RE: What’s the lib vs. conservative membership on this board?
Hey CJ, we followed a similar path, just different parties. My dad was a union officer, and deep into Dem politics. He had me helping with political campaigns starting when I was 5 years old. 1952. Eisenhower vs. Stevenson.
Stevenson got his ass kicked, but my dad was right back at it in '56. Same result. Then in 1960, we finally won one. JFK. Then he was assassinated. I was in the 11th grade. I remember being sad and horrified, and at some point in the next year (I was now 17), I bowed out of helping my dad, b/c my entire childhood, I had nothing but sad political experiences in the end. Ironic, since everything else in my childhood was pretty damn sweet.
But that broke me from being tied to any one political conclusion ahead of time. I couldn't vote yet in '64, so '68 was my first vote. I went to a Nixon rally at my college (do they even do that any more?), stood in line, shook his hand, and talked briefly with him.
As Nixon moved down the line, I turned to my roommate and said, "There is no way in hell I'm voting for that dude." He had shifty eyes, he didn't look me in the eye (he was looking ahead), and his upper lip and palms were sweaty. I also didn't care for Humphrey, even though he was a Dem, b/c as a young southerner. I couldn't relate to some old dude from MN. So I voted third party, and that started a pretty steady path for me.
I strayed off in '76 with Carter, b/c I could relate to him, and at that time, I was registered Indy but still leaned Dem. I changed briefly in '84 with Reagan 2, b/c his first term was impressive, but then I thought Bush 41 was a nothing. Didn't like the Dem, either, so back to 3rd party for that one. Then in '92, I voted for Clinton. Again, a southern boy, and a Dem, whose party I still favored just a bit. '96, back to third party. And stayed there until Trump these last two elections, b/c Obama and Hillary opened my eyes to how crooked and soulless they were.
And although I still dislike Trump, I liked his policies a lot. Plus I probably became a bit more conservative in my old age.
But, given my background, I laugh every time some lefty on here calls me a Trump sycophant, since I dislike the guy, and had only voted for one R in my life (Reagan once) until Trump's second run in 2020. Of course, I also know Trump is not really a Pub. He is a Trumpian. Which I'm not.
But even then, I'm now where you are. Probably stuck on the right from here on out, b/c the Dems are just so damn corrupt, and have moved so far left, I can no longer see them.
(This post was last modified: 02-03-2026 07:19 AM by TripleA.)
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