How many here are NEW Democrats (as in the last 5 years)?

[madmunchie]

Poll question: How many here are NEW Democrats (as in the last 5 years)?

And what event made you change?

Would you ever vote Republican again in the Federal Elections?

Or Would you just stay home and not vote at all?

[windy252]

1. Turned 3 years ago

in December 2003. A combination of things, but mostly the fact there were no weapons in Iraq and I wasn't happy about our government torturing people. Other things that assisted in turning me were the fact that I didn't want things like Social Security privatized. And then I worked for Kerry's campaign in 2004. This board was immensely helpful in information about Republican suppression attempts in 2004. I'm still proud of the way I voted in 2004. If only we could recall our governor here (in MO), who seems to be consider oxygen a luxury.

[madmunchie]

3. Thanks for answering!

I was wondering if it was mainly one thing or if it was cumulative.

I find this board so informative and fun as well!

[derby378]

2. That's hard to say...

The first time I voted for a Democrat for President was when I cast my vote for Gore in 2000. I could tell back then that Nero was seriously bad news - we already had to put up with him as Governor of Texas since the mid 90's. So I guess I was a "Democrat by default" in 2000. But it was Howard Dean who turned me into a full-fledged progressive Democrat back in 2003.

[madmunchie]

4. I never registered in a party to vote until 2000

I always considered myself and Independent. When I saw what the Right-wingnuts did to Clinton, I was so pissed that I registered Democrat and voted for every Democrat in sight. I have always thought * a dumbass puppet.

[Not Sure]

8. I live in Texas, too,

and I don't think anyone has ever been "pro-labor" enough to even show up on my radar, including any Democrats. I only began to think about voting for Democrats when Bush decided to run for president. In my state, county, city, and precinct, it doesn't matter who you vote for. This is a totally freeped-out area and no amount of facts will convince my neighbors otherwise. Still, it felt good to vote for Kerry and Edwards in '04.

[derby378]

10. There's some hope...

Even though Texas Democrats were defeated in 2004, oftimes it was only by a slim margin. The Republicans in these parts are definitely vulnerable.

[Massacure]

5. I'll have been here two years in May.

I stumbled across the environment and energy forum while doing a research project for an environmental science class. I'm 17, by the way. I cannot wait to vote in November!

[madmunchie]

6. Your young and smart!

[sutz12]

7. Pretty much a life time Democrat.

Always knew the Repubs were about corporate profits and little else.

I don't see a Repub I would vote for now as Pres, that's for sure.

I'd rather not vote at all than vote for another Repub.

[blondeatlast]

9. I'm a yella dawg, but have a question for you all:

With 2006 so very critical, how can we make Indies and fence-sitters go our way, without moving toward the center?

What issues can we use to swing the vote; especially to gain the House this year?

I can't think of a more crucial election, and I've voted since 1978.

[Not Sure]

11. I wish I knew the answer to that one

I find it hard to relate to just about anyone in politics. Instead of left vs. right, I think of it as me standing on a shoreline. From my political point of view, the majority of politicians are out on the water, either near the horizon (in the case of many Democrats) or right on its edge (as is the case with many true - not neocon - Republicans). The small number of remaining politicians are either very close to me (Feingold comes to mind) or over the edge (the bloodlusting xenophobic neocons). I don't think a single one sits on land, relative to my viewpoint.

My friends say I'm "liberal as hell," but I can't think of one thing I say they don't immediately agree with. Later, once they've had a dose of Kool-Aid, they want to argue again. So, I'm not sure any issue is going to do what needs to be done - a total detox of our citizenry's collective mind.

[blondeatlast]

12. I think an awful lot of Americans are more liberal

in their thinking than they think they are--or have been manipulated into believing.

That's why the Radical Right pushes wedge issues so heavily--they touch a nerve and obscure much more important issues that the RW would lose on.

[madmunchie]

13. I'm not a rocket scientist, but my big thing is balance of power

If we want to maintain a true Democracy, we cannot let the Government be run by one Party. We need checks and balances otherwise our Democracy is lost.

