To: i-node who wrote (15754 ) 3/30/2010 9:36:36 AM From: RetiredNow 3 Recommendations Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 42652 Honestly, i-node, I don't really care what you believe. You see, you are one of the wack jobs I'm talking about. When you are a far right winger, everyone to the left of you looks like a far left liberal. The truth is that I've always been center right on almost all issues. But with the takeover of the GOP by Tea Party crazies, I've increasingly been turned off. Now that I've started voting for Dems, I don't see them as "the enemy" anymore. Instead, I see them as Americans with different ideas. That has allowed me to take the blinders off and evaluate their ideas on their merits instead of just dismissing them out of hand. As a result, I'll admit I've moved further to the left since 2004, which was the first year I had ever voted Dem (and I'm turning 50 this year). Now, instead of center right, I'd classify myself as dead center. I'm still right wing on some issues like abortion, social security, strong military, and free markets, but I find myself more on the side of Democrats on issues like renewable energy, oil independence, health care, and the Middle East. Anyway, when it comes to my voting record, I really don't care what you think. But the fact that you can't believe there are Republicans who switched party shows just how deluded you are. Republicans from the center switched parties en masse to vote for Obama. You'll never admit it, but it is well documented fact that the center voted for Obama, which enabled him to overcome the far right prejudice against him. Will they do it again in 2012? I don't know. If he can pass renewable energy legislation for me, then I'll vote for him again. Everyone else has their own pet issue, energy is mine.