A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....08-08-03....Pippin's Thoughts ~ "Confessions of an Ex-Democrat"

Mama_Bear; Pippin | Pippin

[Mama_Bear]

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day

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Confessions of an
Ex-Democrat

I recently read a thread on Free Republic about an ex-democrat who didn’t leave the party so much as the Democratic Party left them!

Well, this is how I feel at times. Let me explain......

Back in the mid to late 70’s when I was a teenager, Watergate was going full swing and dominating our television viewing. Oh, I can remember when, during the hearings, the soaps and other daytime programs would be pre-empted for coverage that seemed to go on for “decades”. I’m afraid that did not put the GOP in a good light for me, or with many others of my age group. As far as I could tell, the Republican Party seemed to be made up of grumpy old men and crooks.

My dad was a staunch Republican, I certainly didn’t think he was a crook, but I thought he was misguided at least! In a fit of rebelliousness I registered to vote as an Independent as I didn’t want to be associated with either the Democrats, who I was suspicious of, or the Republicans as I had grown tired of them in power. So, in 1976, which was the first presidential election in which I was eligible to vote, I had already decided I was not going to vote for Ford (boy, what a mistake that was!). I was going for either the Independent or the Democrat running against him.

I was as surprised as the rest of the country when Jimmy Carter won the Primary Election to become the Democratic candidate for the ’76 race. Realizing that I could not vote in a primary election unless I was a member of a major party, I registered as a Democrat to vote for Carter. I was just so glad to have someone I hadn’t seen or heard of before get a chance to right some of the wrongs this country had been experiencing (remember, I was growing up in a very liberal state and had become thoroughly brainwashed).

I started to work on Carter’s campaign as well as the campaigns of others for lesser offices. I even went door to door campaigning with the wife of one of the candidates running for the state senate. He lost but I had fun campaigning. Those were the good old days, before the Internet, and when it still was okay to be outside walking around and not have to worry if the next house we came to had an axe-murderer or a pervert or a terrorist living there.

At the time I wasn’t thinking about what my personal political views were, I just knew what I liked and what I didn’t like. I was very naive and I thought these Democrats were really fun people to be around, I didn’t know until much later about their views on issues such as abortion or gun control or anything else. I just knew I was against abortion and for the right to own guns. The exact opposite of the Democratic Party views. In fact, I had someone comment to me one day that I sounded too conservative to be a Democrat. I didn’t think much about the comment, but I guess I kind of held to it in the back of my mind.

As for President Carter, I was really excited about the fact that the first time I voted in an election I voted for the winner! I purposely stayed home to watch his inauguration, as I wanted to see how my vote counted.

I ignored the fact that many people did not feel the same way about him as I did. I guess I wasn’t thinking about the oil shortage or the gas crisis or embargoes or stuff like that, because in 1980 I worked on Carter’s re-election committee. I really thought he would win, but there were the hostages in Iran among a whole slew of other problems. And Reagan was very popular, he seemed to bring hope to a lot of people. But, all I could think of was myself at the time and I felt if Carter were to lose that would somehow mean I was a bad voter and I voted for a bad President.

I’m afraid that is what I thought; do you know that I boycotted President Reagan the first year he was in office? But I was stunned and horrified when someone actually tried to assassinate him! That’s when I started to think, how dare anyone try to harm my President! I guess I was starting to see the Democrats for what they were. I started to see folks like Reagan and others as the good, decent, America-lovers that they truly were.

Still, I was enthralled with the Democrats and thought they had some redeeming qualities. In fact, when Carter had lost the election in 1980 to Ronald Reagan we all cried and kept saying in 1984 we’ll be “ready for Teddy”, meaning Senator Ted Kennedy, who, by the way, I did not care for much. I though he was an arrogant fool. He still is!

What really steered me in the “right” direction (pun intended) was the 1992 election and the aftermath. Yes, being the “dutiful little dim” I voted for Clinton, and oh how I rue the day! I was going to vote for Bush Sr. but I remembered the 1984 election when I had voted a split ticket and got balled out by other Democrats. They told me I should always vote the party line. So like a zombie, I followed the “leader” and drank their Kool-Aid!

