Your #Walkaway story, or reason.

[Ikari]

It's quite something to assume that your party could do anything and only the non-believers would walk away.

I don't think the point was that only non-believers would walk away, but rather liberals within the DNC who become disenfranchised with the DNC would have no incentive to go to the RNC or vote for Trump because their political ideology is liberal, and Trump and the GOP do not espouse that philosophy.

So someone who would "leave the DNC" for the GOP is likely not one that was a liberal, because the GOP doesn't promote liberal values. If a liberal is to leave the DNC, they would likely either stop voting or go third party like Green.

 

[TheGoverness]

I don't think the point was that only non-believers would walk away, but rather liberals within the DNC who become disenfranchised with the DNC would have no incentive to go to the RNC or vote for Trump because their political ideology is liberal, and Trump and the GOP do not espouse that philosophy.

So someone who would "leave the DNC" for the GOP is likely not one that was a liberal, because the GOP doesn't promote liberal values. If a liberal is to leave the DNC, they would likely either stop voting or go third party like Green.

Nah. I'm just a Democrat shill, dont'cha know.

 

[LincolnRossiter]

I have been meaning to put this up for a few days and finally managed to get to it after finding a space in my usual work schedule. Also it has come to my attention that more than a few people have their own stories and/or reasons for leaving the democratic party like I did.

Lets see.
As of 2015 I had been a registered democrat for well over a decade. I had backed more than a few of my fair share of politicians. I supported Kerry against Bush and even volunteered during his pitch in Atlanta and I even fell in line with the hope for change wave that followed Obama's run. Though, now that I look back. There was a strange animosity towards non-blacks that were helping to push for Obama's presidency. So I stopped volunteering about six months into his run, right before the primaries got into full swing.

Then 2011 came around and I started to notice things. My party had stopped being the party of hope and unity that it once was. I had seen virtually no growth, or sign of change happening from the administration that I had gone to bat for and even in the past when I had seen a candidate that I personally rooted for, do badly in office. That could not compare to this. I saw promises being broken, claims being made and those that decided to speak up against them ostracized as either a racist, or as a bigoted "Uncle Tom". Joey an old high school friend suffered the worst of this. He and I went to Florida U together and as I went to Pepperdine for following my psychology degree, while he went home.

He faced a horrible response from his family who were firmly stuck on the bandwagon for Obama, while Joey had experienced the same disillusion that I had during college. I only managed to keep in touch with him for about two years until he just dropped off the face of the earth. Until the elections rolled around and I ran across him in Georgia while he was volunteering for Bernie. He asked for my help and while I wasn't all for the socialist agenda that Bernie had, Joey lent hope that if the right people were used to frame his cabinet. Then we not need worry too much and at that time, we both firmly shared a distaste for both Trump and Hillary. Hell, even Jeb was going to be a fallback the way things were going.

Fast forward a few months and Bernie loses the primaries.
At this point we had both seen the writing on the wall and we where even there when word came down to close all of the booths for volunteer work. Though no one could have seen what was going to happen when Wikileaks hit and several of us, including friends we had made on previous volunteer runs before. We were all angry and disheveled, several jumping ship instantly to the Rep's team. Not to Trump, just to the republicans in general.

We met up again by chance after that and Joey was donning a MAGA hat at the time. I honestly didn't know what he was thinking and I asked just what his family had thought about the choice. To which he answered that they might as well disowned him. He told me that he had been paying attention of the past few weeks and some things had become clear. That he had been lied to almost his entire career in politics and he was wondering why I didn't see the same.

Now that I think about it, that was the first time I actually had Starbucks. While just sitting in one of their coffee shops.
We talked about everything and even got together with a few other Trumpers to trade war stories so to speak. I realized that I had been lied to as well and the conclusion was a hard fact for me to deal with. I all retrospect I should have known. During my Navy years I actually met Bush Jr and he was in no way as bad a person as the left made him out to be.

It was strange really.

My walkaway story? I’ve been a Republican my whole life, interned for Bill Frist, worked on Bush’s re-election campaign, was VP of my high school and college chapters of the YRs and CRs, and though I couldn’t overtly participate in partisan efforts as a Naval Officer (last 10ish years before I resigned earlier this year) I donated about $2000 per cycle.

