What got you into politics? What was your start. I grew up in Ottawa in a neighbourhood

[applegrove]

that was filled with politicians. In fact my grandmothers father was a Liberal politician for 25 years. My dad was involved in Liberal Party politics. He'd talk politics at the dinner table every single night. We didn't talk about other people or gossip or each other. We talked history and politics. My dad had a great take on the news of the day based partially on how sensitive a guy he is and that he grew up with politics in his life (in fact his grandmother, the one married to the politician, was so worried he would go into politics himself she begged him not to cause she said it was such a hard life). So that is where I got my love of social justice and liberal politics from (Liberals were very much into social justice under Pierre Trudeau in the 1970s). I've been fascinated ever since.

[GReedDiamond]

1. Viet Nam War...

...I was a teenager in the midst of a war which threatened me in a direct way - I was qualified, by virtue of birth date, in the last ever birth date-based lottery system/draft for Viet Nam War era service.

My birth date was not called, but I would not have voluntarily served, drafted or not, under any circumstances, as a conscript for Global Corporatism.

Taken from my autobiography, "Confessions of an Old Teenage YIPPIE!"

[Forkboy]

2. The No Nukes movement in the early 80's.

I used to always sleep over a friend's house, and his older brother was into politics. He went to a protest and asked me to help do some art (back then I never went anywhere without my drawing pad handy, so he knew I liked doing art). I did a few signs for him, and that piqued my curiosity. A month later (or so) there was another protest, and I went to that one with him. After that I must have devoured about 30 books on the subject in a 6 month span. Been into politics ever since.

[sakabatou]

3. 7th grade social studies teacher.

[femmocrat]

9. That is about when I got interested too.

One of our teachers made us read "Profiles in Courage" and we had to memorize all the members of JFK's cabinet.

I also recruited a group of my junior high friends to hand out campaign materials in the city park for a neighbor who was running for mayor. I was hooked! I've been involved ever since.

[Tobin S.]

4. 9/11

I was 28 when that happened and pretty much a non-political kind of guy. I held some political views I guess, but I could not talk about politics in an informed, intelligent kind of way. The WTC attacks changed all of that.

I started reading about politics online every day. That's where I spent most of my free time for a while. It's also where I ran across Howard Dean and his anti-Iraq war views. An article by him was linked from here on another lefty web site, then it was all DU all the time for a while. I've been here since March 2003. I used to post under a different account.

[rug]

5. The draft.

When I realized the government intended to seize me and send me out to kill people, I thought I'd better start paying attention.

[Graybeard]

6. I was given a book of Adlai Stevenson's campaign speeches.

It was 1960. When the nomination went to Kennedy I was disappointed but worked hard for JFK's election even though I had not reached voting age (It was 21 at the time).

[Raffi Ella]

7. 9/11.

I'm embarrassed to say that while I was a Democrat I didn't have a clue before then. And still I didn't really have a true clue until the summer of 2004 when buSh was up for re election.

I cringe when I think about how I was duped into believing the Iraq war was a good thing. I actually debated with people about it even though like I said I had No Clue at the time.

It really taught me something about myself, it was a hard lesson to learn and one I take full responsibility for but wow, yeah.

I came across D.U. during Spring of '04. I was amazed. Couldn't get enough of all these smart Democrats who posted page after page of information.

I've been a junkie ever since. Although in the last year, since having a Democrat in office, I've become disillusioned by the whole process to be honest.

When it comes right down to it? All I really have is my vote every 4 years.

[era veteran]

16. Family very political, VietFuckingNam, and The 'Movement'

Fighting dirty bastard politicians is my hobby. Monsanto is my corporate priority. A 7th grade Civics class that taught me the way it should be. The Boy Scouts gave me an early sense of duty that perhaps is bit naïve. Marched in Washington against the war in 1971 and was there last year doing it again. Was going to be the last sucker drafted at University in '72 so enlisted instead and spent 4 years in the Army.
Born in a military family in the Canal Zone, the last vestige of American Imperialism, and seeing the necessity of returning it even though we became Zoneless.
Both boys have a political bent and one son is a natural politician.

I will never give up or quit fighting these bastards.

Should have been a reply to the original message. oops

[tabbycat31]

8. my friend taking me to Fahrenheit 9/11 in 2004

And now I work in Democratic politics and would not have it any other way.

[Aristus]

10. Don't Ask, Don't Tell, HIV, and the gay-marriage debate.

I'm straight, but I really became a strong proponent of the gay-rights movement during my last couple of years in the Army. The Army was, at the time, an extraordinarily homophobic institution, and a lot of soldiers were very vocal about how being a "faggot" was the worst thing one could be.

I didn't agree with that point of view just organically; I come from a very liberal, open-minded family. But I became very politically opposed to gay-bashing after making a number of friends in Louisville, Kentucky's gay scene. They looked to me for understanding (and on at least one occasion, protection), and I was like their own, pet, gay-friendly soldier.

After I got out, I watched the tussle between President Clinton and Congress with great interest, placing myself squarely in the progressive camp.

After sElection 2000, I became an outspoken hard-core liberal, and will be until I die.

[Arugula Latte]

11. My disgust with Reagan getting elected when I was 14.

x(

[davsand]

12. I can remember arguing politics with my dad in the late 60's.

I drew peace signs on a sewing project (in tailor's chalk which brushes off usually) and he got all pissed at me.

