Are you a reformed Repub? Since when? What happened to change your mind

[BR_Parkway]

I think there's alot to be learned by why some of us came over from the Dark Side. The sum total is a way to reach even more (except for those 30% who think Shrub is God)

I was a Rush listening self employed guy at the top of my game in the mid-late 80's, thinking I had it all and why should I share it with those deadbeats who weren't willing to bust their asses like I was.

Enter a messy divorce and a falling house of cards from all the stupid financing decisions I'd made to grow my little empire, with no thought to it couldn't last forever - I was practically homeless with 2 kids to raise on my own, no business or job and lousy prospects. I was amazed at the world I didn't know existed in people barely getting by and what it took just to barely make it here in the US. I had no clue.

I was raised lower middle class, father worked blue collar union factory, never a ton of money but we didn't eat beans every night either. Christmas, car repairs and unexpected things were paid by overtime, which the factory somehow always managed to have at just the right time - along with my dad and co-workers looking out for each other a little bit and trading schedules around some to make sure those who really needed a little extra had a chance to get it. So I never really knew poor people, never had a clue how life treated them and how difficult it was for them to just 'pull themselves up by their bootstraps' and I sure as hell never saw myself getting into that situation.

That experience made me start paying more attention to those around me, and how the government policies favored some at the expense of the others. The whole concept of community, which I did learn growing up in our blue collar neighborhood, came rushing back to me to fill that void that OxyRush had left once it wasn't all about me, mine and how to get more without regard to anyone else.

I'm curious to hear the other stories, I know I'm not the only one here.

[senseandsensibility]

1. Well, not exactly a reformed repug

but a reformed apathetic, non-political non voter. Also, I grew up in a far rightwing family. I could never go along with all that, so I rebelled by tuning out. It wasn't until I was in my late twenties that I realized that I was a liberal, and I have just grown more liberal with the years! However, because of my upbringing I understand the other side very well. That can be helpful sometimes.:) I know that some of their ideas and beliefs are based on ignorance, and some on fear. I know that they are not "boogey-men", but actually have good qualiities too. Still, even as a child, when that was ALL I was hearing, I never bought into it. Thanks for your story.

[wicket]

2. I volunteered for McCain's campaign in 2000

Following the "election" by Chimpy (who I NEVER supported I might add ;) ) by the Supreme Court, I switched to Dem. I was an early DU member and DU helped my transformation :thumbsup:

[PetraPooh]

8. Yep when babybushy smeared John McCain and stole

primaries. I didn't wait till the Supreme Court decision. I immediately started voting anti-* at every opportunity which means anti-repub. I wouldn't say I am wholy agreeable to all democratic planks but I was never wholy iin agreement with the repub planks either, being athiest and all.

[wicket]

17. yup- the smear campaign in South Carolina is what did it for me

Absolutely disgusting :grr:

[OhioBlue]

34. welcome to DU

:hi:

[holboz]

44. Welcome to DU, PetraPooh!

:hi:

[Blue Poppy]

3. I guess I have to chime in here...

My family was probably lower middle class. My mom made sure money was set aside for me to attend private (Catholic) school. Step-father was in the Navy. He was the negative repuke influence.

I even volunteered to work the 96 repuke convention when it was in San Diego.

Well, the change happened in two parts. One was while in college, I was walking with my best friend from the cafeteria. I was going on and on about "fags". She turned to me and said that her cousin was gay. I felt this small :blush:
The second part was when the Starr report came out and I was reading the details of someone's sex life. I was mortified that that was even news or our business.

From then on, I have morphed into what my mother lovingly refers to as a "flaming, commie, pinko liberal".

[OhioBlue]

35. welcome to DU

:hi:

I understand your embarrassment. Several years ago in my ignorance, I too made a comment about a gay man at the bar to a bunch of my friends, only later to find out that one of the friends at the table has a brother that is gay.

Since then I've had a cousin (whom I adore) come out of the closet - knowing how much I love him and how pissed I am at anyone that says anything even a little negative about him, I became "enlightened".

Diversity is important - it breaks down the wall of ignorance that leads us to being afraid of what we don't know.