Not long after 1992 election, I regretted my vote. I no longer felt like a failed voter if the guy I voted for lost re-election, but I still felt like a bad American and a bad voter for voting the way I did this time. I think that was about the time I started seriously considering re-registering as a Republican.

I remember when I went to vote in 1996, I think that was the first time I voted for a Republican presidential candidate. It was then that I asked the election judge working at the polls if I could register as a Republican. She told me I could, however it would be too late for me to vote as a Republican in the 1996 election. But, by the time I got to vote in the state election, I was voting as a Republican. I remember everyone I knew thinking I had lost my mind. But I think I had finally come to my senses!

I don’t need to tell you who I voted for in 2000! And I’m glad I did! I am proud of my President for the first time since 1974!



God Bless George W. Bush with four more years as our President!

____________________

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 08-04-03 Military Monday 08-05-03 Texas MY Texas 08-06-03 The Lighthouse at Old Presque Isle, MI 08-07-03 JohnHuang2 - John's Two Cents

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[MaryFromMichigan]

'Evening, WVNan!

Here's a quick thought for the day:

"People will forget everything you tell them,
but they'll never forget the way you made them feel."

Good night and catch ya later!

[Calpernia]

Darn! I can't find the picture. I think Billie(?) posted a picture when I was real new to this thread. It was a woman in a bathrobe and slippers at the computer. That would have been real funny in response to your "Oh my goodness! Must I dress for this?!"

[Calpernia]

Night Mama_Bear! Sorry I missed you tonight!

[Calpernia]

Night Tooters, that IS a great quote.

[Calpernia]

OMG! That picture is sooooo funny!

[Calpernia]

>>>>Ahh, than you Free. You have a nice weekend too

Oops, Free, you knew the 'than you' was really THANK YOU, right?

Gosh darn that Officer Spellgood, he is NOT on the job!

[Mama_Bear]

Thank you to our posters and lurkers who came by today.

Pippin and Mama_Bear bid you a peaceful night.

[Mama_Bear]

[FreeTheHostages]

I know how it is, Weenie. My grandmother had Alzheimer's. Once at breakfast time I said, "Grandma, do you feel like a hard-boiled egg?" And she said, "Oh no, I feel much worse than a hard-boiled egg." Saints preserve us. But the old Grandma was still in there and we got to visit with her often.

[FreeTheHostages]

{{mama_bear}} another professional job

[FreeTheHostages]

P.S. Some day I'm going to grow up and be an adult and have all of those nice nightime gifs too. :) Your lovely touches on your thread do not go unappreciated by me. They make it so homey!

[Calpernia]

LOL! Pardon me while I ping a few of th' guys! :)

Ugh! Please remove me from your ping list.

---

So you deny that you are a 'guy'?

[FreeTheHostages]

Good evening!

[Mama_Bear]

{{mama_bear}} another professional job

Awwwww.....thank you, free. Good night to you.

[FreeTheHostages]

LOL, I love you already! You're fighting with The Thin Man!! You do know they're just joking with each other, don't you? Stupid question, but some times, the way The Thin Man plays so rough, it's hard to tell.

[Mama_Bear]

>Your lovely touches on your thread do not go unappreciated by me. They make it so homey!

What a sweet thing to say! But, I must give credit to wolfie. Most of my pretty gifs come from him. :-)

[FreeTheHostages]

Oops, Free, you knew the 'than you' was really THANK YOU, right

I'm pretty notoriously a rotten proofreader. So the answer to all such questions is invariably "no." Which is a bit of a problem because I'm a bit of a guest host and The Thin Man is such a fuddy-duddy stickler on such matters.

On a happier note, I think I'm getting the hang of nested tables. I've been playing around with HTML 4.0 manuals!! Saints preserve us.

[FreeTheHostages]

But, I must give credit to wolfie. Most of my pretty gifs come from him. :-)

Always on the right side of the lovely hostesses, aren't ya?

[Calpernia]

Just call me 'Alpha'. LOL

Alphie? Hmmmmmmmm

How about just Alph for short?

[Calpernia]

Well that was a 'Thank You' for the flowers. :)