope... been a liberal all my life.

I can remember when I was a kid... I'd read stuff about Reagan and think... :wtf:

[DemGa]

12. Been a progressive since the age of six or seven--

Anti-death penalty, pro-environment. My family was Dem but not very political...must've been in the genes.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

13. Are you a former Republican?

Fuck No.

[redqueen]

15. ....

:rofl:

love the way you said that :7

[guitar man]

14. Former regisrered independent

I voted more rethug when I was younger, Reagan etc, then I figured out that deciding who to vote for was more than voting for the catchiest sounding soundbytes.

[Totally Committed]

16. HELL, NO!

Never.

I can't even imagine it.

TC

[conscious evolution]

17. Answer:A good hit of acid

Seriously.
I saw through the illusion they call reality in 1990.

[TahitiNut]

18. Well, I was on the "I Like Ike" team playing king-of-the-hill in 4th grade. Does that count?

Nope. Independent. Liberal. I don't believe in partisanship.

[Aristus]

19. I voted for Bush Sr,........TWICE!!!!

:banghead::dunce::banghead::dunce:

I fell for all of that Reagan-era "Morning In America" crap. I've always been essentially liberal, but I was idiotic enough to fall for the Repukes' faux-patriotic bullshit. I was okay with Clinton being elected in '92, but the Repuke takeover in '94 really radicalized me. I embraced my inner liberal then and haven't looked back since.

LIBERAL TILL I DIE!!!!!!! b-)

[Rageneau]

21. Wingnuts don't change their stripes.

They just deny they have them -- or blame them on Clinton. Right-wingers CAnnot admit to bein wrong about something. It goes with the anal personality. So don't look for converts among conservative Republicans -- it will never happen.

The best we can hope for is what we had before Reagan and Rush: Conservatives who kept quiet and stayed in the background out of embarrassment because for their hateful rhetoric and failed ideas.

[liberalpress]

22. Old 41

Had voted Republican forever. Nixon, Ford, Reagan twice. Then one day during the '92 campaign, I'm watching Poppy campaign and staring at a grocery store scanner like it it had just dropped in from the Jetsons. Next thing I see on TV is this good looking guy, telling me everything was going to get better, if we only didn't stop thinking about tomorrow. I started thinking about tomorrow at that instant and never looked back

[Nikia]

24. I have never been a Republican

I have considered myself Socialist and Liberatarian at different parts of my life. Now I consider myself to be a Democrat. I am progressive, but I am also somewhat mainstream. I support "radicals" though because they often emphasize issues that do need to be addressed that might not be addressed in more mainstream Centralist politics.

[sandnsea]

25. YES, Republicans are waivering

Have you missed the part of the Dem leadership that has been trying to tell you that? We ought to be organizing an effort to contact every Republican who is already waivering - instead of continuing to beat up Democrats who need our help.

On edit:

And hell no I never voted for a Republican. The yes was in response to the question about getting Republicans to switch votes.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

26. I Am.

For the first year of my life I was, though I didn't know it. All I did was cry, moan, whine and shit all over everything, and didn't give a shit about anyone but myself.

[LWolf]

27. No. n/t