[Wapsie B]

4. In a nutshell, Iran-Contra.

I was a staunch goper before then, sitting through Watergate and standing loyally by the party. I told everyone that just because Nixon was an ass it didn't taint the whole party. Then I saw what the gop was doing to smear Carter. They talk about honor and dignity. Here was a man who was one of the most honorable men to sit in the White House and the crap was still flying at him, and it was way beyond just partisan bickering. The last straw came when Iran-Contra came around with the CIA drug-running and arms sales. Ollie North was spun into a national hero. The stench was too great. I also heard of the conservative fundamentalists wanting to get involved in politicss as a group and saw first hand at the Iowa Caucases what vile individuals some of these people can be. Misguided is one thing. But these people were on a lustfull power trip that continues to this day. The Fundie-Mafia will never have enough power and influence to satisfy them. That was it for me.

[fknobbit]

5. When it personally hits em in the

Wallet they see the light. It is happening now and if you listen carefully you can hear some teeth gnashing. The real tragedy; However. will come after the election when the projected trickle down tax breaks comes almost to a stop for the middle class, and gets much better for the ultra wealthy. God help us all if these idiots vote to keep power in the hands of the republicans come Nov.

[BR_Parkway]

21. There's already a tax increase after the election - $2,700-$4,500 worth

and the proof is already in black and white in most people's hands as we type.

I posted about it earlier, but it never seemed to get the traction I thought it would. Maybe I should
have titled it:

Bush Takes Back Your Tax Cut with Interest

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=388389

[fknobbit]

32. Yep... and it gets much worse (as programmed) every year

Start looking for the good card board boxes to live in now before they can vote this bunch of repukes back in, because the freepers/fundies will be fighting for them long before 2008.

[noonwitch]

6. If I was a voter in the pre-Reagan era, I might have voted republican more

Once upon a time, there were liberal republicans and conservative democrats. Guys like GR Ford, Mitt Romeny's dad, William Milliken. Hell, Eisenhower was a liberal compared to this administration.

When the religious right chose to make the Republican party theirs (circa 1980), I pretty much decided to vote for democrats.

I did vote for McCain in the 2000 Michigan primary, but that was for numerous reasons, including a fear of how badly Bush would mess up this country (a very reasonable fear, in retrospect) and to make the former governor (Engler), who had promised Bush a victory, look bad.

I voted for a republican prosecutor in 2004. I disliked the previous (dem) prosecutor, who I thought had some serious ethical issues, and the dem running was his assistant. I thought a house cleaning was in order. The dem won anyways, despite my vote.

The GOP had to have once been a good party-Lincoln was a republican, after all.

[TheModernTerrorist]

24. oooh Engler makes my blood boil

the GOP was a good party, until corporate america came into play. 2000 was my first election (I turned 18 then), and the first one I payed some attention to. I liked McCain at the time, but was voting for Gore. I got in an argument with a roommate because he was gonna vote for * because he said "I'm ready for a change"...

I just rolled my eyes.

There are still a few honest republicans out there, and I think there needs to be more, but sadly corporate interests have overrun this country, and all we're left with is this silly litle facade of government.

It's sad.

[erinlough]

33. Engler was the worst thing to happen to Michigan ever.

I crossed to vote for McCain because I wanted to give Engler a big ol black eye. I think if he had delivered Michigan he would have been in bushes cabinet. I'm just glad he's gone.

[TheModernTerrorist]

37. too bad he's still around

hangin out with Corporate Michigan, still :shrug:

[ninkasi]

7. I've always been liberal

but to those of you who have left the Republican Party...welcome. America will be stronger, and better, when everybody shares in the wealth and opportunities, instead of keeping it for a privileged few. I'm glad you're now on our side.

[justicewanted]

9. My transformation was gradual, but then something clicked when Bush forced

the Iraq war down our throats without UN approval. The inspectors were saying they needed more time and that the proof he was using wasn't legitimate. When he ordered the inspectors out it clicked in my head that this was all about oil and money.

After that I started doing searches on the internet and found all kinds of information that I would never find out listening to the sanitized news on television. I managed to stumble across Buzzflash and then Democratic Underground and my views have done a 180.

