Twitter user: After 28 years as a registered Republican, I'm Florida's newest #Democrat.

[iluvtennis]

@TheJoker_really 19h19 hours ago


After 28 years as a registered Republican, I did this today.

I’m Florida’s newest #Democrat.

The @GOP left me long ago. This is not the same party I joined.

Buh-bye you racist haters.

Link to tweet

----
yay, one at a time.

[BlueJac]

1. Thanks, we need the company!

[olegramps]

12. Some may question why you were a Republican for so long, but I say Great! Welcome aboard.

Most people don't really choose their party based on a through reading of the respective platforms, but most often have been influenced by family or religion. If they only consider key issues, like abortion, they are going to vote for the Republicans regardless that they are middle class or even poor working class. It is really amazing how many working class people vote against their own well being. The takeover of radio broadcasting by radical conservative is also a big issue along with FOX News. It nearly impossible to change people's minds and really in most cases a total waste of time and effort. They will only come to their senses when they are destitute but many would rather die of starvation than admit they have been duped.

[KPN]

50. Great post.

[dalton99a]

2. I welcome ammunition from all quarters

The evil regime must be brought down.

[NY_20th]

3. Now this is the real #walkaway movement

[shockey80]

4. Welcome, what took you so long.

[mcar]

5. K&R

[DavidDvorkin]

6. That's nice, but

He became a registered Republican during the presidency of the vile Reagan. Is that the kind of Republican he has been, all this time?

[lagomorph777]

25. Probably an anti-Russian-empire Republican (i.e. Reaganesque)

So, yeah, just the kind of ally we need right now.

[Initech]

7. Glad you could finally see the light!

[lpbk2713]

8. Change is the only constant.

Thirty years ago I had different opinions on many topics than what I have today.

Glad you saw the light.

[Leith]

9. TheRealJoker Should Have Registered As an Independent

If he thought that austerity, Reaganomics, thinly veiled racism, and a bunch of other Reaganistic crap were worth voting for, he is not going to fit in well with Democrats.

He's not one of us. He's an anti-tRump conservative.

Edited to add: he stayed rethug through Bush I and Bush II. He chewed up a lot of shit sandwiches, smiled, and asked for more. He contributed to it going as far as it did.

[CrispyQ]

15. This.

Go join the Independents, you disaffected GOPers.

Bernie Sanders ran as a democrat because he knew the truth: there are only two ways to the White House in this country & one way is through the Democratic Party & the other way is through the Republican Party. Additionally, those two parties have an advantage in every race down ticket. Disaffected repubs are not going to start their own party. They are going to infiltrate ours & take it even more to the right. We have DUers cheering that a career republican is running as a dem for Al Franken's seat just because he speaks out against Trump. Is speaking out against Trump our standard?

The enemy of my enemy is my friend. No. The enemy of my enemy has finally pulled their head out of their ass. It doesn't mean they're my friend.

[MarcA]

17. Agreed 1,000%

They and we have to understand trump is not the only or main issue.

[pnwmom]

24. You just made the best argument for him to join the Democrats.

There ARE only two ways to win the WH, one via the Democratic party and the other through the GOP.

[CrispyQ]

28. They know this already.

The onus is on us, to resist welcoming the enemy of my enemy into our ranks without serious vetting.

[pnwmom]

30. Sorry, I remember the old days when we tried to make as many people happy as possible

by legislating from the middle.

An umbrella Democratic party, comprised of centrists, moderates, and progressives, could return this country to its senses again.

[CrispyQ]

35. I don't think that people who supported George W. Bush & that awful administration,

qualify as "centrists and moderates." We don't need them. Let them go independent or try to get control of their own party.

[pnwmom]

40. I disagree. I'm happy to welcome people like Nicole Wallace and Ana Navarro,

and any others who've seen the light.

[JI7]

54. Political Parties are not Religions . it's about getting things done

laws passed etc.

i wouldn't vote for them if they ran for office.

but i want everyone to vote for democrats over republicans.

[The Liberal Lion]

41. AMEN!

You want to be a democrat prove that your are a progressive/liberal. The democratic party IS the PROGRESSIVE party. We aren't milquetoast fence sitters WE ARE LIBERAL! We are a big tent party so long as your agenda is liberal and progressive, otherwise disaffected pubs should go join the Libertarian party.

[Steven Maurer]

21. *I*, on the other hand, welcome him as a Democrat

If I could, I would have a discussion with him or her about Democratic positions and the general Democratic consensus.

Which is not always the purity-troll "us vs them" viewpoint.

We are a big tent party. There are good reasons to believe that government, by and large, does good. But it is also not unreasonable to keep a close eye on it either.