Then a bunch of chumps nominated a circus clown to be the party’s candidate for president and a bunch of spineless losers in Congress and the party apparatus set about excusing every disgusting thing he’s said and done. Enablers almost to the man.

I won’t be aligning myself with Trump or his ignorant, obnoxious cultists anytime in this life.

 

[BuzzwordBingo]

Russian bots are back: #WalkAway attack on Democrats is a likely Kremlin operation

https://www.salon.com/2018/07/09/ru...k-on-democrats-is-a-likely-kremlin-operation/

Well of course it’s a Russian conspiracy. :roll:

 

[Luckyone]

I have been meaning to put this up for a few days and finally managed to get to it after finding a space in my usual work schedule. Also it has come to my attention that more than a few people have their own stories and/or reasons for leaving the democratic party like I did.

Lets see.
As of 2015 I had been a registered democrat for well over a decade. I had backed more than a few of my fair share of politicians. I supported Kerry against Bush and even volunteered during his pitch in Atlanta and I even fell in line with the hope for change wave that followed Obama's run. Though, now that I look back. There was a strange animosity towards non-blacks that were helping to push for Obama's presidency. So I stopped volunteering about six months into his run, right before the primaries got into full swing.

Then 2011 came around and I started to notice things. My party had stopped being the party of hope and unity that it once was. I had seen virtually no growth, or sign of change happening from the administration that I had gone to bat for and even in the past when I had seen a candidate that I personally rooted for, do badly in office. That could not compare to this. I saw promises being broken, claims being made and those that decided to speak up against them ostracized as either a racist, or as a bigoted "Uncle Tom". Joey an old high school friend suffered the worst of this. He and I went to Florida U together and as I went to Pepperdine for following my psychology degree, while he went home.

He faced a horrible response from his family who were firmly stuck on the bandwagon for Obama, while Joey had experienced the same disillusion that I had during college. I only managed to keep in touch with him for about two years until he just dropped off the face of the earth. Until the elections rolled around and I ran across him in Georgia while he was volunteering for Bernie. He asked for my help and while I wasn't all for the socialist agenda that Bernie had, Joey lent hope that if the right people were used to frame his cabinet. Then we not need worry too much and at that time, we both firmly shared a distaste for both Trump and Hillary. Hell, even Jeb was going to be a fallback the way things were going.

Fast forward a few months and Bernie loses the primaries.
At this point we had both seen the writing on the wall and we where even there when word came down to close all of the booths for volunteer work. Though no one could have seen what was going to happen when Wikileaks hit and several of us, including friends we had made on previous volunteer runs before. We were all angry and disheveled, several jumping ship instantly to the Rep's team. Not to Trump, just to the republicans in general.

We met up again by chance after that and Joey was donning a MAGA hat at the time. I honestly didn't know what he was thinking and I asked just what his family had thought about the choice. To which he answered that they might as well disowned him. He told me that he had been paying attention of the past few weeks and some things had become clear. That he had been lied to almost his entire career in politics and he was wondering why I didn't see the same.

Now that I think about it, that was the first time I actually had Starbucks. While just sitting in one of their coffee shops.
We talked about everything and even got together with a few other Trumpers to trade war stories so to speak. I realized that I had been lied to as well and the conclusion was a hard fact for me to deal with. I all retrospect I should have known. During my Navy years I actually met Bush Jr and he was in no way as bad a person as the left made him out to be.

It was strange really.

So you decided to jump from the frying pan into hell itself. Good decision!

Now, instead of being lied to once in awhile, you can be lied to every day and several times a day.

Hey, if you look you can find fault everywhere because we are all humans and none of us is perfect. By the same token, going from normal to horrible is not a good choice. My best wishes for you when you wake up and find yourself in hell and have no way out.

 

[ultmd]

Stage IV TDS

....so says one, and thus so say all, of Putin's "useful idiot" Trump bots.

We are in Orwellian Times, for sure.

 

[Kobie]

OH NO. The Democrats have lost Brandon Straka now???


Who the **** is Brandon Straka?

You know what they say. When you’ve lost Brandon Straka, it’s time to pack it in.