My parents are very religious (pentecostal) and we live in the south so I'm constantly at odds with the environment I live in. I remember back in the 80s when I was a teenager and I thought Reagan was great. My parents liked to watch a television show with Rush Limbaugh, and I tried to watch it and even then I said I cant watch this guy hes a jerk. Then a couple of years ago they thought O'Reilley was great and were watching him. Its sad that they believe that they are christians but somehow are drawn to these pushers of hate and greed.

I really believe if people had any idea what is really going on and how they are being betrayed by the republicans they would be enraged. The problem is they just want to believe that the republicans are good christians trying to protect their freedom. Its ridiculous but thats what they want to believe.

[NoAmericanTaliban]

11. Welcome to DU justicewanted!

I am still perplexed as to why so many Christians support the GOP, when for the most part they do a lot of things that Jesus would be against. They are the corrupt forces Jesus preached against, yet they have managed to twist it around. Saw yesterday, where the highest divorce rates are in the bible belt & the pentecostal are in the lead. Alcoholism also big in the bible belt. Throughout history religion has been used by the forces in control to suppress those who are not. Anti-Science & anti-intellectualism are part of that culture, because they attack any perceived threat to their dominance.

[ginnyinWI]

16. they live in a bubble

I come from this background so I can speak to it. They automatically filter out anything that is not part of their "Christan" world, believing they must be separate and not be "tainted" by worldly things. Right now that means filtering out Democrats. If they see problems within their world, they still think that the worst of their own are better than anybody "outside", so they seldom bother to even look. Their outlook gets so skewed that they don't see facts in front of their own faces. They gave the GOP an "OK" once, so they don't think they need to question whether they might not be as good a party as the Democratic Party. And wedge issues like choice/anti-choice are enough to settle some people right there. Doesn't matter what else the party does if it is against "killing the unborn"!

[EC]

38. "killing the unborn"!

do they really believe that ANYBODY is FOR killing the unborn?

[BR_Parkway]

23. Thanks for the reply and welcome to DU!

[OhioBlue]

36. welcome to DU

:hi:

the Iraq invasion was the breaking point for me too. I wasn't a Republican, but an independent (voted for Gore).

but the invasion got me active and pretty much cemented me as a Dem.

[Wheezy]

40. My story is a lot like yours

Except I grew up in Michigan. I think we are probably about the same age, too -- I was in jr. high when Reagan got 'peppered'. Seriously though--almost an identical story to yours, with the parents, etc (who are still starstruck with Bush). I was basically an apathetic republican. My first Dem. vote was in '96 for Clinton's 2nd term, and then *horrors* I voted for Dubya in '00. I'm so sorry, DU friends. I was deceived. It was during the big mess of the vote count and the way Dubya acted that I first regretted my vote. Very slowly I became more aware of the political world and I was very skeptical of the war. Since then I have discovered a strong passion for politics and it's a rare day I go without my DU fix.

Welcome to DU, justice!

[holboz]

43. Welcome to DU, justicewanted!

:hi:

[NoAmericanTaliban]

10. Moral Majority taking over GOP did it for me

also the way corp. treat people. I actually was campaigning for the GOP in NJ. Even was Treasurer one year & VP the next for Young Republicans at a northeast college during the early eighties. More & more right winger started coming to meetings and more & more moderater republicans were leaving. New members were refered to as goons. Corporate work atmosphere is about 'looking out for #1' & people are just tools to use.

[Ksec]

12. Never voted Repub and its a mistake to think

to think this country is on anyones side. It could care less who wins elections. What it does care about is their wallets. And their security. They want a prosperous life ,and they dont want endless wars or 911's.

Whichever party provides these things, will win elections. The repubs won by stressing low taxes and a non intrusive government while being strong on bad guys. They delivered the exact opposite, which is good for us.

The repubs branded us as a party who brought things that dont interest the average guy . The average guy could really could care less if gays can marry or someone gets an abortion. He wants a good income . He wants a government that does its job while staying out of his life. Whichever party provides the average working stiff the things he feels are important will win elections.

