What type of Dem are you?

[lyrical di]

Which type of Democrat you are determines some of your attitudes towards the issues, the opposition, and how you deal with "the party." How did you come into the Democratic party?

[lyrical di]

1. Lifer and nothing but

I say that I got it right the first time.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

2. Joined the Green party

because the Dem's have no discernible balls with the exception of. Kennedy, Byrd and Dean.

And I don't want to hear any shit about it from the holier than thou's caus I've heard it all already and I still havn't changed parties and yes, I'll vote for Kerry but I don't have to like it.

Edited to add no shit clause.

[Webster Green]

9. Ditto!

Got yer back, bro!

[UnAmericanJoe]

10. Me three

The National Democratic party is too far to the right for me.
I still vote Democratic on the national level (only because there really is no other choice) and always Green at the local level.

I desperately long for the day when I can vote Green nationally, but it sure won't be this election. Still, John Kerry in 2008 is VERY much up in the air for me...

[Deja Q]

17. I second that!

I vote Dem, often reluctantly.

If the voting system became FAIR AND INCLUSIVE (fat chance, both major parties know that a runoff voting system is far too fucking ethical for their liking), then I'd vote Green in an attosecond.

[zonmoy]

26. Never joined them but am closer

to the greens then to the Dem's

[Radical Activist]

34. I'm a Dem but I vote Green sometimes

that kind of sounds like a dirty blues song about cheating on your wife/husband if you say it the right way.

[patrick g]

3. here's my .02

you must always vote for the best candidate . . ..

[mitchtv]

4. that safely excludes all Pukes

as unless they are running unopposed there is always a better candidate

[lyrical di]

8. agreed

Fortunately I have never lived anywhere where the Dem was corrupt, DUI'er, or a complete moron.

[dolo amber]

5. Not

Registered "unaffiliated" here. :hi:

Not sure I've ever voted anything other than Dem, but I rather leave my options open. :)

[Kathleen04]

6. Other: First time voter...

just now eligible..and I fall into almost all of those categories aside from the Republican one. :)

[lyrical di]

7. AHAH!

As one so recently eligible, do you need voter registration forms to give all your friends? Sometimes putting it in their hands is the only way to get them to fill it out. THen once they get their card...tell them they need to break it in and vote. Do the whole party thing? Wear a sticker that says You Voted proudly and tell everyone how they can get one.

[Kathleen04]

11. I've got registration cards..

50 of 'em! I have two close friends..one is already a voting Democrat and another is an Independent leaning Republican..I should probably offer her a card cause she'd probably never go get one for herself.

I plan on trying to set up a table to register voters sometime this summer and I'll probably give some of the cards to my mother who has alot of non-voting friends.

Thanks for the encouragement. :)

[Lisa0825]

12. I voted "other."

I didn't really call myself a Democrat until Clinton's treatment by the Republicans. I voted Democrat 90% of the time, but occasionally voted for other parties on the state and local level. Since Clinton, I'm a straight-party-ticket voter, and plan to remain that way.

So, I guess I sorta fit into choice three (thought mostly Dem), and then moved up to choice 4.

[welshTerrier2]

13. none of the above

i will not engage in the nonsense arguments about whether dems are any different than republicans ... they are different and their policies are "better" ...

but the party itself has become unresponsive to far too many people ... the "left" and even the "just left of center" democrats in massachusetts where I live are leaving the party in droves (whatever a drove is ...) most people here are now registered as "unenrolled" ... there seems to be a widespread belief that by aligning oneself formally with a party causes the party to take you for granted ...

i think there is a widespread belief that the democrats are bought and paid for just like the republicans ... and I think that democrats have failed to understand the degree to which capitalism, wealth and power have distorted, and perhaps even destroyed, our democracy ...

the argument really is no longer about left and right ... it's not about whether democrats need a political strategy that "focusses on the center" ... the truth of the matter is that what is needed is simply good government ... and good governments are those that put the interests of people ahead of large, multi-national corporate interests ... both democrats and republicans have become so concerned about our "free market" economy that they have forgotten this very simple lesson ...

several months ago, i switched my registration from "unenrolled" (i.e. registered but not affiliated with a party) to democrat ... i did this to try to energize democrats to look a little further left for solutions and platforms ... what i've found so far are piles of party bureaucrats who are more interested in their own insider status than they are in reaching out to the grassroots ...

this is no way to run an airline ... or a party that cares about people ...

after the corrupt bush regime is ousted, i'll be leaving the centrist democratic party and joining the greens ... but this year, i'm backing Kerry 100% with my money and my time ...

[UnAmericanJoe]

15. Great post.

I agree completely.