 

[Kobie]

I don't think the point was that only non-believers would walk away, but rather liberals within the DNC who become disenfranchised with the DNC would have no incentive to go to the RNC or vote for Trump because their political ideology is liberal, and Trump and the GOP do not espouse that philosophy.

So someone who would "leave the DNC" for the GOP is likely not one that was a liberal, because the GOP doesn't promote liberal values. If a liberal is to leave the DNC, they would likely either stop voting or go third party like Green.

A minor quibble. No voter leaves the DNC or the RNC. Those terms are not interchangable with the Democratic Party or the Republican Party.

Ok, turning off pedantic mode now.

 

[Kobie]

First of all, strawman. Not what I said. Second of all, the Democrats are not my party. What is with all these people that think that if you're liberal, you have to "belong" to the Democratic Party? I don't.

Neither do I, and haven’t for nearly 15 years.

 

[Spartacus FPV]

I don't think the point was that only non-believers would walk away, but rather liberals within the DNC who become disenfranchised with the DNC would have no incentive to go to the RNC or vote for Trump because their political ideology is liberal, and Trump and the GOP do not espouse that philosophy.

So someone who would "leave the DNC" for the GOP is likely not one that was a liberal, because the GOP doesn't promote liberal values. If a liberal is to leave the DNC, they would likely either stop voting or go third party like Green.

Lately it seems like my classical liberal values have become conservative positions, like defending free speech.

 

[Mr Person]

Lately it seems like my classical liberal values have become conservative positions, like defending free speech.

"Liberals" don't defend free speech? What a stupid lie.

 

[Nap]

Exactly my point. It make absolutely no sense to me, to somehow be a liberal on a bunch of different viewpoints, but because of a few issues on the left, somehow just flip to the right like a flip of a switch. It's ridiculously unbelievable.

I have my problems with the Left, especially concerning things like identity politics. But that does not mean that I'm just going to abandon all of my liberal beliefs because I don't like what some liberals do. Probably because I'm actually being honest about it. None of these people's hard shift from the Left to the Right strike me as genuine at all, sorry.

For many, it isn't necessarily they are flipping but as the spectrum continually shifts to the Left the DNC moves farther away from them. JFK was something of a folk hero to Democrats, he would be run out of the party now.


Free market capitalism, free speech, individual liberty, limited government are all liberal values and some just see the Right as the side holding up those values.

 

[Visbek]

For many, it isn't necessarily they are flipping but as the spectrum continually shifts to the Left the DNC moves farther away from them. JFK was something of a folk hero to Democrats, he would be run out of the party now.

And Ronald Reagan would be run out of the RNC on a rail.

Free market capitalism, free speech, individual liberty, limited government are all liberal values and some just see the Right as the side holding up those values.

Progressives are less enamored of maximal free speech than they were a few years ago. However, the idea that the right-wing has become the poster boy for tolerance is slightly amusing.

• There is little indication that they are big fans of minimal restrictions on pornography
• They're still highly critical of artistic freedom
• Conservatives show little tolerance for feminism, LGBT, minority rights, any sort of non-military government program, anyone who is critical of the police in any way, kneeling NFL players, any progressive/civil rights protestors etc
• The rank and file routinely attack and threaten anyone who goes against their values (e.g. social media death threats against feminists are pretty routine)
• To put it mildly, the white supremacist / fascist extreme right wing are only interested in "free speech" for themselves, and have no interest in granting their enemies (or anyone really) free speech rights if they ever gain control
• It should be screamingly obvious that many Republicans and conservatives right now do not idolize free markets (as shown by attacks on free trade, and happily picking winners in the markets), individual liberty (e.g. antipathy towards LGBT), and limited government (e.g. encouragement of government intervention in social matters, expanding military, expanding law enforcement powers), as well as violating other classic liberal values (e.g. pro-torture, anti-immigrant, anti-voting rights, rule of law (don't get me started), and so on

I.e. intolerance, and forcing groups (in-group or out-group) to toe the line, is not a partisan affectation. The idea that "only libruls object to speech" or "only conservatives object to speech" is myopically self-serving.

 

[Nap]

And Ronald Reagan would be run out of the RNC on a rail.



Progressives are less enamored of maximal free speech than they were a few years ago. However, the idea that the right-wing has become the poster boy for tolerance is slightly amusing.