[converted_democrat]

13. For me it was when I hit reality on my own..

I grew up in an ultra conservative household with a good bit of money.. I was "taught" from a young age that minorities were a threat.. They "drained" the system without giving back, and they wanted to rob and rape me.. Now mind you I don't think that anyone in my family at that point had ever even met a minority, but some how they "knew" this information..

When I turned 18 I decided that I wanted to go to school to do hair, my Dad beat (Just one of many beatings for expressing my own opinion about my own life.) the shit out of me and told me that doing hair was "beneath" my family.. I was a "bad kid" because I wanted to pick my own career choice? It didn't make any sense to me.. I ran away with my graduation money and didn't go back.. (I have contact with my Mom and Dad now, but it is limited.. They have come around alot, but I don't value their input on important issues.) I didn't have much money, and I had no credit so it made it hard to rent a place.. I finally found a spot in a neighborhood where I was the only white girl within 5 blocks.. I lived there for 2 years and it was the happiest time of my life.. I was never raped, I was never robbed.. I got along fantastically with my neighbors and they became my first "real" friends that I could without a doubt count on.. I helped them and they helped me.. That was when it started for me.. I saw first hand that I was being lied to. I saw first hand how hard it was for someone to get by without a substantial amount of wealth to back them up.. I learned on my own that what I had been brought up to believe was a fairytale..

I didn't wake up though until the 2004 election.. I don't know why, but I woke up in a hurry.. I had known that the pukes were lying, but I had been brainwashed to think that all Dems were godless commies, so I wasn't all that hip to the idea of becoming one myself.. I started getting the facts, and I ended up here.. The rest is history..

[ginnyinWI]

14. When you get right down to the heart of it, it's this:

Due to my own life's experiences, I switched from believing that this is a "fair world", where everyone gets more or less what they deserve, whether it is a result of their own hard work, or their own folly--to realizing that life is indeed NOT fair, and sometimes innocent people get hurt because of others' greed or selfishness. And as a result of that, I looked at all the people of the world in a new light: that we are indeed all in this together, and need to help out those who need help, because it might not be their own faults--in fact, probably isn't.

This turned me from a somewhat self-righteous nominally Republican Christian into a more compassionate, liberal Demcratic atheist. How's that for a flip-flop?

[raccoon]

46. I could identify with a lot you said.

Although I was quite liberal in the late 1960's-early 1970's, by about the mid 80's I had flip-flopped and voted for Reagan in 1984. I'd gone back to school, studied computer science, started a new career, and was doing OK. I thought, "If I can do it, why can't they?"

My life experience smacked me out of that kind of thinking. Nowadays, I've been underemployed for years (but happily so, now) and I know first-hand no matter how careful and prudent you are and how well you plan, "there's things that'll knock you down you don't even see coming" (Bruce Springsteen quote). And as you said, we are ALL in this together. And a lot of the time, bad things happen to people that are in no way their fault.

Some of being what the world calls successful is hard work, perseverance, all those other things. And some of it is luck.

edited to remove hard returns

[NMDemDist2]

15. i just gotta give this a kickerooo for all the great posts in here!

thanks to one and all

:kick:

[Yollam]

18. I was a dittohead when I got out of the Navy in 1990...

...and continued to be until about 1993 or 1994. His whole spin on things seemed fresh and irreverent to me, and since I was going to an art/design school, I thought I was very clever spouting off dittohead talking points to the mostly liberal students and teachers. Even then I was very libertarian on issues like gay rights and abortion, but I was brainwashed about the economic and environmental issues.

But by the time I graduated in 1994, Clinton was showing some success as a President, and had not done any of the crazy things Rush was claiming he'd do, so I started to moderate a bit.

But the thing that pushed me full-on to the other side was my experience living in Japan. Living in a country with gun control, a fantastic mass transit system, Single Payer National Health Care and and a MUCH smaller rich-poor gap (CEOs of major companies seldom make $1 mil a year there) totally convinced me of the direction we need to go here.

I can't tell you how nice it is to be able to walk the streets any time of day or night and not worry about crime, etc. And as you go through town, you see that the rich people have their luxury homes and condos right next to dumpy cheap apartments, not off in some walled-off enclave somewhere.