[skooooo]

16. imma yellow dog democrat

WOOF!

[FarmerOak]

23. I chose Yella Dawg...

... and isn't it nice that the bar on the graph is yellow? :D

I did vote Reagan in 1984... but I was a young Marine, then. I wasn't a repuke, I was just... young.

[skooooo]

27. wonder why so many young people...

...fall into the republicans. Of course that was the 80s, so that explains some of it I guess.

[FarmerOak]

28. Immaturity,

inability to properly reason, selfishness... these are symptoms of youth... and, coincidentally, symptoms of being a Repug.

[Radical Activist]

35. Democrats have ignored young people for years

Most of the Democratic party establishment is so buy chasing after swing voters and the elderly, who vote more frequently, that young people have been ignored. The agenda of the party doesn't speak to the concerns of young people. Kerry seems to making some gestures to change that this year so lets hope that sticks.

I remember when I was in college before the 2000 election I signed up for the College Democrats monthly issues newsletter and the first one I got was about social security. What a joke! How insulting that Gore spent and entire campaign talking about prescription drugs and healthcare for seniors and basically told young people to go F themselves if they got sick. I watched the entire 2000 debates between Bush and Gore and neither one brought up issues that are of the most direct concern to young voters in a way that related to them personally.

The only party that was making a serious national effort to court young voters and address the issues they care about before 2004 was the Green Party. That's why so many activists and other students on college campuses consider themselves to be Greens or independents and would be insulted to be called a Democrat.

It looks like that all may be changing this year. I hope it is or there won't be much of a Democratic party in 10-20 years when this generation starts voting in higher numbers. The party ignores young voters at its own peril.

[misanthrope]

32. A-freakin'-men, baby!

Very nice.

[nickgutierrez]

14. This is the first time I'll be able to vote...

so I'm not sure which one to choose :).

[Snoggera]

18. Choose the good guy

this time, and maybe the good gal next time (or the time after next time).

[LastKnight]

19. other: lifelong dem, first time voter...

just turned 18 last month, but ill be casting my first dem vote soon, and wont ever vary from there on out.

i may go green in ideology, but ill stay a registered dem and vote em on the national level, just cause voting green on the national level might as well be voting for a republican.

-LK

[woofless]

20. First Class

Yella' Dog, lifelong Dem.

[Burma Jones]

21. Registered Republican in New York,

never voted for a Republican in a general election, voted McCain in the 2000 primaries because I thought Chimpy was a disaster even then and thought we might nip that little POS in the bud.

I voted Republican once. In 1978, some homeless drunk guy got on the Ballot as a Republican to face the unbeatable Goodloe Byron, or more accurately, his widow Beverly. I figured a homeless drunk Republican deserved a few votes.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

22. Well, he is now president

n/t

[Burma Jones]

31. My Bad, My Bad, Sorry, My Bad

[UTUSN]

24. I'm a Dem-Dem? n'/t

[Mrs. Venation]

25. I Vote For The Best Candidate

and that's usually a Democrat. I am a federal government employee, and for many years we were prohibited from belonging to a political party. The law has been changed, and we can now belong to a party, but our legal political activity is very limited. That said, I am a registered independent. It's just less hassle.

In the 2002 election, I did vote for one republican. Actually, my vote was against the democrat who ran. It was the race for the Maryland Treasurer, and I simply cannot abide William Donald Schaeffer (or how ever it is you spell the old coot's name). He is as arrogant and narrow minded as any republican. I can't stand him.

My Congressman is Steny Hoyer. I can't imagine voting for anyone running against him. I think he serves his district, and the country well, and he'll have my vote for as long as he wants to remain in office if he continues his honorable and fair-minded commitment to public service.

I cannot imagine voting for a republican for POTUS given their current ideology. I think I'd hold my nose and vote for the democrat. If the republicans were to nominate a candidate with the philosophy of Barry Goldwater, though, I'd have to seriously consider that vote.

[IronLionZion]

29. I vote for the candidate not the party

oh and

FUCK THE ESTABLISHMENT!!!

[Rationality]

30. best candidate - usually a Dem in national and state issues

but in local and county elections, political affiliation isn't relevant to me. I prefer candidates that keep Wal-Mart supercenters out of the city, protect the city's greenspace, and controls the excessive clutter created by advertisers throwing phamplets all over the apartment complexes. The current commission - five Dems and two Repubs in my town - are doing a good job and I'd re-elect all of them if I could.

[Pobeka]

33. I vote for the best candidate.

It used to be, many, many years ago, that could be either a Dem or Repub. I haven't found a Repub worth voting for in 10 years or more.

[NMDemDist2]

36. Yaller Dawg Dem here eom