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MountCleaners

(1,148 posts)
105. My grandparents were in the Steelworkers' Union
Sat Nov 3, 2018, 06:54 PM
Nov 2018

Everyone in my family was a Democrat when I was a kid. My parents campaigned for Carter and my mom met Carter at a Democratic function hosted by my cousin. My cousin worked for a Democrat congressman and was a convention delegate. My mom named me after Lyndon Johnson, even though they hated the Vietnam War. They liked everything else about him.

I thought the Republicans were the party of the rich, and no one's parents in my neighborhood or school voted Republican. I knew NO Republicans. Also as kids we thought that the Republicans were all like Nixon - people used to say that they were all crooks except for Ford. I went to a left-wing Catholic school and didn't know much about politics except that the Democrats were pro-union and I admired Martin Luther King and the American Indian Movement.

I thought maybe Reagan wouldn't be so bad, but then the race baiting started and I realized that the people were supporting Reagan because they were racists. Also I didn't like his stance versus the Soviet Union. So I hated him not long into his presidency. I hated the demonization of welfare recipients. I grew up Catholic, but the abortion and GLBT stuff didn't make sense to me. I also thought that all of the flag-waving stuff was corny. I considered becoming a communist just because Reagan and his supporters hated it so much.

By the time I graduated high school, I was pretty into the left and activism. I got involved in the Democratic Party and campaigned for Jesse Jackson.