There is a universal respect for people who work for a living, no matter how lowly the job, unlike in the US, where cheerleaders from wealthy High Schools chant things at poorer teams like "That's all right, that's okay, you're gonna work for us someday!" etc. Repugs train their snot-nosed kids to look down on kids whose parents work for a living.

:puke:

[NRaleighLiberal]

19. Very revealing and a good read - thanks!

And, I have to admit, very scary stuff - as a lifelong bleeding heart liberal, it is incredibly confounding to me how each of you converts started off as you did...and I congratulate each of you for your enlightenment!

[Trish1168]

20. Me! Since build up of Iraq war, 2002-2003

I know imperialism when I see it.

[izzybeans]

22. When I was young I thought being an independent meant making a

choice between a republican or democrat. It took me about 1 year of being over the voting age to realize that independence is entirely something else.

So I guess I wasn't really a reformed republican, but one of those who steered clear of the meaningless independent status, like all those faux-independents who just vote republican anyway. I wasn't on the level of that, but I realized very early that independence is a value, not a condition. Some parties value it more than others. My illusion of independence would have alienated me from truely valuing it. That is what brought me here. It doesn't me to toe the party line when the party I participate in values things like freedom and justice. I'll take that kind of partisanship any day of the week.

[DanCa]

25. I used to beleive in a two party system.

Hell even a three party system if that's what you mean. I voted for mccain in 2000 because a) I didn't want dubya to win, and b) I hated the smear tactics. I voted for Ralph Nader in the end because I felt that my vote didn't "matter" and I should just throw it away.
I recently gave up all false notions and became a registered Democrat. Why because the Dems are the only party strong enought to halt the gop onslaught. And while I respect the greens, who vote with their heart, wont have enough percentage of votes to win the white house. Not only that but the flaw in the slaw with green party is that it's designed to split the left vote. I dont mean to insult anyone this is just my feelings on the matter.So I will proudly vote Dem until the day I die. Simply put it's a heck of alot better than living under repug rule.

[Jackpine Radical]

26. I was even a member of the Young Pubbies once--

that was in the early 60's, back before Libertarians were invented, or I would have been a Libertarian. Even in those days I was pro-ACLU, pro-civil rights, and down on the narrow-minded moralistic part of the right. I supported Goldwater, with reservations, in '64.

Then I went to Vietnam & discovered the whole anti-Commie bit was a fraud and a lie. Once that crack appeared, I started hearing the rest of the message of the Left, and I never looked back.

[yourout]

27. Kick for a great thread.....and a story to go with it.

While not being raised in a fundy right wing household my upbringing in a small midwest farm
town was definitely filled with a fair amount of racist and bigoted people. To this day I regret a moment of youthful stupidity. While preparing to wrestle a match I was in the locker room when I met a rather large African-American male. I passed by him and later made a rather rude comment about the person to one of my team mates. My comment was overheard by a team mate of the other wrestler and was passed along to him. Well when my match came up guess who I had to wrestle...... I got bitch slapped but good and while the stars were still parading around my head I was tied up in a knot and left looking at the ceiling. The African-American wrestler ended up playing college football at Iowa University and to this day I wish I could apologize for that stupid remark 25 years ago.

[IA_Seth]

45. Call him!

Ya know, it probably wouldn't be easy, but I bet it would make YOU feel better, and I bet it would make him feel better.

Just my suggestion. I doubt he would be hard to find, given today's tech.

[knitter4democracy]

28. It took going to an evangelical Christian college.

I had always leaned more to the left but really believed in the "morality" of the Republican party until I went to college. What I saw there during both of Clinton's elections scared the heck out of me. Those people were crazy. I even was on a chapel panel as the lone "kind of liberal" and was threatened afterwards for saying that voting for Dole was not voting against abortion, as the guy was pro-life. *sigh*

That did it. I was sick and tired of the lies and the manipulations of people who obviously wanted to be manipulated. I started by thinking McCain was good, but the more I looked into his background, the more that seemed like a lie. I never really cared for Clinton, but I couldn't understand the rabid nature of his enemies, including my dad. I just couldn't understand, though, why it went so far as impeachment and not just censure or something like that.

Bush cemented it for me. That's when I started looking into the Dems, found Dean, and I've swung wildly to the left ever since.

