What's Your Political Affiliation?

Black Man

As long as I can remember even though we didn't vote as JW's I've always philosophically vascillated between being either a closet Democrat or Independent. I still don't vote, but when things come up in the media, I find I do have some pretty straight-forward opinions on various items. What about u? What parties views in your country do you seem to vibe with and why?

drahcir yarrum

My father was a very conservative person and most issues were black or white with him. I was obviously influenced by his thinking, although because he was a JW he wasn't political at all. I remember as a young person how much I detested bureacracies and the incompetence and inconvenience they created. Standing in long lines for the most mundane government requirement always pissed me off. So I naturally gravitated towards more libertarian views of minimal government control over peoples lives.

When I first registered to vote in 1984 I registered as a Democrat. But as I began to identify my political views more carefully I switched to the Republican party. The religious right of the Republican party pisses me off too, but not as much as the liberal wing of the Democrat party. Anyone who, after twenty eight years, continues to make abortion a political issue is just annoying. Anyone who wants to give my hard earned money to crack mothers is dangerous.

I wouldn't register as a Libertarian because they have little or no political clout and therefore voting Libertarian would be wasting my vote.

Drahcir bin Yarrum

NeonMadman

I registered to vote as an independent last year for the first time, at the age of 48. I voted a straight Republican ticket, but since I didn't register to a party, I'm not eligible for the primaries. I'll probably remedy that by registering as a Republican when I move to a new state in a few weeks.

TR

bin yarrum(LOL!)

your post pretty much mirrors my own progression of political thoughts and choices.

TR

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
—Edmund Burke

LDH

I registered as an independent, and the last election I voted a mixed ticket.

I believe in the right person for the job, not the title.

Can you imagine if Ralph Nader or Ross Perot were our President right now????? Although I voted Gore, I'm very happy with the way Bush is handling himself. He has surrounded himself with brilliant people. That's the way to go, Georgie Boy.

Lisa

Englishman

Any party that can make me fly by the power of yogurt has got my vote!

Natural Law Party

Nostalgia isn't what it used to be....

spike

Green party and any movement that supports utopia like ideas. Green Peace and anything green will do. I'm not hard to please.

Never give up, and never under any circumstances, face the facts-R.Gordon

Seeker

I find the very concept of affiliation offensive and counter-productive. Vote and decide for yourself, not because others of your affiliation say which way you should vote. I dislike both Republicans and Democrats because instead of doing what's right, they choose sides. Every time there is a vote that falls along "party lines," I am reminded of JWs who change their "consciences" every time the WTS switches a teaching. Did the JWs think about those changes themselves? No, they were told what to think. Did the Democrats and Republicans think for themselves how to vote? No, they were told what to vote.

I am not even an Independent, for that too is an affiliation.

Sometimes I come up with conservative solutions, sometimes I come up with liberal solutions, sometimes I come up with solutions that can't be described either way. And really, in real life, how could it possibly be otherwise? If you see the world entirely in black-and-white shades, or entirely conservative or entirely liberal, how can that be accurate?

The country would be better off without the Democrat and Republican parties (which did not exist at the country's founding). Instead of politicians choosing sides, they might actually get stuff done instead by thinking about the problems and coming up with thought-out solutions.

But hey, why should anyone listen to me? People like choosing sides. They do it in religion, and they do it in politics. Us-versus-Them. Black-and-White.

Tina

Hi seeker, Actually you are part of a group. Being apolitical. There are many folks not enamored of established political parties for the reasons you mentioned. While not a 'formal' affiliation. You have indeed aligned yourself with a group of like minded people. Groupings are not always established by formal rituals affiliations,allegiances,and ideologies.Most of our affiliations are informal,whether we choose to acknowledge that or not.
Unless one lives on a deserted island alone,we will always be part of groups. Thru the law of the land and it's heirarchies. Thru familial and social contacts.
One becomes a part of many groups thru the lifespan,intentional and unintentional. Do you have a drivers license? You belong to a group. Do you have a ss card? You belong to an age-related group.
Do you have insurance? You belong to a group. Do you have a family,you are indeed part of a group. Same with co-workers.
Did you volunteer to help in New York? You became part of a group.
Did you become a parent? You became part of a group. Did you attend college? Another grouping. The list is endless really.
By not actively joining a group,one still becomes part of a parallel group. Just my thoughts.Tina

Carl Sagan on balancing openness to new ideas with skeptical scrutiny..."if you are open to the point of gullibility and have not an ounce of skeptical sense-you cannot distinguish useful ideas from worthless ones."

JeffT

Free thinker.

If the Libertarians ever get their act together I'd go that way. I was a democrat. Voted for McGovern in '72. The next time I voted it was Dukakis in '88. In '92 I voted for Perot, just because I was iritated at the Republicrats. This last time around I voted mostly Republican. I like their economics, but not their social agenda.

What's Your Political Affiliation?

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