When I was about 8 or 9 years old I read a book on the United States Presidents to that time. And, I decided that my three favorites were Jefferson, Lincoln, and Grant. Since they were all Republicans I decided I too was now a Republican. Many years later I found out that while Jefferson was called a Republican the parties later flip flopped so that he was really a Democrat. But I did not know that then.
This was truly an independent move on my part as I had no idea how my mother and father voted. In my 4th grade class that year (which was predominantly populated with Italian or Irish Roman Catholics (me being one of them)) myself and Nancy Johnson (who was referred to as being a "Holy Roller") were the only two in the 30+ class of kids who were NOT for Kennedy but, instead, for Nixon. How could I not be since I WAS a Republican. I just thought that all the other kids were for Kennedy because that was who their parents were for. This was in Rhode Island, then and now an extremely Democratic state. Plus an extremely Catholic one. And, with Kennedy being Catholic there was also that factor.
When 1964 rolled around, I was STILL a Republican and spent some time as a 13 year old passing out campaign literature for Goldwater.
By 1968, my senior year of high school, I was officially apathetic. I was later told that the night of the election was the night I saw Cream play for their last time ever (in Rhode Island). Their entire performance was them playing 2 songs for 45 minutes! I seem to remember the two songs as being Toad and Spoonful.
A year later I was a freshman in college and at the beginning of the year started reading underground newspapers and marched in the one of the innumerable anti Viet Nam War marches. I'd say that time period was the turning point of me NOT being a political conservative. That school year culminated in being arrested for protesting the draft the week after Kent State, which at the time set the record for the largest mass arrest ever in U.S. history. But that was soon eclipsed many times.
I cast my first vote ever in 1972, voting for McGovern. Next year I moved to Massachusetts, which had many cars with the bumper sticker - "Don't blame me. I'm from Massachusetts." -- in reference to Massachusetts being the ONLY state that Nixon did not win in 1972.
Since that first vote I have ALWAY voted for the Democratic presidential candidate. Always quite happily doing so and NEVER coming close to ever wanting to vote for the Republican presidential candidate.
However, For decades I was never straight Democrat. I used to use this as part of my email signature: "Another independent moderate who voted for a Republican, a Green/Rainbow, an Independent, and two Democrats in the November 2004 elections."
However, that all changed with the 2006 election. I have never voted for a Republican since that 2004 election. George Bush so damaged the Republican brand that I told myself that anyone who aligned his or herself with him by being in his party (and supporting him) would never get my vote.
So, while I have this pattern of Democratic voting, I have tons of conservative values.
Abortion - 100% against - none of the traditional exceptions (don't see philosophically how you can pick and choose if you really believe it is taking a life. My only exception would be if at the time of birth it was going to be a choice of the mother or the child's life.) In general, I've not seen any "anti"-abortion Republicans ever do anything that would cost them a single vote.
Fiscal - As an accountant I'm super conservative here. I live way below my income. I believe that if you are going to spend a certain amount you'd better be willing to tax enough to cover those expenses. Therefore no deficit.
Local government - I definitely believe that if it is your money you are spending it is spent more carefully. Right now there is going to be a vote on funding a new library in the town where I work. Just putting in round numbers - the state is willing to fund about half of the $20 million or so costs. I've not seen anyone NOT consider the state money as "free" money. And, conversely, I've not seen anyone consider it their money that went to that state, which the state taking some of it away, and then returning it in a lesser amount. I can guarantee the vote would be totally different if the town was looking upon taking on a $20 million expense (which they are really funding) rather than a $10 million expense.
Some of the other hot button issues?
Gays - Let everyone be who they want to be. It does not force me to be anyone I do not want to be.
Pro-life? I've already somewhat touched on this above regarding abortion. A friend and I have oftentimes discussed how we are both 100% pro-life. No abortions. Supporting people while they alive. And, not killing them in wars. Conversely we have Democrats having to be pro-abortion and Republicans not wanting to support mothers / families after the child is born and killing people in wars.
Immigrants - As the son of a father who came from Southern Italy (he could see Pompeii and Mt. Vesuvius) and whose maternal grand parents also came from Southern Italy only an hour away from my father's village (Amalfi Coast), I am big-time pro-immigrant. How could I not be? But legally. Our country put in super restrictive immigration laws in 1920 (that lasted until 1965). I have no idea how my father's poor family was let in around 1927.
I'm 100% capitalist. I've worked with too many people in business who have earned what they have earned through hard work, putting in long hours. I don't believe it should be taken away from them to support those who don't want to work as hard or for as long.
However do believe in the progressive tax system.
Don't believe that there should be preferential capital gains. I'm going to make the same investments with or without preferential capital gains treatment. And, those of us who can get capital gains treatment are in the upper ends of our society. Why do we need the help?
When a woman stopped at my house last year when she was running for either state representative or senator and gave me a brochure of all she was going to do, my only question to her was, "Who is going to pay for this?" I'm for appropriate government but not one that gives free things to everyone.
I'm a big-time believer in personal responsibility. But helping those on the lower ends of society.
I can put the current Democratic candidates in these categories:
1) My favorites - Buttigieg, Yang, Gabbard, Klobuchar
2) Okay - Booker, Castro
3) Only if it came down to them or Trump - Warren, Harris, Rourke
4) ABSOLUTLEY NEVER - I've be voting for some third party candidate - Bernie, Biden
In sum, I'd say that I'm still an Independent that leans Democrat but is not enamored with them. The Republicans and all their policies and the way they present themselves are generally quite repulsive to me.
Trump is highly entertaining but he has no business being president. I've not yet determined his level of intelligence. He has to have had something to get where he has financially. However, he's repeatedly demonstrated that he has no interest in doing the job of being president. I cannot respect that. And, know that he is only following in the footsteps of George Bush, who while intelligent, just did not want to put in the time and effort needed to be president of this country. And, I still consider that Trump has not even come close to damaging this country (and the rest of the world) in the ways (primarily the Iraq War) that George Bush did. All the deaths and casualties for both those of Iraq and our citizens. And, the huge financial cost. I truly believe that all the wrong paths Trump has taken this country in can be reversed by the next president. Those deaths and casualties and money spent can never be reversed.
Vinny
MangoMan wrote: ↑Sat Oct 26, 2019 4:17 pmSo would I. I know there's not a whole lot of left wingers here, but if anyone even leaning in that direction could comment....Moda? Vinny?I Shrugged wrote: ↑Sat Oct 26, 2019 4:07 pm I'd be interested to hear others' opinions on the Dem voters' feelings about all of the wokeness, indignation against whites and men, and socialism.