If you're a reg'd Dem now, have you ever been reg'd anything else?

[AP]

Poll question: If you're a reg'd Dem now, have you ever been reg'd anything else?

I just want to see if Wesley Clark shares something in common with many reg'd Dems or few reg'd Dems.

[BurtWorm]

1. Always a Dem

[Jerseycoa]

2. Always a Dem

[mastein]

3. Crossovers

The caucuses have a long tradition of crossovers. I would not be surprised to see that continue, especially among fiscal conservatives who are independents that went for Tsongas in 92 (the last contested caucus) and would probably go for Dean this year.

[LTR]

4. I am currently not a registered Dem, admittedly

When I lived in Minnesota, it was an open primary. The first time I ever voted was in '88 during a Democratic Gubernatorial primary. They never asked me to register with a party, and I didn't.

In Wisconsin, where I live now, it is also an open primary.

Never registered with any political party, but I mostly align with the Dems.

[rucky]

5. Democrat - It's on my birth certificate

well, may as well be.

[sandnsea]

20. lol, I understand

Catholic Union Democrats run in my family!

[xray s]

6. I posted this on another thread...but this is a popular topic today...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=121871#122159

I was born into a conservative Republican family. I voted for Reagan in '80 and '84 and Bush in '88. I thought the Soviet Union was a real threat to the US, and the Republicans took this more seriously than the Democrats. I was happy to see China slowly open up and the Wall come down. I thought we were going to now enter an era of peace and progress around the world. That soon changed.

In '90, I was appalled at Bush's reckless foreign policy in the Mideast that looked the other way, and probably gave tacit approval to, Hussein's invasion of Kuwait. I was appalled at the report on CNN that our troops would be facing weapons Hussein purchased from the US government in the 80's. I asked myself why we were arming a man our President now referred to as "worse that Hitler". I was appalled at the slaughter of 100,000's of Iraqi in that war to fix Bush's blunder. I was appalled as Bush stood by and allowed Hussein's helicopters slaughter Shiite's after encouraging them to rise up against Hussein. I looked into BCCI and listened to Rep. Henry Gonzales's pleas to investigate the dark corners of the Reagan/Bush government.

Other issues helped me along. I went to Canada and Scandinavia and realized all the stuff I heard about their horrible "socialized medicine" was bull. I help my elderly in-laws with their health insurance problems and realized it was the private sector insurance that was screwed up. The Medicare program was very well run.

And on and on and on.

I had a moment of cognitive dissonance. I changed. I like to think I grew intellectually. When my family asks me why I became a Democrat after being such a strong Republican, I say "I grew up".

So I voted Democratic in 1992 for the first time. I started out for Bob Kerrey, switched to Jerry Brown when Kerrey dropped out, and then volunteered for Bill Clinton in the general election. My name was mud at work when the Clinton office called my office one day. A secretary yelled out "Hey, the Clinton people want to talk to you". This was a very conservative office. I didn't care. A few other Democrats came up to me later and said they agreed with me. I don't work there anymore.

I am very active in the party now. I donate money. I want to win elections. I want us to take back the House and Senate. I am tired of the lies and hate spewed by the Right.

One of the reason Clark intrigues me is I think we may have been on the same journey. I think he may be the best one running this year. I think he can bring many new Democrats into the party. But, I will support whoever the nominee is. I will not give ammo to Karl Rove. We have to win this one.

So try to kick me out of the Democratic party because of my past voting history if you like, but I'll fight like a son of a bitch to stay in, because I think this party is our only hope of changing the direction of our country and creating a better future for ourselves and our children.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

7. Reg'd and voted Peace & Freedom in '68.

Couldn't abide voting for Humphrey. Assuming Dean or Clark get it, I'll be voting Dem this time. Otherwise, if Kerry, Lieberman, Edwards or Gephardt get it - I'll be voting Green.

[Bucky]

8. In TX you don't actually "register" per se. You just vote in our primary

So I'm still not a registered Dem. I'm only genetically Democratic.

[AP]

11. Then answer in terms of where you are philosophically

and consider it in terms of how you would have reg'd had you been required to register.

[Bucky]

17. Born Dem. Lived Dem. Voted Dem. Talked Dem. Swive only Dems.

Will be a Dem on my death bed. And then the lights will Dem.

[quaker bill]

9. Registered Dem always voted Dem.

To the best of my knowledge never voted for a republican. It could be that I once slipped up in a "non-partisan" local race where the (d) or (r) don't appear on the ballot.

I have tried quite hard to completely avoid this mistake.

[Nomad559]

10. Independent

I have always Identified myself as an Independent, but I am reg'd and vote as a Dem. I would never even consider voting for a RePUGlican.

[Hoppin_Mad]

12. No ! I've voted exclusively Democratic since 1972 -nt-

[bigwillq]

13. I was an indp. although I always had more democratic views

I changed officially last Nov. after Gov. John Rowland was re-elected in my state.

[mzmolly]

14. I've been registered independant, but have ALWAYS voted DEM!

Nope, nothing in common with Clark. This isn't a matter of *registration* it's a matter of voting for people who share your ideals. Did Nixon/Reagan/Bush 1 share Clarks ideals or not?

[edzontar]

15. Always a Dem--no votes for Nixon or Reagan...

From me.

[kayleybeth]

16. I was registered R until Clinton

I changed my registration to Democrat in 1991 and volunteered for Bill Clinton's campaign. I have voted straight Dem ever since.

[Kathleen04]

18. Always a Dem..

in part because this is the first year I'll be of voting age. :)

[sandnsea]

19. Bite your tongue!

Never and I hope I never have to consider changing.

[Piperay]

21. Registered repug

from 1972 till Raygun ran in 1980 :puke: I've been a Democrat since then and don't intend to be anything else. :-)

[seaglass]

22. I was registered unenrolled up until 2001. Before that it

was independent. I believe I registered Repub for 5 minutes to vote for McCain in the MA primary.

I've voted for only Dems since 1976 except for McCain as mentioned above and in some local elections.

[mmonk]

23. Registered independent originally

But that was a long time ago, I'm 47.

[mikehiggins]

24. I was a registered Libertarian in New York State

In fact, I was present at the birth back in the early 70's.

I left because the Party was more concerned with idealogical purity than winning elections.

Building an organization made up of anarchists is a lot like herding cats.

Then I became a registered Democrat and learned what anarchy really is.

[PatGund]

26. Same here

Former California Libertarian, became a Democrat because I got sick of the higher ups in the party selling out civil liberties to try and get more GOP crossover votes.

[Eurobabe]

25. currently indy

in VA we are ALL indy's.

in 1980 i was a repug, admittedly (young) then a dem. now indy.

[dawn]

27. Registered Green in the late nineties...

However, I did vote for Gore in 2000. :)

Changed to Dem in 2002.

Before I was a Green, I was always "Decline to State."

[LWolf]

28. Other

I'm a dem now, but I spent my first 25 years as "decline to state."