For years I was active in issue oriented stuff like abortion rights and GLBT rights during the dark times of Ronnie Raygun, but I came late to party politics. I lived next door to a city councilman who was a conservative pig. He pissed me off seriously when I tried to tell him about the experience of hearing a drunk cop assert loudly in a bar, "Hell everybody knows you can't force a woman to give a blow job or else men'd be much happier." He'd been a first responder to a much publicized assault case involving a gang of men dragging a young woman into a mens' room and forcing her to perform oral sex. I told the city councilman that I expected better than that out of a city employee--especially a first responder--and my city councilman BLEW ME OFF!

My response was to tell my new boyfriend (who went on to become my husband) to bring me every Dem yardsign he could lay hands on in the next election cycle. He was working on a Mayoral race for a guy I knew and was friends with, and I tagged along to some of the fundraisers and events. I ended up listed someplace as a volunteer and contributor and my formal political career was begun.


Laura


PS: It was a very good election for Dems locally, and we took great delight in leaving those Dem yard signs up all winter just to piss off the neighbor.


:evilgrin:

[Bladian]

13. Damn you for asking this question.

I've never thought about this, and I don't have a good answer. If I had to guess, I'd say a combination of things. Mainly: my parents discussing Bush and his policies around me, the constant presence of the news, and the 2008 presidential election. I knew it was big, and I had never liked Bush (he rubbed me the wrong way, without knowing anything about politics). Thus, I began to pay more attention.

[KamaAina]

14. Mom carried me on her shoulders to a McGovern rally in '72

no mean feat, as I was 8 at the time.

Now she's married to Republican Stepdad. :eyes:

[PassingFair]

15. Florida. 2000

Late political bloomer.

The theft in Florida got me off the couch.

[MerryBlooms]

17. 7th Grade, Mr. Yarnell's civics class, 1976 at Hedrick Jr. High

I was totally drawn in and couldn't wait to participate in the process.

[LaurenG]

18. I absolutely hated politics, and stayed away except to vote

or help my mother hold her ladies teas for her favorite congressmen.

I really got mad in the late 90's, when Bush thought he should be president. I started paying a lot more attention on 9/11 and then the Iraq War sealed the deal. I wasn't interested in politics as much as I was furious that the neocon hair ball was handed the 2000 election.

I hung out at the move on forum and started lurking here in 03 and then during the election of 04 I tried to join here but was denied due to band width issues so I had to wait until the election was over before I could get in here.

[Worried senior]

19. When I married

a card carrying Teamster and got the full education on unions and the Democratic party. His father was one that fought so desperately for unions and would be rolling in his grave if he knew what was happening to this country.

My father was a republican farmer but not very political and I really didn't pay much attention. I did know I liked John Kennedy but was too young to vote. I think I really got more radical after Reagan was elected and my husband was terribly upset that the Teamster's backed him because they were mad at Carter. We were never Reagan Democrats.

[mvd]

20. My parents are very political. So were my grandfather..

and grandmother. I grew up around Democratic politics but didn't get into it a lot until Dukakis/Bentsen ran for President/VP.

[NewJeffCT]

21. I turned four in 1970 and fourteen in 1980

so, a lot of my formative years were during the turbulent 70s - Vietnam, Watergate, Nixon resigning, Ford-Carter, the Iran Hostage Crisis, ERA, Inflation and Stagflation, and finally, the election of Reagan. I think those years sort of laid the groundwork - heck, I remember hating Nixon as a child just because Watergate would pre-empt the afternoon cartoons on TV, and I remember when people spoke about ERA (the Equal Rights Amendment for you young whippersnappers...) and wondering, "Isn't this America, how can anybody be opposed to equal rights?" I was so naive.

[ashling]

22. It's not a choice I made

I was born this way. I was a Democrat in the womb. I was just born stubborn. (family trait)

I remember asking my father when I was 7 why there was a white water fountain and a colored water fountain at the ferry stop in Galveston. I have pretty much been an activist since then

[Tuesday Afternoon]

23. grew up in a very political, grassroots family. grandfather was a judge. n/t

[struggle4progress]

24. I got sick of the Reagan-era crap. I'd diddled around with campaigns and activism

before, but after a year or so of Reagan, I got a lot more serious -- and I found a multi-issue group of like-minded people. Later, the Republican sweep in 1994 convinced me I really had to get out there and support middle-of-the-road candidates who didn't always take the stands I wanted -- because otherwise the wackadoodles really would be in charge

[BrendaBrick]

25. MAD magazine in Junior High School.

[rurallib]

28. Mad's skewering of politicians probably was a push for me.

[BrendaBrick]

26. delete double post ('puter froze up - accidently sent twice) n/t

[stuntcat]

27. my Mama always took me with her to vote

it was interesting, I thought. She was a social worker, she had feelings I inherited.

[rurallib]

29. 10 when Kennedy ran. Grew up in a university city that was mostly Catholic

so with the politics of Vietnam happening right in front of my eyes daily, plus a home environment that encouraged discussion - Voila!
Kennedy lit the flame, the music revolution, the assassination, Johnson escalating the war to the point where everybody knew someone who had been killed in Nam, being draft bait, I could not hardly avoid it.

[lazarus]

30. Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72

by Hunter S Thompson. Read it in the 80s when i got hooked on HST's stuff. A great breakdown of a political campaign that still resonates and should be required reading for anyone who wants to understand the process.

His later book, Better Than Sex, is also a good read on politics.