How does your family relate to your politics?

[election_2004]

I know there have been a lot of posts created on DU asking why people consider themselves to be Democrats (or other non-conservative political affiliations).

I’m sure this has been asked in the past, but since there are always new people joining the board, I thought it would be educational to compare personal ideologies with family backgrounds (including extended family), just to see the kinds of diversity found out there among households in working America. I always find it interesting to hear about the backgrounds of REAL PEOPLE (rather than the ruling class) and how their politics are shaped through family dynamics and religion (or lack thereof).

I consider myself fortunate that I wasn’t born into a family that was completely Far Right wacko Fundie. On the other hand, I turned out to be one of the most unconventional oddities in my whole extended family, and everyone (Democrats and Republicans in my family, alike) considers me to be weird and eccentric because of it.

My first presidential election when I began forming my own opinions and ideologies was at the age of 10, when the 1992 election was heating up. Back then, I never DREAMED that I could actually take an active role influencing the political process as an individual. As a 5th Grader, I just sort of glumly accepted the notion that “whatever happens, happens” in American politics.

I voted for Hagelin in 2000, Kerry in 2004.

I probably would have voted for Perot in 1992 (had I been old enough), and in 1996 I have no clue who I would have voted for if I'd been old enough.

My dad's side of the family were raised as conservative Catholic Republicans in Chicago; one of his sisters is loyally Republican (she's a transplant from Chicago to Texas), another sister is apolitical, another sister is a lesbian Green, another sister is a socially-liberal pro-gay pro-gun Republican, and my dad's only brother is a former liberal turned right-wing fundamentalist nut. My widowed paternal grandmother is still a Republican out of habit, but she is a retired Floridan who is very concerned about Social Security and is in bad health.

My dad is a conservative Republican who has been brainwashed by Rush Limbaugh and Faux News. He thinks some Republicans are corrupt too, but apparently believes the GOP is the "lesser of two evils." Although he's a National Guard veteran, so he gets very cranky about cuts to veterans benefits. He’s self-employed and spends his days doing hard labor even though he’s 60. He’s very stubborn and set in his views, and he seems to become more senile by the day (probably from listening to so much Rush Limbaugh on the radio).

My mom's side of the family were raised rural Minnesota Democrats. My maternal grandmother votes Democrat out of tradition and habit; my mom's sisters are all Democrats out of family loyalty, although two of them have staunch Republican husbands (it hasn't negatively affected their marriages)...my mom's only brother is a left-leaning hippie type who usually votes Democrat. My mom passively considered herself a Democrat (and voted accordingly) up until 1981 when she met my dad...she began to form stronger political opinions after their marriage, and she's voted Republican ever since.

My mom is basically a moderate Republican who reluctantly voted for Bush because her gut told her not to trust Kerry. She's perpetually convinced that liberals are going to raise her taxes (even though we're a lower working-class family, earning less than $20K per year). However, even though she identifies as a Republican, she also supports gay marriage and stem-cell research (in other words, she's the type who *MIGHT* be convinced to vote for the Democratic nominee next time around, as long as the candidate doesn't have the last name of "Clinton" or "Gore").

My sister (who's three years younger than me) is a Republican, but very independent-thinking in her views on issues. Ideologically, she's probably somewhere in the middle between my dad and my mom. She could also be "turned" (in the next election, anyway) with the right Democratic candidate.

They are all Christians (mom Protestant, dad and sister Catholic), but none of them attend church at all. My dad blindly accepts traditional religious conservative beliefs as fact, in relation to the issues, whereas my mom and sister believe in the Christian deity but religion is not a significant factor in the way they vote.

I'm the black sheep of our immediate family. I'm a gay, polytheist, socially-liberal, "manifesto"-writing Independent with a disability.

I'm also in a constant disgruntled state, and an overbearing reminder to them that their views do not monopolize the political landscape.

What about everyone else?

[Zhade]

1. Kick

Kick

[Obamarama]

2. The same way they relate to me being gay.....

They are aware of it but they take great pains not to have to talk about it. Of course, I'm a hopeless envelope pusher, so they can only avoid the disccussion so long! :-)

[BornaDem]

3. See my name. n/t

[Tux]

4. My background

Many in my family are fundie Christian Republicans. Many were Democrats before they watched Fox News and got the idea that poor people pay less taxes and wealthier people pay less. They're middle class and think they pay taxes so poor people can be on welfare, Medicaid, and such so they never have to work and have babies for more money.

Others are traditional Democrats. Mostly my dad, my mom, one cousin, and an aunt. Republican's use of Christianity annoys them.

As for me, I turned Deist at age 10 while in Church of Christ. I didn't know I was a Deist till a couple months ago but hey, we all learn. As I understand Chrsitianity, it's all about social control and not spirituality. I left Chrisitanity and will never look back.

What makes me a green liberal? Seeing conservatives want more for themselves at any cost, not help others, and try to control other people's Constitutional rights.