If you're an ex-republican, check in below. I voted for

[Pryderi]

Reagan 2x and Bush I once.

I've been a dem since '92.

[Isoldeblue]

1. The only

rethug I ever voted for was Nixon. I can't even remember for sure why.... Before him and since only Dems.

[lumpy]

2. Was a Dem from birth thanks to good old Dad. Voted for Nixon. The other guy was, I can't

think of his name, He struck me as more of a warhawkat the time. Haven't gone off the tracks since.
Through my lifetime I have realized the Dem party is the one who will work for this country and it's citizens.

[lumpy]

4. Just noticed that you voted for Nixon also. What was your reason ?

[Isoldeblue]

7. As I said,

I don't recall. I can remember my husband and I sitting and discussing who to vote for. It may have been because his parents were repug sheeple and being in my twenties, I wanted to please them.... They loved Reagan.
Anyway, it was years before I'd admit that I did and was ashamed of it

I've grown up a lot since then and have become much more independent in my thinking. So that's progress, right?

Why did you?

[bluestate10]

3. Why did you vote 2x for Reagan? Just interesting to know. nt

[TexasTowelie]

5. I voted for Reagan in 1984,

the first time I could vote in a national election. I bit my lip doing it, but Mondale didn't excite me. I regretted that decision and have never voted for a Republican since at any level. We all make mistakes in our youth though.

[LostOne4Ever]

6. Never been a Republican but I am a former libertarian

The only republicans I have ever voted for are family friends who ran for local office and that is about it.

When I was a teenager I was a pretty big libertarian though. I didn't get to vote in the 2000 election because my birthday was 15 days too late. However, that election and starting college transformed me into a far left liberal.

I found myself opposed to almost EVERYTHING double dumb did as president. I started going to anti-bush sites and realized how fucking nuts the right is in reality. I studied about actual history and economics and started to see where I was wrong economically, and how liberal economics actually worked. Learning about the labor movement in the 1920s in particular opened my eyes.

Furthermore, I started seeing more and more hypocrisy and flat out lies from libertarians. They claimed they supported social freedom but then turned around and defended the most authoritarian views possible claiming states rights. They wanted to cut the size of government putting who knows how many people out of work and I realized it was not the size of government that bothered me...it was the power of government to interfere with our personal lives that I opposed.

Hell, as I did some digging I came across more and more idiocy and bigotry that flat out repulsed me. I was seeing more and more anti-intellectual and anti-science position I simply could not agree with, especially with regards to things like climate change and the environment. I saw people actually arguing against anti-discrimination laws.

More and more I saw them agreeing with Bush and indirectly espousing authoritarian positions.

But the breaking point for me was when I came across some libertarians arguing that we should privatize air. THEY WANTED TO FUCKING PRIVATIZE AIR!

That was when I started identifying as a liberal and a democrat. When the Iraq war started I was the most committed of democrats.

[lumpy]

8. Loved your post. Thanks for joining the better party.

Studying the subject certainly helps a lot for making decisions in the very important business of Voting. Great post.

[pscot]

9. Give W credit though

He provided clarity for a lot of people.