• There is little indication that they are big fans of minimal restrictions on pornography
• They're still highly critical of artistic freedom
• Conservatives show little tolerance for feminism, LGBT, minority rights, any sort of non-military government program, anyone who is critical of the police in any way, kneeling NFL players, any progressive/civil rights protestors etc
• The rank and file routinely attack and threaten anyone who goes against their values (e.g. social media death threats against feminists are pretty routine)
• To put it mildly, the white supremacist / fascist extreme right wing are only interested in "free speech" for themselves, and have no interest in granting their enemies (or anyone really) free speech rights if they ever gain control
• It should be screamingly obvious that many Republicans and conservatives right now do not idolize free markets (as shown by attacks on free trade, and happily picking winners in the markets), individual liberty (e.g. antipathy towards LGBT), and limited government (e.g. encouragement of government intervention in social matters, expanding military, expanding law enforcement powers), as well as violating other classic liberal values (e.g. pro-torture, anti-immigrant, anti-voting rights, rule of law (don't get me started), and so on

I.e. intolerance, and forcing groups (in-group or out-group) to toe the line, is not a partisan affectation. The idea that "only libruls object to speech" or "only conservatives object to speech" is myopically self-serving.

You have many valid criticisms and I agree with most of them, I'm not saying the Right doesn't have its issues with those that stray from those values only that the people I see that are defending those values largely come from the Right.

As far as tolerance goes, I think in regards to diversity of thought the Right is much more tolerant. You don't see Right wing groups forming in mass in order to shutdown the speech of others that they disagree with(not yet at least, I fear this will be the eventual outcome with the Right responding in kind to the actions of the Left).

 

[Oborosen]

I hate to break it to you, but yes, this hashtag is basically bull****.

People switch parties all the time, for all sorts of reasons. The idea that this is suddenly a new thing is a creation of the Far Right Echo Chamber and/or Russian bots.

In fact, Democrats have had stronger party identification than Republicans for decades almost every year since the early 90s, while Independents are the only growing group right now. Pew's numbers on party identification:

1992:
D = 36%
R = 29%
I = 32%

Peaks:
D in 2008 = 38%
R in 2005 = 33%
I in 2017 = 37%

2017:
D = 33%
R = 26%
I = 37%

But hey, why let a pesky thing like facts get in the way, when anecdotes are so much fun? :mrgreen:

So do you have a point, or are you here to just repeat a statistic and make believe like it reveals "why" so many people are leaving the left like they are?

If not, then its obvious why you showed up and screeched "Russian bot" or some other inane tag.
If you can't add actual weight to anything, you are even mirthless than dead weight at this point.

#Walkaway is the story shared by many former leftist, that shows why they either went to a different party all together.
I have seen plenty of horrible things perpetrated by the left and only a slim fraction of things that I can claim to be from Trump's own party.

It's saddening to see how much of my life was wasted on such a corrupt part and how blind I was to see it.
My story was just that, a story about my trip from the left, to the right. You can try and deal with the issue by screaming Russianbot and slamming your head against the keyboard, but it isn't going to change the reality of the issue.

The democratic party is a sad, sick, shadow of itself.

 

[Oborosen]

My walkaway story? I’ve been a Republican my whole life, interned for Bill Frist, worked on Bush’s re-election campaign, was VP of my high school and college chapters of the YRs and CRs, and though I couldn’t overtly participate in partisan efforts as a Naval Officer (last 10ish years before I resigned earlier this year) I donated about $2000 per cycle.

Then a bunch of chumps nominated a circus clown to be the party’s candidate for president and a bunch of spineless losers in Congress and the party apparatus set about excusing every disgusting thing he’s said and done. Enablers almost to the man.

I won’t be aligning myself with Trump or his ignorant, obnoxious cultists anytime in this life.

How saddening it is to see bigotry still so proudly on display.

 

[Oborosen]

So you decided to jump from the frying pan into hell itself. Good decision!

Now, instead of being lied to once in awhile, you can be lied to every day and several times a day.

Hey, if you look you can find fault everywhere because we are all humans and none of us is perfect. By the same token, going from normal to horrible is not a good choice. My best wishes for you when you wake up and find yourself in hell and have no way out.

It sounds like you enjoy shouting at those you believe to be beneath you.

