I became a Democrat a year ago and found my own voice. It changed everything.

[brooklynite]

Kurt Bardella:

One year ago, I published a column in USA TODAY announcing my decision to leave the Republican Party and become a Democrat.

My first year as a Democrat has given me an appreciation of the gulf between the world views of Republicans and Democrats. Even how we digest and process information is so different. In the decade I spent working in Republican politics here in Washington, I don’t think I ever heard climate change come up as a serious topic of social conversation.

Shocking as it may be to learn, Republicans do not sit around and talk about the environment. As a Democrat, I feel like this topic is a consistent focal point of social conversations. In fact, I’ve found the same thing to be true about gun-law reform, racial inequality, social injustice and sexism. As a Republican, I just never talked about these things, but as a Democrat, I talk about them all the time.

I’ll tell you, being a Democrat is a heck of a lot more emotionally exhausting than being a Republican was, because I care about a lot more things than I used to. There must be some wisdom in the old saying that “ignorance is bliss.” It’s funny, because I remember as a Republican, we would often mock “bleeding-heart liberals” who are always “caring” so much. I think to myself now, what the hell is wrong with these Republicans who don’t seem to care about anything at all?

[trixie2]

1. Welcome to the party

[betsuni]

2. The Grinch's heart grew three sizes that day.

[Moebym]

3. It is exhausting, to be sure.

Last edited Sun Dec 16, 2018, 06:52 PM - Edit history (1)

But there's no party I'd rather be in, because I like being around people who care.

[vlyons]

4. Congratulations on acquiring a more enlightened point of view

Republicans only value money and power. They are deeply greedy and covet more and more money ad infinitum. Their patron saint is Ayn Rand and her philosophy of the "virtue of selfishness." Democrats figured out long ago that we all do better, when we all do better.

As a Buddhist, I guarantee you that having compassion for others will make you a far happier person than chasing after power and money.

[panfluteman]

27. I'm a Democrat, and I'm Somewhere Between a Nudist and a Buddhist!

And it's also nice to vote for Democratic candidates who not only care, but who are also knowledgeable and competent when it comes to governing! I have always voted Democrat, and I've never voted for the wrong candidate - even when he or she didn't win.

[firstwife]

5. Wow.

[zentrum]

6. Narcissists vs.

…Empaths is a shorthand for what is being described.

[patphil]

7. Republicans who don't seem to care about anything at all

It's a stunning realization, isn't it. A whole political party of sociopaths.
The f**k everyone else, I got mine mentality of Ayn Rand found a home.
I have to put up with this in my wife's two brothers and their wives.
Most of their conversations center around what money they have and how not to pay any tax. They are both better off than 90% of all retired people.
Other conversations parrot the Hillary's e-mail theme and other Trump BS.
We are now at the point that politics is verboten at family gatherings.
Even caging children couldn't dissuade them.
Yes, being a Democrat is more of a burden. You have to have a social conscience.
You have to care about something outside yourself and your immediate family and friends.
Your heart does need to bleed a bit.
Oh, and by the way, ignorance isn't bliss, it's just ignorance.
But then, these people aren't ignorant, they are willfully callous and unloving of those who need help.
Welcome to the party of Americans who still have a loving heart.

Pat Phillips

[TexasBushwhacker]

20. And the thing is, ultimately, their way doesn't work

They want to make their money, without interference, and keep as much of it as possible. I get that.

Except they don't get a private atmosphere and climate, so those things should matter.
If they want people to buy the shit they sell, people have to make enough money to buy it.
If they don't want people to get assistance like SNAP and subsidized housing, people have to be paid enough they don't need them.

I had a convo with a self described "former farmer" about how we are dependent on undocumented workers and shouldn't demonize them. He humble bragged that he NEVER hired undocumented workers, paid his employees $10 an hour and kept them working ALMOST year round. They were only laid off 2 months a year! So I figure his employees were pulling in about $17K a year. I don't mean to pick on farmers, certainly not small farmers or anyone with a small business. But look at rents in your area. Look at the cost of homes. If you don't pay enough for a full time employ to live, and heaven forbid support a family, you aren't a part of the solution, YOU'RE PART OF THE PROBLEM. If you're a multi-billion company like Walmart, whose employees receive hundreds of millions in assistance paid for by tax payers, shame on you!!!

[Leith]

8. I remember him as a spokesman for Darryl Issa

and Breitbart and other rethugs.

I don't trust him. He may have "seen the light" but I'm going to need years more proof. He's been a vicious jerk since he was a teenager so he has a lot of penance to perform.

[chia]

24. People can and do change their political beliefs, even beyond the college years.

I've been reading the twitter feed of David Weissman (@davidmweissman) for a while now, because I can relate to his experience. I too left the Republican party. In my case, in 2012 - and in 2016 I cast my first Democratic presidential vote. For some like me who were raised in social/religious/political right-wing conservatism, it can take decades and just the right confluence of life events to make that first step past the barriers.

