Republican by birth ; Democrat by education

Do you fall into this category?

Agnostic pagan by education.

As painful as this is to admit, my first two Presidential votes went to Poppy. I didn't wake up politically until about 10 years ago.

"orphaned" for those decisions.

in an extended family of over two dozen Conservative Catholic, right-wing, isolationist, racist, bigoted, abusive, Bush loving, Clinton hating, religious hypocrites.

I cut ties with ALL of them over a year ago and haven't looked back since.

Best decision I ever made.

I just consider The Democratic Party the best tool we have for fighting our political enemies.

That must really suck. My dad is the only republican in our house but he has said he liked Clinton so that's good for me. :)

Catholic Dem by birth, agnostic Dem by education

I converted my mother. She now doesn't like any of the republican politicans. She used to love our Congressman but I told her he voted for the Terri Schavio nonsense and last April she said she was going to vote straight democratic in this next election. Yay! I still have some hope for my dad. :) Thanks to Jon Stewart.

But I have alot of admiration for people who were born to Republicans and who were able to see the light and come over from the dark side. I think it must take alot of courage to question and reject beliefs you were raised with.

This would be one.

You're making me blush.:blush:

I got to mid-life, and all of those assumptions I was raised on just crashed and burned. Had to figure it out all over again, and ended up a Dem. And glad of it! :)

Yes, it does take a lot, and costs a lot, and that's why I for one am sometimes somewhat impatient with the litmus tests that a few around here try to apply. Glad that not everyone does.

...but voted for McGovern! Been voting "that way" ever since.

Family was, and still is, strong GOP. Not me, though...:)

But I come from a Democratic, working class family.

:woohoo:

when my sensibilities, sympathies, and feelings were not Democratic.

I was so unlike anyone in my family, my father used to say if I didn't look like him, he'd wonder where I came from. Some people are just like that... nature not nurture applies here.

TC

:hi:

:hi:

You too, huh?

TC

eom

But North Texas did its job of making me into a libertarian, racist, bigoted asshole at the time of my graduation from High School. I didn't have any idea I was that way until I went to college.

Boy did my eyes open fast! I just needed more information...actually, all I needed was SOME information. North Texas is really, really big on jingoism, and I was all-American boy. I still am in many ways, but I no longer trust our government nor our system of wealth and power distribution.

Agnostic Democrat by education

I was a Young Republican in high school in Phoenix. Went away to school in New Orleans and registered to vote as a Democrat. Just kind of knew I was more a Democrat, even then. By the time I was a sophomore or a junior I was self-identifying as a socialist.

I think that when you come from one side of the political divide, but end up on the other, your ideas still don't quite mesh perfectly with those who have been on one side all along.

I think you are more inclined to question. Questioning can get you into trouble.

Look at the percentages. WOW!

my mother has always been a progressive. i can remember discussing politics when i was in high school (MANY years ago) and always thinking as i do now. i only became a democrat (was previously registered 'independent') so i could vote in primaries. that was about 15 years ago. i always claimed to vote for the person, not the party, but i truly haven't voted for a repug in many, many years.

the repugs, imo, have no social conscience. i have more christianity in my atheist little finger than most of today's self-righteous 'christians' have in their whole body. these words made a huge impression on me when i was 18 . . .



amen

ellen fl

my parents are still shrub votin', propRushganda listenin' to, Faux watchin', kool-aid drinkers. Sadly we're not very close anymore.

on behalf of my four Democratic siblings? It doesn't speak well of my Republican parents' skills at indoctrination.

Parents are Democrats, though my dad actually voted for Nixon in 72 and Reagan in 84. He never considered voting for either Bush for even a second. I think I've actually dragged them both to the left at least a little bit over the last several years. They were calling Chimpy the Antichrist even before I did! :evilgrin:

that's a great story

Both of my parents are republicans and so are majority of my family members. I'm the only loyal democrat I know of (I consider myself an FDR, Kennedy type) in my family. My Mom is no longer a republican though which is good and my grandmother I'm not sure about but she and my grandfather both don't/didn't like Bush. My dad is an old school republican (think of a Roosevelt type) but still voted for Bush. Why? Dunno. Never asked. I have gotten him to watch the daily show though. I remember being young and my parents watching the convention during the election year and I always wanted to go and be a republican. The party itself and me have both changed since then. My views are a lot different thanks to me just growing up and learning and educating myself.

