Why I am a (FAUGH! UGH! BLEAH!) "dyed-in-the-wool" Democrat
Confession Time! (Dingadingadingading!)
I think registering with a party is a matter of self-image, more than anything else.
I was born in the Deep South, into a family descended from famous Northern abolitionists. My father, who took his ancestry seriously, spent his life Saving the World. We were going to Free the Negro, Eradicate Injustice, Defend the Workingman, Support FDR, Rescue the Jews, and of course, Stomp Out the Nazis.
I can remember, for example, my father deeply engaged in writing a book about the Booker T. Washington, a ship he served on when he volunteered for the Merchant Marine (too old for the army), one of the Merchant Marine's first integrated ships, and the first one commanded by a black captain. I can remember walking down the street in New York, displaying a huge FDR campaign button, as big as my chest, and feeling immensely proud of it.
We were quite well-to-do, but I did not realize it. I identified, and was taught to identify, with the poor and the downtrodden and the persecuted. In Lincoln's day, I would no doubt have been a Republican. In our day (especially after the Dixiecrats left the Party), I had no choice but to become a -- Democrat!!
I can hear you all-- or most of you -- shrieking in horror. <g>
It seemed to me that all Republicans thought about was money, money, money, money, and status, status, status, status. This stereotype -- okay, prejudice, if you will -- was reinforced when I was living in a small Connecticut town in the '70's (where I was Democratic Town Committee Chairwoman). The oldtimers were all New England Republicans, but their ranks had recently been reinforced by an influx of Irish and Italian families from the Bronx, where they had all been Democrats. The minute they were able to buy themselves homes (mostly very modest) in Connecticut, however, almost all of them re-registered as Republicans. They were no longer lowly proleterians! They were now Property Owners! They were members of the bourgeoisie! And so they picked a party to match their new self-image. (Or so I thought. In fact, many of them said they had re-registered in order to be on the "good side" of the authorities. They wanted to be sure the volunteer firemen would come to their house, if it caught fire. They were used to "machine politics." <gg>)
Now, to my voting habits. If I did not know anything about the candidates for a particular office, I did not vote for either/any of them. If I felt it was nevertheless important to vote, I would vote for the Democratic unknown rather than the Republican unknown, on the assumption that "my" party was more likely to have selected a candidate I could agree with on the issues. In national and state-wide elections, it just so happened that the Democratic candidates were the best ones, in my opinion, and professed principles I found more congenial.
I may indeed have "slipped" and voted for a Republican once or twice, Christopher. I think I did vote for Lowell Weicker. But he was hardly your "typical" Republican, and he later left the Republican Party. The fact of the matter is that to this day candidates are not just individuals; they are also representatives of a party. Even the most independent ones feel they must show some loyalty to their party, and follow the "party line" at some point or other.
So what's a gal to do, if she can't stand the Republican Party? I like it even less today than I used to. I don't like the Democrats much any more, either. The 1996 election, when they were constantly dunning me for money with horrible flyers, like promotion scams, really did me in. Especially that "telegram" inviting me to Bill Clinton's inauguration!! Supposedly "signed" by Bill himself! As if I needed a phony invitation to go get squashed to death on The Mall with a hundred million other people!! Bah! Politics as advertising!
I'm going to start my own party....<g>
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