Imagined moral high grounds are just as unstable as the foundation that they are built on.

I received more than enough of this from the left before I left the democratic party and you are no better. Nor do your words wring any less hallow than they already do.

Seeing what he has achieved, Trump is doing better than I originally gave him credit for.

I'll gladly move out of "Hell" if that were the case, but I'll be damned if I am going to take the command to do so. From someone who sounds as if they would eagerly beat the help, just to make them feel better about themselves.

That is my professional opinion by the way.

 

[Hawkeye10]

I grew up in the then very conservative midwest town of Rockford Ill, a city where when a liberal young couple with a VW Beetle would move in across the street people would treat them very nicely (something we can seem to manage anymore...WE USED TO BE BETTER) but there would be some talk....they were unusual/notable. Now the hippies on the other hand were much hated, they knew better than to show up in Rockford. I did a **** ton of reading and traveling however, I knew what the world was mostly, but I was making up my mind how I felt about things. (Note: My 2000+ student High School had like three black students till a whole mess of them were bused in starting my Junior year. There were a few Hispanics, maybe a handful)

Pretty much instantly upon hitting Michigan State I was a stanch Liberal...I had voted Reagan in 1980 but by 1982 I was horrified at what I had done and by fall 1983 I was very lefty. By 1986 I was having doubts and by 1990 I decided that the "Dont talk about THAT! THAT! would not be productive (AKA drive the agenda)" dishonesty of the left meant that I had to leave.

I have been unaffiliated ever since, though I did notice Trump mid Aug 2015 and after a close examination I decided that he had the right stuff so I signed on to the Rebellion Sep 10.

And here we sit.

 

[LincolnRossiter]

How saddening it is to see bigotry still so proudly on display.

Ha Ha. You started a half-cocked Russiabot troll thread and got called on it by several posters. The #walkaway crap is more Kremlin-influenced Trumpkin nonsense. If you love Trump, so be it. But the entire “I used to be a democrat but they were too nasty and dishonest so now I support the most boorish and dishonest president in history” shtick is just too tough a sell.

 

[holbritter]

I feel like a lot of these #WalkAway people are not being truthful. It doesn't make sense to me that someone, who claims to be a liberal, and to have held liberal beliefs, can somehow do an entire 180 on that, over the course of such a small amount of time. It doesn't make logical sense to me.

I don't like the Democratic Party, but that doesn't mean I'm going to compromise my liberal beliefs in the process.

I think it's more that these people have either already 'walked away' or were on their way to anyway.

(way too many ways!)

 

[Luckyone]

It sounds like you enjoy shouting at those you believe to be beneath you.

Imagined moral high grounds are just as unstable as the foundation that they are built on.

I received more than enough of this from the left before I left the democratic party and you are no better. Nor do your words wring any less hallow than they already do.

Seeing what he has achieved, Trump is doing better than I originally gave him credit for.

I'll gladly move out of "Hell" if that were the case, but I'll be damned if I am going to take the command to do so. From someone who sounds as if they would eagerly beat the help, just to make them feel better about themselves.

That is my professional opinion by the way.

"Trump is doing better than what you originally gave him credit for" I guess that means that you started with an "extremely low bar" for him. Oh, I grant you that his Presidency has brought about a better economy but in everything else, he is batting "0" and being the President means that you should "try" to be a role model to our kids and that means that you must want your kids to be bullies, insulting, disrespectful, have no morals, separate kids from their mothers and fathers, and lie all the time.

Boy, what a father you must be.

By the way, I am 72 years old, served my country, was economically successful in my life but more important I am loved and respected by those who know me. I don't know about you, but becoming loved and respected is not something you get by winning the lottery but by working at being honest, respectful, loving, and principled.

I respect people that work to accomplish the same because it ain't easy. I had no father that gave me $14 million to start off my life economically and that in the process I bankrupted 6 companies and was sued 3500 times by those that worked or trusted me.

If that is the person you want your kids to be like, then as a person you are not worth anything........my opinion.

 

[Visbek]

So do you have a point, or are you here to just repeat a statistic and make believe like it reveals "why" so many people are leaving the left like they are?

My point is that the claims about "huge numbers" of Democrats leaving the party is straight-up bull****, hyped by the far right and Russian operators for their own political ends. In turn, they ignore those who are leaving the Republican party for various reasons.