So much of what has happened is because we have one Party in charge with no real threat of being checked and held accountable.

It is almost like giving a kid a bag of candy and telling them not to eat it all and then sending them to play. Who knows what is going to happen, the kid will come back with an empty bag, but when you say "I told you not to eat them all!" The kids responses could be, I gave some to my friends, the big kids took some from me, I lost some, I sold some.... with no supervision, who really knows? The lure of power can be too strong to resist.

If nothing else, vote to put the balance back in Government so that we don't lose our Democracy forever.

[dragonkeep]

19. The South is regainable if....

and this is a hard pill for many Democratic voters to swallow, is be consistent as the party of Choice. That means guns have to be in that Choice issue. I'm born and bred in the Deep South and many people that don't like the shrub voted for him on this one issue alone. I own guns, live in a rural part of the county, all my neighbors have guns and we live in a safe community. I have horses and do dog patrol with the feral dogs. I want the choice to defend myself, my home and my animals. Police would be too late to help me. I have no quibbles with keeping firearms out of the hands of felons but the rest of us have a Constitutional right....do not infringe on it. Moderation on this issue alone would bring enough voters in to cancel out the Diebold machines.

[recoveringdittohed]

14. Returned 2 years ago (Reagan Democrat back from the darkside)

Really a accumulation of factors. Although most of my relatives are Republican I grew up in an area where there was virtually no Republican Party (1950's-1960's Middle Tennessee) and began voting in 1971 as a Democrat. In 1978 I switched parties convinced that as a fiscal conservative even though I was somewhat progressive on many issues of individual vs the State the National Democratic Party did not at that time (1978) understand or represent me or Middle America.

Fast forward to the * Administration to answer your questions:

Events that made me change were

Huge Federal deficits with a growing feeling that I would rather have my government tax & spend to help the unfortunate than to borrow & spend to help the rich.

A growing realization on my part which really began for me as far back as 1997 that the business community given an inch will take a mile and will shortsightedly not stop until we are all in Capra's Potterville. This realization made me rethink unrestrained Free Enterprise as a good All-American thing and to begin to see Big Government (something I had always ideologically opposed) could be a necessary check on the short sighted greed of big business.

Republican's stubbornly pursuing failed strategy in Iraq. I'm not a pacifist but I do think every country even America has a limited sized (even if large) can of whupass and we are dissipating our military strength and national wealth foolishly in Iraq.

Republican pursuit of Kafkaesque, Orwellian policies and tactics. Patriot act, secret prisons etc.

Would I vote Republican again in a National election. For President highly unlikely. For Senate or Congress not in 2006 or 2008. In the past I have been willing to consider candidates of the opposite party (For example, I voted for Clinton in 1992 while a Republican)

Would I stay home or not vote at all. I'm not staying home. I've always voted nearly every time the polls were open. Would I not vote at all in a selected race? Only in an extreme case. There have been local races where I did not vote because I couldn't stand either candidate (or thought both candidates were idiots) but usually I hold my nose and vote my party's nominee when I don't like either choice.

[d_b]

15. I think it's been a year.

I was a member of the Green party for five years.

[guidod]

16. This is a great thread (poll).

I'm 58 and have always been a dem, but I'm enjoying reading the reasons people are giving for why they changed party's. You got my vote for got #1 thread.

[NJ Democrats]

17. 6 years

Ever since the 2000 primary season. Then again I was in 2nd grade at the time!

[Jai4WKC08]

18. Not me

I figured out back in the Reagan years that it wasn't enough to be an independent, and I've considered myself a Democrat ever since.

All evil needs to succeed is for good men (and women) to do nothing.

[CatholicEdHead]

20. Was a moderate Republican until just after 9/11

then his poor response to it and then the start of the runup towards Iraq was the last straw. The increase in gay-bashing has also aleniated me from the GOP in many ways. We do not people like that.