[GulfCoast66]

26. So should I register as Independent?

I only left the republicans because of President Obama. Guess I am not pure enough to qualify as a real democrat.

Even though I now repudiate all my previous positions? Not that I paid all that much attention to politics except for showing up at the polls.

[pnwmom]

31. NO! I'm glad you switched parties. Don't let the purists bother you. n/t

[GulfCoast66]

32. Oh, they don't. Strictly a rhetorical question.

I don’t think they want this social democrat leaving.

[CrispyQ]

36. Are you running for office?

How much do we know about Richard Painter's positions on issues, besides his distaste of Trump? These disaffected republicans need to be seriously vetted before we allow them on the ticket as democrats.

[GulfCoast66]

37. Very familiar with Painter.

I did not realize the tweet in the OP was Painter.

I welcome anyone to the party, but would not vote for him.

I do not support any of my previous positions. Not that I held them that strongly as I was pretty non involved.

As far as I can tell the only reason Painter joined the party was cause he hated trump. Hopefully I am wrong and he, like me, has left his old beliefs behind with his old party.

[CrispyQ]

38. To clarify, the OP wasn't about Painter.

I just used him as an example. It's especially galling that it's Franken's seat he's running for.

Glad you had a change of world view!

[GulfCoast66]

43. Ironic you used the term world view.

Being able to finally afford to travel the world had a lot to do with my conversion.

[Leith]

39. I'm Not a Purist

The difference is why you became a Democrat. If a republican joins the Democratic party after 30 years because of tRump, it's not enough. That person still wants to shrink government beyond viability, suppress minority votes, and all the other crap that goes along with it.

Leaving the rethugs to become a Democrat because he or she agreed with Obama's positions and agenda, welcome aboard!

[GulfCoast66]

42. I see your point and can't disagree

It was President Obama, European travel and pulling my head out of my ass that made me see the light.

[dansolo]

55. We need every D voter we can get

Having a Republican publicly switch to Democratic means that they intend to vote for Democrats this November. Switching to Independant would probably mean they just wouldn't vote. THAT is why this is a big deal.

[catbyte]

46. He's a Stoneman Douglas parent & was sickened by how the students were

treated by everyone but Democrats according to his Twitter thread. It sounds like he had a deep and profound change of heart about many things. I'm not going to judge him or turn him away from the Democratic party.

[Renew Deal]

47. You don't get the point of politics

Hopefully you don't talk to voters.

[dansolo]

56. But now he may vote for Democrats

Otherwise he most likely wouldn't have voted. At least now he may be willing to listen to the other side.

[coeur_de_lion]

10. I wish there was a way

to know how often this was happening.

[colorado_ufo]

11. Welcome home!

[TryLogic]

13. Sounds good. Please be thougtful, and of course, vote.

[herding cats]

14. His bio says he's a Parkland dad.

Damn. I can't imagine being a Republican and watching them tear down the amazing kids who've been speaking up about the shooting. No wonder he's changed his affiliation.

[FakeNoose]

16. Like he says, the GOP left him long ago

He just got around to joining "the good guys" today, but it sounds like he's been with us in spirit for a while now.

This is awesome! May the Force be with you.

[Javaman]

18. they are still the same party...

they just came out of the closet.

but never the less, nice to have someone finally see the light.

[RestoreAmerica2020]

19. Harry Belafonte: To realize Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream, white America needs to change course

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation
[Harrybelefonta/Charlayne Hunter-Gault:


..."Until white America begins or even decides to identify a moral course of history, I don't think anything is going to happen. I think America will self-destruct.

Charlayne Hunter-Gault:

But the civil rights movement was black and white together.

Harry Belafonte:

Yes.

Charlayne Hunter-Gault:

That's not the case anymore?

Harry Belafonte:

That's the case, but it's not the fact.

The case is that we have to fix it. The fact is that it's not fixable if white folks don't decide to change their course of conduct.

The only thing left for black people to do is to burn it down. We have been lynched. We have been murdered.

And, if you look around, never before in my 91 years of history as an American have I ever seen the nation more racially divisive than it is at this very moment, including the days of the Ku Klux Klan and the segregation laws of the South.

[ReformedGOPer]

20. I did this when the tea party took over.

[TheBlackAdder]

22. Welcome. Religion and Politics share the same area of brain. Their conversions are often difficult.

.

Some people experience conversions gradually, others require a traumatic experience to force it.

For some, it might take a good decade or more to jump from one side to another, with an Indy stopover.