Keep in mind that I am not saying "no one is leaving." Rather, people are leaving both parties, mostly to become independent. Even in years when party affiliation grows, there are people who are leaving or switching both parties.

#Walkaway is the story shared by many former leftist, that shows why they either went to a different party all together.

How many is "many?" 5, 10, 20? There are probably 90 million people in the US that identify with the Democratic party. Let me know when 20 million people post about leaving the Democratic Party on Twitter.

And no, your own personal story is not proof of a national movement. It is merely one story.

 

[Spartacus FPV]

"Liberals" don't defend free speech? What a stupid lie.

Leftist progressives don't, they've very much into deplatforming and claiming Hate Speech isn't protected speech. "Shut them down!"

If you think that a lie, you don't know me and you haven't been paying attention at all politically.

 

[ultmd]

So do you have a point, or are you here to just repeat a statistic and make believe like it reveals "why" so many people are leaving the left like they are?

If not, then its obvious why you showed up and screeched "Russian bot" or some other inane tag.
If you can't add actual weight to anything, you are even mirthless than dead weight at this point.

#Walkaway is the story shared by many former leftist, that shows why they either went to a different party all together.
I have seen plenty of horrible things perpetrated by the left and only a slim fraction of things that I can claim to be from Trump's own party.

It's saddening to see how much of my life was wasted on such a corrupt part and how blind I was to see it.
My story was just that, a story about my trip from the left, to the right. You can try and deal with the issue by screaming Russianbot and slamming your head against the keyboard, but it isn't going to change the reality of the issue.

The democratic party is a sad, sick, shadow of itself.

Gee, play dumb much?

Of course, you know that the FACTS show there is no movement away from the Democratic Party by the public. The FACTS actually show a movement TOWARD affiliation with the Democratic Party.

The FACTS also show that the entire #walkaway "movement" is just another in a long series of Russian-inspired bot memes. There is no movement among liberals and self-identified Democrats AWAY from the Democratic Party. Period.

To argue otherwise is to be either dishonest, or a willing member in Putin's Band of "Useful Idiots" within the once-Grand Old Party of this country.

 

[Luckyone]

My walkaway story is the following:

When I was young and inexperienced and money oriented since I had a family to feed, a mortgage to pay, and plenty of confidence in my abilities, I was a Republican. At the time, I believed in Capitalism and that the ones that worked the hardest and were the best should be the ones to reap the profits.

I was also selfish as I thought of nothing else and on no one else but accomplishing my goals and those of my family. In addition, since I got no help from anyone growing up I did not think of giving help to anyone either.

In addition, I was married to a woman that was not social and did not have a big family and had very few friends (1 to be exact). As such, my contact with other people other than outside my work was extremely limited. This went on for a total of 24 years but during th is time (about halfway through), I began to realize that my wife did not love me at all, in fact had never truly loved me as she had married me mostly for my talent to make money and maintain her and when that temporarily stopped about halfway through the marriage due to an error I made that made us go broke temporarily, she became abusive and debasing. At that time and because of my emotional unhappiness, I began to lose interest in making money and began looking for love, appreciation, and companionship, which I had not been able to find during my marriage. I began to realize that money could not buy love, caring, or appreciation but I realized that it was important to me.

At that time, I started to wean myself from the Republican Party and the greed that it represented given that money was no longer my drive.

I finally got divorced and met the woman of my dreams. Loving, caring, and appreciative to the nth degree. She was social to the max and had so many friends that we were always at someone's home for dinner or just to talk, about 3 times a week. In talking to all these people in the comfort of a home and talking honestly, I began to realize that I liked these people and felt comfortable with them and that they were not mostly driven by money but by emotions. I suddenly felt at home in the warmth of sharing that had little to do with money.

I began to get involved with each and every person and whether I was able to help or not, the feeling of sharing was overwhelmingly beautiful.

At that moment, I began to depart from the Republican Party and its capitalistic views and feel more comfortable with the Democratic Party and the feeling of sharing that is found there. Nonetheless, knowing that nothing is perfect in life, I became an independent with the knowledge that neither party is perfect and that sometimes one needs to lean one way or the other depending on the issue.

That is my story.