I have officially mailed the paperwork to switch from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party. I became a Republican because of Ronald Reagan -- but now in my 40's I have taken up an interest in human services (actually work part-time at a crisis shelter and am going back to school for a human services degeree). The history of the Republican party cutting aid to the poor along with W's complete debacle in the middle east have convinced me to swap. Anyone else?
NASA's going nowhere. They still have the image, they built a bunch of new visitor centers over the last few years, they do a humongo amount of school outreach and academic grants. In terms of agencies, no politician can really mess with the basic missions of NASA and the National Park Service... those two are above all other agencies in that regard. The public outcry would be too great, and it wouldn't just come from printed postcards and lobbyists. Now, if you wanted to cut NASA's budget by dropping the huge number of contractors, that'd be another story.
i can't find the stomach to pledge allegiance to either party. pretty sure i'll vote dem the next time around...as i did in 1992.
What the heck have the Democrats done to deserve your vote? Anything besides not being Republicans? Seems like a pretty shallow analysis to me...
I don't understand why someone would follow a specific party. Why? Wouldn't it be better for us to all have open minds and vote for whoever we feel is best for the position? Aren't we a bit blind and naive if we only vote for whoever is being represented by "our party"?
Congratulations! I've heard many similar stories from my former Reagan Republican friends and relatives. Not all, to be sure, but a stunning number have said flat out that they are switching back to the Democratic Party and have had it up to here, and beyond, with what they've experienced since Bush was selected in 2000. They give a host of different reasons. Bush's amazing incompetence, his stubborn refusal to get rid of failures in his cabinet... Rumsfeld comes up a lot. His total blowing off of what he ran on as Governor of Texas and for the Presidency, that he would be a uniter, not a divider, and a "compassionate conservative." The elective invasion and occupation of Iraq and how badly it has been run (see Rumsfeld, etc.). The misleading of the American public in the run-up to Iraq. Misleading the American public being one of the nicer phrases I've heard. The record budget deficits. The record trade deficits. Not vetoing one spending bill with a GOP Congress run amok with pork. His foreign policy in general... alienating our allies and friends, along with the rest of the world, when we had huge amounts of sympathy after 9/11 and wide support of the invasion and occupation of Afghanistan. And many more reasons. The squeezing of the Middle Class, with incredible bias in fiscal policy towards the rich. His social policies towards the poor. His refusal to do anything for the uninsured, many of whom are middle class. You are not alone. Welcome aboard! D&D. Attempt Something. Impeach Bush for Creating Idiots.
Same here. I've never been able to understand people who are vehemently gung-ho about one party or the other.
Wake up young man. Even if that were all there is to it, it's more than enough these days. The Republican brand has been flushed down the toilet by the current administration. Ask not for whom the bell tolls...
I did pick a party because I wanted to vote in the primaries - not out of blind allegiance. I have not allways voted Republican in the past (though for the most part I have) -- I will not blindly vote Democratic either, but I see myself more closely aligned with Democratic policy, so therefore want to cast my vote in that primary. On paper the Republican policies toward the poor and middle class can sound good "Stop the bleeding heart liberal hand-outs" , "Don't vote for the Tax and Spend Liberals", "Help the rich and big corporations and the benefit will trickle down to the poor" etc..... But when you actually meet and talk to the people being affected by these cuts or who can't afford insurance but do not quite qualify for government assistance - it makes you think.
I will be blindly voting against any and all incumbents. It would be nice if they had an option to do this via straight ticket.
This coming from the king of shallow analysis. T_J lives in a glass house...starts throwing stones. Hilarious.
So you asked a reasonable question, made up an answer yourself, and then called your own answer shallow? Brilliant.
