Do liberals fall far from the tree?

[Mendocino]

A number of years ago, I posted a question, what was your parents political persuasion and where are you? I would like to revisit that. For me my father was very conservative, my mother would not disagree with him, even though I think she felt thought somewhat differently, but still basically RW. What is your story?

[Arkansas Granny]

1. The first election I remember, my dad was voting for Eisenhower and my mom was voting for Stevenson.

Daddy was conservative and Mom was more liberal, but they would both probably be called centrist today. I tend to lean more left the older I get.

[Mendocino]

4. I can agree with that

My dad who has passed, loved Eisenhower, Nixon, Reagan and Poppa Bush and strongly disliked Kennedy, Carter and Clinton, hated LBJ. I've always been way out left, which caused some serious rifts in our relationship, but even he thought GWB was mostly a bungling fool.

[Lindsay]

2. My mother was liberal.

My father was even more liberal.

This nut rolled even further to the left.

[GliderGuider]

3. My maternal grandparents were founding members of the Canadian CCF

The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) was a social-democratic and democratic socialist political party in Canada. The CCF was founded in 1932 in Calgary, Alberta, by a number of socialist, agrarian, co-operative, and labour groups, and the League for Social Reconstruction. In 1944, the CCF formed the first social-democratic government in North America when it was elected to form the provincial government in Saskatchewan. In 1961, the CCF was succeeded by the New Democratic Party (NDP). The full, but little used, name of the party was Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (Farmer-Labour-Socialist).

My parents are both strongly socialist NDP supporters. So are my siblings and my nieces.

I rolled away from the tree, however. However, as I got out from under its shadow I began to discover ecology - what humans do to other life on the planet, and how politics of all kinds enables that behaviour. As a result I have abandoned my support of political parties in general, though I retain a certain avuncular fondness for my socialist roots.

[Mendocino]

8. One thing dad did

though was to take the family on a lot of vacations. We had a travel trailer and went all over the country. I grew up with a wonderful appreciation of the natural world. To this day I backpack, canoe, explore. This backfired on dad, my primary reason for rejecting RW dogma was their lack of concern for the environment. He even said once "If I had known our trips made you this way, I likely wouldn't have ever done them", in spite of of all the good times we had and things we saw. He was a hard case.

[KamaAina]

5. Mom took me to a McGovern rally on her shoulders in '72.

She has moved to the center over the years, however. She lives in NYC and can't stand de Blasio!

And, of course, she married a Republican, henceforth known as Republican Stepdad. He doesn't watch Fox or televangelists or anything like that, though.

[Avalux]

6. My parents never voted when I was a kid. They hated politics.

I would say they were politically ignorant, but liberally-minded. After I became an adult, I was able to convince them they need to be involved and vote. Since then, they've been registered Dems (~20 years).

[No Vested Interest]

7. My Dad was a Democrat, Mom not very politically interested.

Dad- Irish Catholic Democrat, though he proclaimed to be a Dixiecrat in 1948 or 52 - whenever that was going on. He had his own small business and believed a businessman had to be relatively quiet publicly re politics lest a customer be rubbed the wrong way.

Mother - I believe she supported FDR - who wouldn't during that time? But she was more interested in social life - friends- so didn't express herself much re politics.

[el_bryanto]

9. My Dad was liberal on some issues but more conservative than liberal

He did encourage thinking for oneself. My Mother was largely disinterested in politics, but when she did get interested it was 100% John Birch Conservatism.

Bryant

[Mendocino]

10. I believe that conservatism is a disease

like gun hoarding, a true red flag.

[el_bryanto]

11. Ah - Not sure exactly what you are saying here

But I'm sure you won't clarify I'll just assume you mean I must be diseased as well.

Bryant

[Mendocino]

12. If you are assuming that,

I won't clarify, you've already made up your mind.

[el_bryanto]

20. As I thought. If I had an accusation I would just make it. nt

[GliderGuider]

15. The qualities associated with conservatism have changed a lot over my lifetime.

I used to think Goldwater was a scary dude. Now he'd be considered well to the left of a lot of establishment Democrats.

[hifiguy]

18. Goldwater would take a shotgun filled with rock salt

to the buybull-banging jebus-wheezers. Of that I have no doubt, given his frequently-expressed, and very pungent, complete and utter disdain for them.

[Mendocino]

23. In 67

during the uprisings in Detroit, my dad said nearly the same thing; "shoot em in the ass with double barrels of rock salt". He was pissed because on a trip to Eastern Canada that year, we had to take a long detour north then via Port Huron (from the Toledo area) to avoid the riots. Figured our station wagon pulling a trailer through Detroit would have been too much of an easy target.

[hunter]

13. My parents are crazy artists.

Outside the liberal-conservative spectrum.

How could I myself be otherwise???

[lumberjack_jeff]

14. FDR liberals. n/t

[Le Taz Hot]

16. Growing up I think my mother voted for Kennedy

though she wasn't that political. I started living, eating, breathing politics at about age 12. No idea where I got it. Now, she's a rabid right-wing, evangelical who consistently votes Republican.

[Mendocino]

19. My Mother

gets calls and letters from the RW. She still sends them money, she is afraid of dad's "ghost" if she doesn't. I say think for yourself, she can't do it.

[hifiguy]

17. My Dad was a union man and FDR/Truman Democrat, though he liked Eisenhower.

Mom was a very moderate Republican who became a moderate Democrat after one look at Zombie King Raygun, for whom she had a genuinely visceral and unexplained - at least to me - hatred, like my dad's for Nixon.

My first political hero was RFK. I've been on the left since I was born.

[Rhythm]

21. Mom and dad were both staunchly conservative... I never was.

Though my father passed away over 20 yrs ago, i have no doubt that if he were still alive, he'd be supportive of most of the Republican candidates...
My mom has gotten a lot more conservative over the years; however, she'd have a hard time choosing a Republican to support, because she does not suffer blowhards like Trump, but would ~never~ cast a vote for anyone not of white-European descent (so Rubio and Cruz are right out).

Me? Well...
We're oil-and-water when it comes to politics and social issues...

[mmonk]

22. Roosevelt and Kennedy Democrats.

[Mendocino]

24. I think my Dad

was of the Hoover persuasion, Mom just kinda went Eisenhower and never changed. Dad grew up through the worst of the depression, but never made the transistion.

[Blue_In_AK]

25. My dad was an FDR Democrat.

My mother was a Republican, but I'm sure she wouldn't be today if she were still alive. They both passed away in the '90s before the GWOT, etc. One of the things they had in common was they were both pacifists - my dad was raised Quaker and my mom Church of the Brethren - so it would have been really weird if I had turned out to be anything other than a peacenik.

I miss them, but I'm kind of glad they were spared the last 15-20 years, although I'm sure they would have been pleased about the first black president.

[femmocrat]

26. My dad was a die-hard democrat. He loved JFK.

My mother was an Eisenhower republican, but she never voted. She hated politics and said all politicians are only in it for themselves.

My grandmother (Mom's mom) was a very active member of Republican Women. LOL

I've been interested in politics since I was in junior high.

[Dont call me Shirley]

27. Parents campaigned for Nixon, both times. Mother came to her senses. Father got worse.

When I was 3 I wanted to join Kennedy's Peace Corps, never got to, but still remain a liberal...

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

28. My parents are Dems, but somewhat more moderate than I am.

They still believe in capitalism.