Hiya!

#1

My name is Elizabeth. I’m 38. I was born into a Democratic family and have been a Democrat my entire life. However, I’ve recently decided to switch parties and become a Republican. Obamacare, which I was all for in the beginning, and other key issues, such as immigration, have recently caused me to re-evaluate my future with the Democratic party. I feel like the Democratic rhetoric no longer aligns with my core beliefs and values and thus, in good conscious, I can no longer refer to myself as a Democrat.

I come from a military family. My late grandfather was in the U.S. Navy and served in 2 wars: WWII and the Korean War. He retired from the military after 20 years of service as a Chief Petty Officer (E-7). My mom has worked as a Federal Employee at NAVSTA (Naval Station Great Lakes) for the past 35 years. (32 of those 35 years were spent working for the U.S. Navy.) She currently works as a civilian Payroll Technician for USMEPCOM (United States Military Entrance Processing Command), a command that falls under the oversight of the U.S. Army.

I’ve always been surrounded by pets (dogs, cats, fish, and birds) and am a strong advocate where rescue is concerned.

I currently share my home with an 8-year-old tri-color Papillon named Gizmo, a 3-year-old white and black Phalène named Dane, a 6-year-old pied cockatiel named Riley, and a 4-year-old pearl cockatiel named Baily. I also have a red male dragonscale veil tail betta named Pompeii.

Thanks for allowing me to register. I look forward to being here.

#2

Welcome. You’ll be one of the younger members of this board, but don’t let that intimidate you. Frankly, I’m surprised that you were ever a Democrat, coming from a military family since the Democrats so obviously dislike the military and disparage military service, with very few exceptions.

#3

Welcome Elizabeth :wave:

I too am a convert from the Democratic party. It took me awhile too to realize that what the party supported just didn’t fit my thinking. After a long talk about politics with my sister, who had also converted, I realized I was actually a conservative and changed parties.

#4

Welcome :smiley:

#5

Welcome to RO!

#6

I won’t.

My grandfather, after he retired, was a blue collar worker and so was my grandmother. My grandfather was a postal carrier, factory worker, custodian after he retired from the Navy and my grandmother was a waitress. They embraced the Democratic beliefs and values throughout their lives and voted mostly Democratic (there were extremely rare exceptions and in those cases, they voted Republican). Because they wholeheartedly bought into those Democratic beliefs and values, my mom and her 2 brothers grew up embracing those same beliefs and values. So naturally, when it came time to register to vote, they began voting Democratic. The cycle continued with me.

#7

It’s nice to know that I’m not alone and there are other converts out there.

My mother has also converted and so has my one uncle. They, too, feel like the Democratic party is no longer a party they can support. The Democratic party has gotten way off base. They no longer make us feel welcome. They make us feel like this is no longer our country anymore. We can’t be a part of something that makes us feel that way.

#8

My own wife changed from Democrat to the GOP when they nominated Clinton. She knew about the Gennifer Flowers situation and said, “An overnight affair shows lack of judgment. A 12-YEAR-LONG affair shows lack of character. I can’t support a Party that would nominate such a person for the Presidency.” She’s never looked back.

#9

Hi and welcome! For what it’s worth, a lot of us don’t put much stock in either the Republicans or Democrats (they’re both parties of politicians instead of statesmen); we often prefer to identify as conservatives.

1 Like
#10

Reagan was a Democrat. His famous line; “I didn’t leave the party, it left me”, was kind of where I was at too. My dad was what you would call a Kennedy Democrat, and Kennedy couldn’t get the Democrat vote today. Both parties have changed from what they were.

2 Likes
#11

I don’t think much of Hillary these days. I don’t trust her anymore. I can’t. I won’t either.

#12

You both bring up good points.

#13

Thanks everyone. I appreciate all the hellos and welcomes.

#14

Welcome!!!

My parents were one each, R and D. While I never asked her, I think my Mom probably voted for fewer and fewer Ds starting in the late 60s and into the 70s. I think she didn’t change her registration because of inertia and for the slight annoyance to my Dad. I’m registered R, but I vote for the man or woman. In CA there are few Ds I would even consider voting for. OTOH, there have been a few Rs for whom I could not vote.

#15

I never did trust her. Even when Bill was running for president, I heard people say that Hillary scared them far more than Bill (perhaps that was when he was running for his second term).