I was about 24. SharonAnn Nov 2018 #1
When I heard rzemanfl Nov 2018 #3
Hahahahaha MatthewG. Nov 2018 #6
I was 18. The year was 1964. FuzzyRabbit Nov 2018 #2
Yeah, they get more putrid every year. MatthewG. Nov 2018 #12
I was way to young to vote onethatcares Nov 2018 #18
Strange trip indeed! Certainly, you picked the moral side. MatthewG. Nov 2018 #38
I think it started when I onethatcares Nov 2018 #53
Same here. My dad encouraged my to vote Republican because they were the procon Nov 2018 #54
You made the right choice! :) MatthewG. Nov 2018 #95
I was 4. The year was 1964. lagomorph777 Nov 2018 #93
I was in elementary school. In the SF Bay Area. When AIDS was really new and scary. RockRaven Nov 2018 #4
You had a good eye when young. MatthewG. Nov 2018 #13
1995, The Office of Technology Assessment sfwriter Nov 2018 #5
That's a good one I missed. Thanks for telling me about it. MatthewG. Nov 2018 #15
Wow Proud Liberal Dem Nov 2018 #21
I think it was when I read Al Franken's book, Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot. Crunchy Frog Nov 2018 #7
I remember enjoying that. MatthewG. Nov 2018 #16
Despite its comedic format, it had a lot of information that was new to me. Crunchy Frog Nov 2018 #24
That was one of the first real political tomes I indulged in Proud Liberal Dem Nov 2018 #22
Suspected it during Reagan years, confirmed by Gingrich Congress Raven123 Nov 2018 #8
Gingrich Congress was a big jump the shark moment for many. MatthewG. Nov 2018 #19
I still have my bumper sticker. Delmette2.0 Nov 2018 #33
I voted for Reagan the first time LibinMo Nov 2018 #127
When William Loeb found Jesus. Mopar151 Nov 2018 #9
One thing I can say about the cult... MatthewG. Nov 2018 #23
Are you this guy? :) sharedvalues Nov 2018 #84
LOL MatthewG. Nov 2018 #94
While I have always been liberal, while in my early 20's I listened to Rush Limbaugh. wcast Nov 2018 #10
Rush's phoniness was well known in GOP circles. MatthewG. Nov 2018 #27
As Krugman wisely said sharedvalues Nov 2018 #85
Under Reagan, when I was in my 20s Chemisse Nov 2018 #11
I was pretty young at the time, but.... MatthewG. Nov 2018 #31
I had the impression all along that he was quite popular, Chemisse Nov 2018 #71
Iran Contra mnmoderatedem Nov 2018 #73
since Goldwater lanlady Nov 2018 #14
He changed bigly in the 1990's Proud Liberal Dem Nov 2018 #26
Yeah, I remember when he finally got fed up... MatthewG. Nov 2018 #36
Exactly the same for me! lagomorph777 Nov 2018 #96
You mean the Republican Party? The Nixon era revealed Hortensis Nov 2018 #17
Good point... MatthewG. Nov 2018 #37
Umhm. The purging of conservative ideology from the Hortensis Nov 2018 #48
I never thought otherwise Proud Liberal Dem Nov 2018 #20
You caught on early! MatthewG. Nov 2018 #97
I think its a mistake to call it a scam Mosby Nov 2018 #25
That's certainly one way to put it. MatthewG. Nov 2018 #32
Realised religion was a scam when I was 6 meadowlander Nov 2018 #28
Many aren't even religious. MatthewG. Nov 2018 #119
1992. I was in the Army underpants Nov 2018 #29
Must have been a shock! Glad you saw the truth. MatthewG. Nov 2018 #120
I was brought up knowing that. northoftheborder Nov 2018 #30
You had a great dad! MatthewG. Nov 2018 #34
Always was against the conservatives but I think firing of air traffic MaryMagdaline Nov 2018 #35
I voted for the first time in 1972. Everyone I knew thought like I did but walkingman Nov 2018 #39
Yep, the 1972 Nixon landslide, and lkinwi Nov 2018 #82
Interesting summary. MatthewG. Nov 2018 #121
Was raised catholic and really believed in the catholic teachings on social justice rurallib Nov 2018 #40
Sounds like your upbringing helped you be a better and more perceptive person! MatthewG. Nov 2018 #43
And the priestly molestation made me very skeptical and untrusting rurallib Nov 2018 #45
I am so sorry to hear. MatthewG. Nov 2018 #49
age 46. ten years ago. Kurt V. Nov 2018 #41
Good Story! MatthewG. Nov 2018 #42
January 20, 1981 scheming daemons Nov 2018 #44
1980, i was 11, in 6th grade. 0rganism Nov 2018 #46
You had a good eye when you were young! MatthewG. Nov 2018 #50
My Parents violetpastille Nov 2018 #47
Your parents raised you well! MatthewG. Nov 2018 #51
Oh I should edit that to say, "bad" example. violetpastille Nov 2018 #59
Well, at least you learned the right lessons from their politics. MatthewG. Nov 2018 #60
Excellent parenting! Mine were Eisenhower Republicans... VOX Nov 2018 #113
