General Discussion

dmallind

(10,437 posts)

24. Not really in US terms

Tue Feb 28, 2012, 05:35 PM

Feb 2012

I came here in 1990 as a centrist Conservative in the UK. I had a vague idea that a big C conservative would likely translate to what the US press called the small c conservative party here - the Republicans.

Took me maybe six weeks of actually reading the news as a resident and talking to others here to disabuse me of that notion. Republicans were in general not so far right as they are now, but they were certainly further to the right than anything but the most embarrassingly weird fringe of the UK Conservatives, and no Democrats with an ounce of influence were, or are, as far left as "old Labour" that I had no time for, so I was aligned with Dems long before the 5 yr citizenship path was done and I could vote.

The UK parties too have shifted rightward/centerward since I left. I suspect now I'd be somewhere around the New Labour/Lib-Dem overlap.

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How many people here on DU were once rethugs/conservatives? [View all] Hugabear Feb 2012 OP

My wife used to think I would turn conservative as I got older. onehandle Feb 2012 #1

Never. notadmblnd Feb 2012 #2

I was an Independent for 30 years HockeyMom Feb 2012 #3

I'm Spartacus Rittermeister Feb 2012 #4

sort of dipped a toe in rurallib Feb 2012 #5

I was never a "rethug" Control-Z Feb 2012 #6

I had a photo of Nixon on my bedroom wall. bluedigger Feb 2012 #7

The proudest pictures on the walls of my parent's house were JFK, MLK and Jesus. nt bluestate10 Feb 2012 #85

Kinda Sorta zipplewrath Feb 2012 #8

My background was somewhat different. arbusto_baboso Feb 2012 #9

have you thanked and given her a big hug?? a kennedy Feb 2012 #15

Been doing that a lot lately. arbusto_baboso Feb 2012 #19

You can see why repugs don't want you to go movonne Feb 2012 #34

I used to think I was a libertarian, but grew out of that around 23 snooper2 Feb 2012 #10

Fell off that bus back in 98. Zalatix Feb 2012 #73

I'm an ex-fundie. Initech Feb 2012 #11

I never liked Ike. rug Feb 2012 #12

Never. I have always been on the left since RebelOne Feb 2012 #13

Your folks must have been liberals Dokkie Feb 2012 #29

I was President of our high school's Young Republican in 1983 and 1984 LanternWaste Feb 2012 #14

Never was ... Trajan Feb 2012 #16

I was pretty moderate in high school/college Blue_Tires Feb 2012 #17

How did your family handle your conversion? Arugula Latte Feb 2012 #18

I just try to avoid talking politics with them Hugabear Feb 2012 #21

Never have been and never wanted to associate with a party that is anti-worker Major Nikon Feb 2012 #20

I grew up in a military family Hugabear Feb 2012 #23

I was in the military and still didn't feel that way Major Nikon Feb 2012 #26

Never and it's my dear departed Mum-Mum's fault Avalux Feb 2012 #22

Not really in US terms dmallind Feb 2012 #24

I started off as a red diaper baby Marxist and moved left from there. Tierra_y_Libertad Feb 2012 #25

+1 Hugabear Feb 2012 #27

No, but I used to be moderate Democrat and am now a fringe, pony demanding, extreme leftist TheKentuckian Feb 2012 #28

Never! hamsterjill Feb 2012 #30

I may have been, if so, I was brainwashed, born and raised in TX, StopTheNeoCons Feb 2012 #31

my parents migrated from the segregated south to los angeles noiretextatique Feb 2012 #32

and this is EXACTLY what Santorum is afraid of n/t Sheepshank Feb 2012 #33

Started out as a Democrat trixie Feb 2012 #35

What does DSA stand for? I used to go to SDS meetings left on green only Feb 2012 #66

Democratic Socialists of America trixie Feb 2012 #76

I was a progressive Republican in 1968 grantcart Feb 2012 #36

I decided I was a Republican in about the 9th grade....seriously DisgustipatedinCA Feb 2012 #37

Oy- I was a Randian Objectivist in College. w8liftinglady Feb 2012 #38

Amazing how much the "real world" can open your eyes - n/t Hugabear Feb 2012 #45

I was raised up around alot of republicans. I was nonpolitical until the 2000 election and have been craigmatic Feb 2012 #39

I changed over mid 80s cayanne Feb 2012 #40

No; I became politically aware at the time of Thatcher's rise to power and I always HATED her LeftishBrit Feb 2012 #41

That parallels my experiences with Reagan. Arugula Latte Feb 2012 #62

When I was 18, I registered as a Republican. chrisa Feb 2012 #42

Voted for Jimmy Carter in '80 at 18 Go Vols Feb 2012 #43

This message was self-deleted by its author Warren DeMontague Feb 2012 #44

I was never a republican... Iggo Feb 2012 #46

Me too! Same scenario. Low info Hassin Bin Sober Feb 2012 #71

NEVER.. AsahinaKimi Feb 2012 #47

Never. My parents were Democrats, and I went left from there. Comrade Grumpy Feb 2012 #48

That's my story etherealtruth Feb 2012 #51

Yep mine too.......... socialist_n_TN Mar 2012 #86

Post removed Post removed Feb 2012 #49

Do you really want answers to your questions? Hell Hath No Fury Feb 2012 #50

Thank you for saying it......., left on green only Feb 2012 #79

You are replying to a 2 post troll. Rex Feb 2012 #82

Yup, I know -- Hell Hath No Fury Mar 2012 #88

Post removed Post removed Feb 2012 #52

yea, you wil get kicked out quinnox Feb 2012 #55

Not to mention they can't spell for shit............ socialist_n_TN Mar 2012 #87

Never was I Republican. But my mother was/is one and my father was a die hard Dem. vaberella Feb 2012 #53

Out of my 37 years of voting marlakay Feb 2012 #54

NEVER!!!!! BigDemVoter Feb 2012 #56

not i barbtries Feb 2012 #57

I was a conservative/republican til I was a junior in high school, 17 years old The Genealogist Feb 2012 #58

I grew up in rural Indiana, where most people were Republicans DefenseLawyer Feb 2012 #59

In 1984 my parents were still (very moderate) Republicans Arugula Latte Feb 2012 #60

Didn't think that my OP would also serve as flypaper Hugabear Feb 2012 #61

Not me. Solly Mack Feb 2012 #63

Ackety! Never! lonestarnot Feb 2012 #64

I voted for Nixon in 1972 liberaltrucker Feb 2012 #65

I was never a conservative republican, but I find I move left more and more each day. aaaaaa5a Feb 2012 #67

Yes I was. I was raised a bible beater. donheld Feb 2012 #68

I grew up in a red town Johonny Feb 2012 #69

I've always considered myself a Democrat, Blue_In_AK Feb 2012 #70

Yes, I used to be rethug/conservative. Glad to say I'm not now Populist_Prole Feb 2012 #72

If you could pigeonhole me hyphenate Feb 2012 #74

I was, both my parents were moderate rethugs so that's how I registered. Raine Feb 2012 #75

I registered as a Republican at 18... a la izquierda Feb 2012 #77

Communist idealist Puzzledtraveller Feb 2012 #78

so, you were a communist idealist, right? newspeak Feb 2012 #81

I have been a Walter Reuther Labor Democrat since I was a kid and still am NNN0LHI Feb 2012 #80

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Pro-UNION FDR Democrat since birth. bvar22 Mar 2012 #89

Never was R.Blue Mar 2012 #90

Never one of those but registered rethug in Iowa so we could influence local officials who all ran jwirr Mar 2012 #91