What is your political affiliation?

[hyphenate]

I know we've had a good amount of "former" Republicans who since 2000 have seen the error of their ways and prefer to be against this illicit administration than for it. And we've had a lot of Green defectors as well. But how many of those lurking out there are simply testing the waters--who hate GWB as most of us do, but are just not ready to throw themselves into the party they have always percieved as the "enemy?"

Since DU is a great place for anonymity, I thought I would get a feel for who is here because they've always been liberal, and those who are finding some solace with us because they don't espouse the ideals of the current GOP administration.

[terrya]

1. I've always....proudly...been liberal.

Being liberal is something I've never questioned, never doubted or never equivocated over. Liberalism, to me, represents the best of human nature. It defines the noblest of ourselves, if that makes any sense.

[Left Is Write]

2. I've always been liberal, and I've always voted Democrat.

[LeftPeopleFinishFirst]

3. Other

Dem turned Green.

[Mutley]

4. Always a liberal

My dad taught me well!

[bertha katzenengel]

5. I was registered Republican until 1991.

Next time any one of you starts to say that Republicans are mindless idiots who can't change, remember that.

[Mutley]

8. I for one

am glad you're on our side now, Bertha!

[bertha katzenengel]

15. Smart woman.

;)

(Oops, that post above came out far more aggressively than I intended.)

[ghostsofgiants]

6. Other - I'm Canadian and have no real set political party affiliation

But I generally vote NDP.

[Beware the Beast Man]

7. I was originally registered Independent.

Didn't care much for party politics- I was a straight-up moderate for many years. Thanks to the not-so-good people in the Bush administration who pushed me off the fence, I'm am now a registered Democrat.

[I Have A Dream]

19. Me too. Even though I have alway been a liberal...

I thought that I was being open minded to register as an Independent. I finally realized that I was never going to ever vote Republican anyway, so I should at least be able to vote in the primaries (which, in Pennsylvania, you cannot do when registered as an Independent). I officially registered as a Democrat and kick myself now for not having done it earlier.

[foreigncorrespondent]

9. Other!

I'm an Australian raised in an Australian Liberal (right wing) household. Never voted Australian right wing, always voted with the Australian Labor Party. However, in the last several years the ALP has been letting us down on the left, so next election I will be voting for the Greens.

[indy_azcat]

10. always indy

but I may have to change when I move. Michigan's fun, since there's no party registration - you can primary on either side (s'long as you only choose one per election).

[FuzzySlippers]

11. I consider myself to be a progressive

which I think of as being somewhat to the left of liberals. Nonetheless, I've been a registered Democrat since I was 18.

[libodem]

12. born liberal

but the people I admire are the ones who grew up with bigots for dads and psycho religious moms who made the switch to being Democrats. They overcame bigotry to feel inclusive about people of color. I could never be a Republican. I don't like how they think. I don't understand how they think, like they think. I try to put myself in their places and try to understand what they think and how they think but I just don't get it. It so comes down to greed. And that so seems like the biggest sin...other than out and out killing.

[mzteris]

13. none of the above

Raised Republican for Fed elections and Democrat for state elections. You can probably tell I was raised in the South, eh?

Remained Repub until Clinton's first election. That's when I realized that "trickle down" just meant I was getting p*ssed on by the rich men wearing the suits. I was a single mom at the time (just found out first hubby was gay....) and I was struggling mightily just to get by.

I had also realized between the 1st Daddy Bush election and the 1st Clinton one - that if I wanted "equal rights" for my baby girl - I had to support equal rights for EVERYONE - without exception - race, sexual orientation, religion, class, etc.......

So - I was Repub for the first ~36 years of my life. I've become *increasingly* liberal over the last 13. I'd say at this point I have flames shooting out of my head! (OKay - where's the smilie for Flaming Liberal!!?!?) :hippie:

[I Have A Dream]

18. mzteris, I'm glad that you saw the light.

We're glad to have your energy and enthusiasm on our side now! I'm sure that your "baby girl", who is obviously a young woman now, has a wonderful role model to help her to see what's important in the world.
I think that you'll have some ideas about how we can get more people to "get it" so that they also finally see the light and realize that the Emperor isn't wearing any clothes.

[mzteris]

25. more activists coming!

**your "baby girl", who is obviously a young woman now**

She's 24 now and quite liberal. (Although she doesn't like Hillary for some reason and refuses to be called a feminist. Oh well...) She was going to go into campaigning and did an internship with John Edwards office in fundraising just when he threw his hat into the ring. She decided that the lifestyle wasn't what she wanted. Too much travel. (And she didn't really like Edwards either, come to think of it. She was disappointed that he did so little as Senator for NC.)

