Welcome to DU! I never paid a lot of attention to politics, either, but always voted, mostly for Democrats. It was 9/11 that woke me up, scared me witless and that's when I started researching and reading, eventually found DU and it's been my home online for more than 10 years now. I've learned more here than I can possibly describe and also got active, worked on my (Democratic) congressman's campaigns. 
I'm in NY, but in a pretty red district, so I can sympathize. Most of my friends are liberals, though, a pleasant surprise. Now that I'm informed, I'm horrified by a lot, but I'd rather know and not be blindsided. And I agree that most voters aren't informed, let alone most people. I try and spread the word whenever I can, LOL. Hope you've found a home here, too... 
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