In politics, as in religion, converts are often viewed with suspicion. I get that. Wait as long as you need to, but I hope you'll give him a chance.

[Funtatlaguy]

9. Yes, having an empathy gene is tough. Glad you found yours.

[Honeycombe8]

10. An insightful, informative post.

I hadn't realized that Republicans don't think or talk about all these issues.

I don't walk around talking about these things. My friends and I mention this or that topic occasionally, but don't spend lunches hashing over the problems in the world. But these things come up, and although we may disagree on certain details, every liberal I've known cares about the issues.

I spoke w/a friend on the phone recently. We live in different cities, now, but speak occasionally. She's not political at all. I try not to bring up politics with her, because it's not an interest of hers. But when I mentioned Trump, she said "I HATE him!" Then I mentioned that he'd opened up the National Parks to oil drilling, she said, "OMG...I heard that! Can you believe that? WTH???" Now, she's not what we'd call an environmentalist. But as a liberal, which I'm sure she is at heart, she just automatically cared about ruining the National Parks with oil drilling.

The fact that Republicans don't think or talk about these things explains a lot. If you don't give something any thought, you are pretty ignorant about it. That explains the disbelief and puzzled look I got from a Republican coworker when we were talking about an oil spill, and I mentioned that they can't be totally cleaned up. She said "that's not true. Who told you that?" Well, I couldn't summarize everything I'd read on the subject over the years in a sentence or two. I had cared enough to read some things on it and sort of understand the required clean-up process. In the course of that, I learned that the clean-up is only a certain % effective and that the oil can't be totally cleaned up. Which is logical when you think about a large spill in the ocean or on land. I had given it some thought. My Republican coworker had never given it a second thought. She assumed that oil spills are "cleaned up" afterwards, and everything is hunky dory.

Great post. It explains a lot. And welcome to the enlightened side!

[dalton99a]

11. Their ignorance is willful

[cagefreesoylentgreen]

12. Glad he's here

Same sentiment goes for any other converts who’ve seen the light. Democrats want to be The Big Tent Party, accepting folks like Bardella is one step towards that.

[samnsara]

13. doing the right thing is always harder. Welcome!

[SergeStorms]

14. If caring about other people and things is bad...

we Democrats are the absolute worst people in the world. And I wouldn't have it any other way!

Glad you're aboard the "compassion train", and have left the "what's in it for me" treadmill. We're elated to have you with us!

[iluvtennis]

15. Kurt Badella and Joy Reid on MSNBC

[Stellar]

16. Kurt is a heck of a man, I read the whole article and it was enlightening.

I’ll tell you, being a Democrat is a heck of a lot more emotionally exhausting than being a Republican was, because I care about a lot more things than I used to. There must be some wisdom in the old saying that “ignorance is bliss.” It’s funny, because I remember as a Republican, we would often mock “bleeding-heart liberals” who are always “caring” so much. I think to myself now, what the hell is wrong with these Republicans who don’t seem to care about anything at all?

And that's all I would say about Republicans, that they were ignorant and often voted against their own good. Being a Republican meant to repeat after whoever was in charge and don't care about ANYTHING else!

[flying_wahini]

17. So what mad you take the leap? Aside from Having Trump in the mix?

An event, a comment, a person?

[oberliner]

22. Ask Kurt Bardella

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

19. Very interesting article...

Explains a lot about some Republican friends of my wife and I. We are those bleeding hearts, they never want to get into any social issue very deeply and when conversation does go a little deeper the lack of knowledge is astonishing.

[oberliner]

21. I wonder if people think this is from you

It seems that way from some of the responses.

[drray23]

23. so how many people on DU actually read OPs carefully ?

Half the posts are about congratulating brooklynite to have become a democrat. Well, he is not really new at that.. Notice he is quoting Kurt Bardella (hint, its at the top of the OP highlited in blue)

[FakeNoose]

26. Yes readers do get confused sometimes

I believe the title of the OP needs to make it clear that it's someone else's opinion.

For example the title could have said:
Kurt Bardella (USA Today): I became a Democrat a year ago and it changed everything

Or something similar. Also the linked article needs to be more obvious. I don't believe Brooklynite had any intention to deceive us. He's using a kind of shorthand that some people miss when they quick-scan these posts.

[erronis]

28. Agree. Initial clarity in the titling and OP will save everyone a lot of time and gnashing.

[FakeNoose]

25. I hope he convinces more people with this great essay

[BlancheSplanchnik]

29. So what DID you talk about when you were a republican?

Seriously, what topics of conversation are they into, aside from hating on Liberals?

[Ellen Forradalom]

30. And we don't talk about these things just to have the feelz

These have a big impact on how well our economy and political system function (or, in the case of climate change, whether we'll even survive). Failure to attend to these topics is governmental malpractice because it harms citizens and costs our nation money.