My hubby was even more strongly Repub, and it took med school to make him change. He was still voting Republican when he graduated from our college, but what he saw in med school made him so angry that he's switched to the Democratic Party. His parents are just sick about it and can't even mention it at all, even in private.

[IronLionZion]

29. I like fiscal responsibility, personal freedoms, and fair trade practices

at the time I was under the impression that Republicans stood for those things. Somehow I thought Dems were pussies and Repubs were manly men...somehow...


But at the time, I was a repub mostly because my Dad was. (I was born during Reagan's first term to keep things in perspective). And I didn't really care about politics but for some reason I loved war, so did the Repubs.

So the first Dem I supported was Gore because he stood for the things I stood for. But in the primaries that year we as a family supported John McCain, then switched to Gore. I still firmly believe in campaign finance reform, particularly what Feingold is sponsoring. My Mom has always been a Dem, but the rest of my family pretty much shifted towards the Dems or away from the Repubs around 2000. Bush43 just reeked of all kinds of nasty. We knew he was bad right from the get go.

That, and I've always been deeply concerned about the environment and the well-being of less fortunate people. I thought the free market could co-exist with that but Republicans are AGAINST Free Market Competition!

Finally I found my niche as a libertarian Democrat like Russ Feingold and believe in common sense taxation and spending. You should see some of the boondoggles our tax dollars are financing at http://www.taxpayer.net/. I read somewhere that we're around 20% of the Dem party.

[kath]

30. I'm curious - was your blue-collar union dad a Repug?

If so, well that sort of situation seems so stupid to me that it just leaves me shaking my head (even though I know that it's become fairly common these days).
:-(

[SeattleGirl]

31. I really appreciate everyone's stories

I think I was born a liberal, and have always been thus, so it is interesting to me to read the stories of those of you were were raised/felt differently, and who have since changed for various reasons. Thank you.

[FreedomAngel82]

39. I was never a republican but

I used to want to be one when I was younger. I have no idea why. I guess because my parents both used to be republicans (now just my dad is one, we did vote for the same person for mayor though) and we used to watch the convention and everything. I just have really grown up and looked everything up in 2004 before I voted and watched tons of docs on everything. I believe deep down I've always been a liberal since I've always loved FDR, Kennedy and Clinton.

[seabeyond]

41. clinton impeachment for me, iraq war for husband

i was never repug, .... independent, but the impeachment was the beginning of never voting repug again. husband a lifetime repug voted kerry because of iraq war. believes election was stolen and is disgusted with repug and wont be voting repug either.

[marions ghost]

42. yes

there is a lot to be learned from those who have lived on both sides.

I've always been a liberal, but as there were plenty of Repubs in the family, it could easy have gone the other way. However I got an early message about "compassionate conservatism" when as a child I saw my uppity Republican relatives dis my parents because they didn't make enough money to Keep Up Appearances, although both of them worked. My parents were bad for their image. These relatives (who lived nearby) adopted an air of "tolerating" our part of the family, out of pity and duty. Their condescension was insufferable.

I had another early experience that made a big impression. One of my best friends in college was gay. She endured years of abuse from her fundy rightwing parents (of country roots, but had moved on up to the nouveau riche country club set). I will never forget . They hounded her night and day by whatever means of access they had, leaving long tirades on voicemail etc. At one point they even showed up in her dorm room with some kind of cult deprogrammers from the church...people who try to change your "orientation." They dragged her away kicking and screaming with all the students watching. After years of this even after college she finally got away from her parents and rarely sees them. My friend is a very kind and sweet person and would have been devoted to her parents if they had been different. Intolerance rips families apart. It is a sickness.

We are in the middle of a war between divergent mindsets that goes far beyond Republican-Democrat labels. It can be summed up as a struggle between people who are selfish and grasping (for whatever reason) vs. those who care about others and don't live by "the ends justify the means" philosophy.

To those who have escaped Oxyrush, fundy childhoods, the cult of Boosh, worship of Baal and any other false idols, congratulations, and thanks for wanting to tell your stories so that others may benefit. Nothing is so effective as personal accounts by those who have actually lived the Big Lie.