My Dad was a hardcore anti-FDR Republican, though he was mellowing a bit by time he died in 1968. I remember putting a Nixon/Lodge bumpersticker on one of my school books in 1960. I was 11 so I don't really think I should be banned because of that.

I lived in an extremely conservative area outside Chicago.Heney Hyde served it well for a gasillion years. Not really too surprising since the Dem politicians way back then were pretty corrupt.

Then there was the Civil Rights movement, Vietnam, the Chicago convention. Been a liberal ever since. And I am never turning back.

Mz Pip
:dem:

circa 1992.

Plus, I was born to two liberal teachers. So I'm assuming I was born this way. :D

:)

that man has a way of scaring everyone.

I cried when he was appointed AG.

My whole family is Democratic, but I'm the most liberal of them all. I've gone to the left of them on things like the death penalty, free trade, healthcare, etc.

In general, though, all of us punch straight Democratic tickets.

I blamed Johnson for an illegitimate war. Wallace was a dem. My first vote was for Tricky Dickey. I had a lot to learn. Now I am a democratic precinct committee person.

My mom not minding me chant "Fuck Dukakis" during the 88 convention.

She wasn't even very politcal back then. Now she's gone fundiecatholic.

My dad is from Iraq and is a moderate supporter of the war.

:(

and died that way.

Dad was a union member ... shop steward.

I remember walking a picket line with him when the Singer (sewing machines) plant went on strike in the early 50s. I remember him and my mother figuring out how to make that meager strike fund check go the distance until the next one (if there was going to be a next one) but saying they'd never cross that picket line.

They were good people, my Mom and dad. Inclusive, loving, caring people. When it was cool to be so and when it wasn't so cool.

I love them still and miss them dearly.

My father is so nuts he could be a PNAC signatory.

my parents are both Republicans and so is my sister...so lucky me...but thanks to things like DU i have somewhere to go to after a heated political argument with the family...

just curious do you?

...I don't win all of them...but I would say about 80% of the time I get the last word...which usually shuts them up!

voted nixon, nixon, ford, reagan, reagan, possibly bush 1, don't remember.

then the nutbags went too far and lost them. They voted clinton, clinton, gore, kerry.

mom is actually registered as a Green now and hates the repukes

Although i campaigned in 5th grade for ford, reagan changed me profoundly into a liberal. I myself proudly cast my first vote for walter mondale in '84

We didn't quite see eye-to-eye!

and die a Socialist (or maybe a Troskist)!
However, in the U$ of A can only vote Dim!

Catholic Democrat by education. Yep, I was raised by Gawd-fearin' parents, but I THINK I turned out ok (ask anybody outside my immediate family who knows me and they will probably refute that :) ).

I really am not sure what people mean by this.

Edited to add:
And since I noticed several people who responded to the question with that answer, I thought I would ask.

Our family seems to split in the 60s. Born into a republican household. First two children who attended college in early 60s are worst kind of repubs.

Second two attended college in late 60s and early 70s. Very liberal.

Youngest who attended college in late 70s, apolitical.

Go figure...

My first political memory is of my oldest sister leading a neighborhood parade with an "I like Ike" flag.

My first presidential vote in 1968 was for Eugene McCarthy.

;)

and when I die I'll be liberal dead.

Born into a very pro-union Democratic family.

my dad is a liberal republican, and my mom is a conservative democrat.

I just cut out two words for my own idenity.

:hi:

I actually voted for Bob Dole in my school's mock election in '96 (I was 8, almost 9 then) because, after talking to my mom about who was President before Bush Sr. (Reagan) I had this idea that Presidents should only serve four years in office. That was the only reason. Four years later, I voted for Gore, mainly because I was disgusted with Bush's attacks on McCain and how he brought his nomination. At the same time, I realized that I agreed with the Democrats on a majority of major issues, so I consider myself a Democrat. Unfortunately, I can't wait to vote for Spitzer and Hillary in 2006, my first election.