**how we can get more people to "get it" so that they also finally see the light **

Well for me it was personal. I was having such a hard time making it and all the Repubs could talk about was how the economy was "recovering" and how it would all trickle down to me eventually. Yeah - it was raining pennies. And they were all going to Hyannisport and living the good life.

That was not long after I had left the Southern Baptist Church, too - when they declared women weren't "allowed" in the pulpit (that was when they started their descent into fundamentalism!) - and joined a liberal UMC. So I was at a point in my life where I was starting to question everything. Women's rights - and gay rights - were a real flashpoint with me.

Now I have two more boys - 11 & 6 - who are well on their way. The 11 yo helped me with GOTV last election passing out information door to door. He would keep count of the bumper stickers (Kerry vs Bush) while we were in the car. He got into - uh - heated debates - in the neighborhood with the kids up the street during the election. He's a pacifist. My 6 yo - well - he just "hates Bush" lol..... but that's a start, eh?


One more thing - hubby was a typical conservative Republican (he'd been a Marine for goodness sakes!!) when we met. Now he's a liberal Democrat. Not an activist, exactly - but he gets it. (It took a lot of debates pointing out the inhumanity of the Pub position - the racism, the holier-than-thou, and the now-now we're so much better/smarter than you are so just let US handle everything and you don't think about it attitude.

[I Have A Dream]

29. Good to hear it. Your kids sound wonderful!

It's great that you have your sons involved in the process at their age.

Your daughter seems to really know what matters to her.

I see so many conservative young people that I was starting to give up hope. (We have a co-op at work who is a college student, and he had the Drudge Report up on his computer screen today. I wanted to just grab him and shake him to wake him up.)

[catbert836]

14. Socialist.

I was a Democrat in my early years, but I've gradually lost faith in the leadership. I now see the Democrats as Republican Lite, and I only stay around to convert good little Democrats to my evil ways... :evilgrin:

[I Have A Dream]

16. Liberal my entire life. (Now I consider myself to be a progressive.)

Even as a small child (7 years old or so), I argued with my uncle, who was from North Carolina, about black people.

I want to make differences in the world that help everyday, normal people to have better lives.

[Dave Sund]

17. I've always been a liberal

Just haven't realized it. When I began to think for myself in high school, I started to realize that I despise everything those people stand for, and that I always had. Just that, before, I didn't care enough about it to figure out who was on what side. When I finally started caring, I realized I was a liberal.

[I Have A Dream]

20. What -- you're thinking for yourself???

Oh, if only we had more of your kind in our country. :)

[mvd]

21. Ever since I understood politics, I've been a liberal

And I've gotten more and more liberal over time.. some here would still call me moderate, but I'm like a socialist in this enviornment.

[usedtobesick]

22. just couldn't believe

that what they stood for reflected my beliefs or the best interests of our country. I am gone for life and it's not just GWB, it's the whole focus of the party and the hypocracy... not sure all of the answers are here in liberal America but at the least it is honest and willing to talk and many of you more seem to care about others in this country and the world. It feels more like home.

[Liberalynn]

23. Was Born In A Repulican town

so when I was old enough to vote registered Republican because it was the only way to vote in the primaries for town officials. No Democrats even used to run in the elections so elections were decided on Primary level.

But after being educated by very liberal college professors and running into some ingorant, bigoted, jerk off republicans, I decided I couldn't live with my conscience anymore if I stayed registered in a party where these people are the norm. I marched myself off to the Board of Elections and changed my party affiliation.

Also Regean and his obsession with Nukes and starving children had a great deal to do with my decision as well. I couldn't stand him.

[I Have A Dream]

24. Hi, usedtobesick! (I'm glad that you're feeling better...)

:) I'm new here also.

I don't think that any of us is going to find a place that has people exactly like us, and maybe that's good because maybe we here, as a group, can come up with better solutions that any of us could individually. (That whole "greater than the sum of the parts" concept.)

I agree that DU really does seem to be a place where people want to give the country back to the people. It feels like home to me also.

[Bluzmann57]

26. Liberal born, Liberal bred

and when my time is up on earth, I will be Liberal dead. Have voted for exactly one repub in my life, and he was a former representative from this area.

[Seabiscuit]

27. Liberal in all previous lives, liberal in all future lives,

and, of course, proud to be liberal in this life.

[sniffa]

28. aLways indy, aLways LiberaL

i'm stiLL indy, though i haven't voted for a repub* in about 9 years (don't remember 98 too weLL - must have been uninteresting).

* i usuaLLy vote for 'jack e. robinson' - he runs for something every 2 years, usuaLLy as a repubLican. the man is fucking insane and gets bLown out every time.

[scarlet_owl]

30. I've always been a liberal.

[Emops]

31. I've been a registered Democrat since I was old enough to vote,

although I am more conservative than most Dems on some issues.

Not enough to vote Republican, though.:P

[trof]

32. Yella-Dawg since 2000.

Independent before.