I was too young to vote but it was as soon as I saw 2naSalit Nov 2018 #52
As soon as.. mvd Nov 2018 #55
You caught on early! MatthewG. Nov 2018 #98
My parents being Democrats really helped mvd Nov 2018 #137
I always knew too - OhZone Nov 2018 #56
I never really thought otherwise quaker bill Nov 2018 #57
I've always known. maxsolomon Nov 2018 #58
After Eisenhower colsohlibgal Nov 2018 #61
When Reagan was elected Generic Brad Nov 2018 #62
GWB Wawannabe Nov 2018 #63
High School -- mid 1960s TruckFump Nov 2018 #64
I was in the cradle, I believe .... kwassa Nov 2018 #65
I dated a Republican in 1989 ocd liberal Nov 2018 #66
2000 When Bush was "elected" by the Supreme Court Separation Nov 2018 #67
When I learned to think. rickford66 Nov 2018 #68
Good answer! MatthewG. Nov 2018 #69
+1 ck4829 Nov 2018 #75
From the moment I was first exposed to it at 19 years old ecstatic Nov 2018 #70
Bush Jr JonLP24 Nov 2018 #72
When I saw all the holier-than-thou hypocrites ck4829 Nov 2018 #74
In the 60s The Blue Flower Nov 2018 #76
figure out that American Conservatism was a scam? stonecutter357 Nov 2018 #77
Sophomore year in college. a la izquierda Nov 2018 #78
George W Bush... Mike Nelson Nov 2018 #79
Rotten Ronnie and the balanced budget Hermit-The-Prog Nov 2018 #80
When The Southern Racist Democrats Became Republicans. . . ProfessorGAC Nov 2018 #81
1979 when reagan's voodoo ekonomikkks came out. + i was not of voting age. pansypoo53219 Nov 2018 #83
That was probably the beginning of the end for serious conservatism MatthewG. Nov 2018 #91
Seeing smarmy Wm F Buckley on TV C_U_L8R Nov 2018 #86
Ironically, probably a moderate by today's standards MatthewG. Nov 2018 #90
True. And much smarter than today's Republican. C_U_L8R Nov 2018 #92
Is there a legitimate alternative political point of view to liberalism? elocs Nov 2018 #87
That's a good question. MatthewG. Nov 2018 #88
ronald. reagan. spanone Nov 2018 #89
**** Thirteen years old!!!!**** To this day I ask why the rich would care about middle class uponit7771 Nov 2018 #99
You caught on early! MatthewG. Nov 2018 #100
'68 ... Nixon was elected saying he had a secret plan to end the war and RHMerriman Nov 2018 #101
Awesome! Took me to age 15, I'm a slow plugger. VOX Nov 2018 #112
Reagan. old guy Nov 2018 #102
1980 and the election of Ronald Reagan with it's voodoo economics. nt madinmaryland Nov 2018 #103
was about 5 or 6 years old and Reagan was President JI7 Nov 2018 #104
My grandparents were in the Steelworkers' Union MountCleaners Nov 2018 #105
I can't recall a time thinking otherwise. Solly Mack Nov 2018 #106
Good call! MatthewG. Nov 2018 #109
Clinton's impeachment trial. Initech Nov 2018 #107
That was the era where any sentient moderate should have realized the GOP jumped the shark. MatthewG. Nov 2018 #108
Fall, 1964. I was 15. A high-school buddy talked me into going to a Goldwater rally in L.A. VOX Nov 2018 #110
You got inoculated early! Glad you took the right message from the experience. MatthewG. Nov 2018 #114
decades ago. conservatives claim to want smaller gov, gov out our lives unless it suits them Demovictory9 Nov 2018 #111
Runny RayGun and the PATCO strikers. lpbk2713 Nov 2018 #115
I grew up knowing that. murielm99 Nov 2018 #116
"Conservatism" is THE scam! They are RIGHT WING CORPORATE RADICALS. Piss On Them! LBM20 Nov 2018 #117
It was a congenital thing with me. Hugin Nov 2018 #118
Summer of 1968 DFW Nov 2018 #122
When I heard North Dakota farmers Wolf Frankula Nov 2018 #123
During the Goldwater campaign. MineralMan Nov 2018 #124
1980 LeftInTX Nov 2018 #125
Reaganomics! liberal N proud Nov 2018 #126
not sure if i ever thought them as scammers when i was younger.. just icky! samnsara Nov 2018 #128
My dad was a lifelong Republican who flipped his shit when Clinton won Downtown Hound Nov 2018 #129
Yeah, I think Limbaugh did more to destroy American politics than any other living person. MatthewG. Nov 2018 #135
Goldwater and Nixon sealed the deal jpak Nov 2018 #130
9/12/01 Glamrock Nov 2018 #131
Early 60's because of John Birch Society. retread Nov 2018 #132
No later than 1968. love_katz Nov 2018 #133
Seems like that was a seminal year for many here. Thanks for your story! MatthewG. Nov 2018 #134
Baptist church as a kid. joshcryer Nov 2018 #136
My family were/ are dems Meowmee Nov 2018 #138
When I was a teen Jamaal510 Nov 2018 #139
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