As a new self-inductee, I recommend the following books to learn the history and its influences:

Atlantic Crossings: Social Politics in A Progressive Age, Daniel T. Rodgers

The Social and Political Thought of American Progressives, Eldon J. Eisenach


Teddy Roosevelt's Osawatomie, KS Speech:
https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2011/12/06/archives-president-teddy-roosevelts-new-nationalism-speech

https://www.kshs.org/p/kansas-historical-quarterly-theodore-roosevelt-s-osawatomie-speech/13176


Barack Obama's Osawatomie Speech:
https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2011/12/06/remarks-president-economy-osawatomie-kansas

.

[TNNurse]

23. I was raised by a Democrat so I guess I am a lifelong Democrat.

Welcome. We are nice people. We believe in fairness, equality and personal freedom.

We also respect the Constitution and if we disagree with part of it we work fairly to change that.

[Sloumeau]

27. Welcome! Here's your bonus 10 IQ points. ☺

I hope you enjoy them. ☺

[Hortensis]

29. Takes character and commitment to become Democrat,

not just join those slinking away from the Republican Party into invertebrate anonymity of right-leaning independents.

Some ARE doing it. Not at all sure about this one.

[Honeycombe8]

33. Well done! Remember, though....

The Democratic Party may be too liberal for you on some issues. Be prepared for that, and grit your teeth. Remember what the Democrats are fighting this time, and know that you are doing the right thing. If the ship gets righted, and the democracy is safe, and your party returns to being more normal and sane, you can always change back later. I just don't want you to start hating the Democrats for positions that you don't agree with.

The Democratic Party has a big tent. Democrats scrap with each other and disagree on issues. More so than Republicans, I think. And there are quite a few moderate Democrats, although they don't speak up much, I think.

I think you will find, though, that the Democrats are genuinely concerned about the country's democracy, and of becoming another Germany. And the White House showing respect to all citizens, maintaining our relationships with our allies, and the like. It's not JUST politics this time.

WELCOME!!!!

[Blue_true]

34. A lot of republicans are at the point he was at 2 months ago.

I know a guy, a lot older, Vietnam Marine Vet, voted for Trump but definitely is not a racist or hates immigrants. I gets the sense that he has always been a republican and voted for his tribe. Now, he regrets that vote.

People like the guy I know are available to vote for us if we field candidates that fit the region, like Connor Lamb, Danny O'Connor or Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez in Brooklyn. We need to tip them over to our side, then work through our policy differences with them in a thoughtful and rational way once the country is safe from the horror that this current administration has it slipping into. I don't think any person who loves this country and has risked or lossed something in that pursuit is comfortable with what is happening now, unless those people truly are and have been racists.

[Cha]

44. Cool!

[blue-wave]

45. Hooray!!

Welcome to the party!! Bring as many as you can with you!!

[roamer65]

48. The exodus is just beginning.

[colsohlibgal]

49. Wise Move, Welcome

Trump has spurred on the crazy right, they are nuts. Was on a local Columbus Forum saw a couple of posts calling John Brennan a “Communist” for speaking ill of their fat stupid hero Trump. That is 100% certified wacko, clinically insane talk.

[recovering_democrat]

51. Opening our minds always helps!

Note my DU name. Grew up and started voting in Georgia. You did not have to register as Dem or Repub party and you could vote in either primary. I was actively Independent. My politics closest to Libertarian platform.

Moved to Florida about 5 years ago. Imagine my surprise to find you had to register as Republican or Democrat to vote in primaries. I agonized over losing my "independence" so I accepted being able to vote in general elections only. The author of this post had a hard decision to make. If being honest. I sympathize for the hard choices of this state for this new Democrat.

For my part, welcome. The present situation is dangerous and intolerable. We can use these hard choices.

[Misterfer]

52. Only took him 28 years to figure it out

Good for him but geeez GW should have been when that move was made.

[WePurrsevere]

53. My 96yo dad is a registered R, votes almost all D in main elections...

and I'd say he's a moderate D in beliefs (he really likes Obama & Hillary). He absolutely can't abide Trump, is disgusted by what he refers to as "new", Republicans and also says his party left him long ago.

Not long ago after one of his anti-Trump/GOP rants I asked him why on earth he's still registered as a Republican. He said he's given it a lot of thought but decided to stay registered as a Republican so he can vote for the most sane Republican candidate in the primaries. He acknowledges that it probably won't do any good but says at least this way he feels he's trying to do 'something'.

[UCmeNdc]

57. Thanks! Trump is no joke!

The GOP seems it wants to follow Trump right over the cliff.

[Marty Marzipan]

58. As Victor Lazlo said to Rick Blaine in Casablanca...

Welcome to the Fight.

[WinstonSmith4740]

59. Good for you!

Welcome to the light! Grab your popcorn and join us.

[iluvtennis]

60. Not me, the twitter user. I'm a lifelong California dem.

[WinstonSmith4740]

61. Well, hell.

Welcome to them too! We need all we can get!