Are you interested in joining a political party?

Have you ever considered joining a political party? If so, which ones have you thought about, and what conclusions have you come to?

This thread's purpose is to delve into the mindset of your own personal opinion on what matters to you the most and how your approach towards the political system has evolved over time.

The goal is to express as much as you can -with no arguments with other posters - how you've come to contemplate the political world and opportunities you've examined or witnessed.

Please share your own stories and put a little historical spin if you can.

For example, I'll start out.

I was first interested in as a young child in supporting any female candidate running for office - no matter what the political leanings were. When I was 10 the first female mayor of my city was just elected, and my school ran a mock election alongside the real vote - so us kids got to practice voting for our first time.

Since that time, I have changed my personal view on how I do vote.

I went to a panel discussion with the same Conservative city Mayor a couple years ago, as she was running for a Federal seat in Parliament (MP) here in Canada - and I joined in the shame chant that erupted in the crowd when she answered a question about her views in regards to gay marriage. Needless to say, she lost the seat by a landslide - and that was the by-election where Elizabeth May (the Green Party Leader) won the most votes anyone had ever had in an election.

Back to the history.

I remember having "Rae Days" as a child when the New Democratic Party was led by Bob Rae here in Ontario, and the political heat from the opposition. From 1943 to 1985 (42 years straight) the Conservative Party governed Ontario, and it was because of Rae's support that the Liberal Party was able to form a government with NDP support.

My parents became supporters of the Liberal Party throughout the 90's, as dad was in public service and mom was a teacher. I went to union meetings with my dad who was faced with Premier Mike Harris' Conservatives cut-backs and slashes to public funding. And I walked alongside my mother in the picket-lines when teachers went on strike for 2-weeks when Harris pushed to roll back their collective bargaining rights. 2.1 million kids were off school, and I started thinking really hard about governments, jobs, and what everyone was talking about at school and at home.

In the meantime, I became fairly involved in my hometown community and it's fair to say that in Canada you can meet and talk with politicians very easily. They're very accessible in Canada, so I was always developing my general sense of politics as I aged.

But the turning point came when I was officially the age to vote and began taking politics-related classes in school and then in university.

I've thought about joining the Green Party, as their platform aligns the most with my take on what is expected in policy - but I have doubts that a Deep Ecological perspective will be sufficiently mainstream to garnish any real political viability and influence.

I'd consider the NDP party and being a member, but I find the move to be somewhat limiting.

 

I have, and am, I am a registered Republican.

Wait what?

Yes it's true

So the next question, how the fuck can you be a Republican.

Well I can agree with Republicans more on economics, but then there's the wide range of social issues among other things where it comes to a head. But there is like .09% left of the Republican party that isn't guns and god, who are liberal in the sense of actual small government. Take gay marriage for example, it shouldn't be that there should be a law allowing gay people to marry, it's the government should have no laws deciding on how 2 consenting adults decide to form a union, gay or straight. And divorce should be on demand!

I can vote in the primaries, and at least let my insignificant voice be heard, "hey, republicans, stop electing religious douchebags, where the fuck is Goldwater"

Then I get trampled by the guns and god crowd.

I'd join the libertarian party, but honestly I think at the national level they're douchebags too with no ability to to look at the current situation in any pragmatic way.

 

I'm a registered Democrat, but that doesn't mean I agree with all their platforms. They just align more with where I stand.

I first voted for Al Gore in 1999 because he was more in favor of environmental protection and he seemed more intelligent and logical.

Then the war was started and that was a huge turnoff.

In 2003 I watched many of the televised debates and went to one of Howard Dean's rallies when he was still in the lead before his famous scream. I eventually voted for Kerry and was suprised that he actually lost. How could his service in Vietnam be turned into a negative by the swiftboaters? I didn't really understand how people could support the war either.

In 2008 I supported Hillary and then Obama and went to one of Biden's rallies.

I also voted in 2008 for Chris Gregoire Washington State's governor and think she's doing a great job.

BTW, In Washington State you are required to choose a party in order to vote. There's no middle ground.

 

I used to vote for the Liberals, and once for the Reform Party to help split the conservitive vote, and once for the Green Party to try and get weed legalized.

None of them are my party and I never would join a party. All parties are against my best interest to some extent, and that is why I have decided to not vote anymore.

I have met a few politicions from my area, and while most of them I can get along with, even if I don't buy the shit they try and sell to the masses, because in my mind they are just in a popularity contest to get a job to screw everyone one but their friends.

When I was 17, the prime minister at the time drove out of an airport I was at, waving to alll the people present (all of 7 air cadets), 6 waved back at him and when my friends asked 'why didn't you wave at him', I replied "I would rather shoot him then wave to him, if I wave he might think that I like him."

 

No Ma'am.

 

Aristartle is a woman not a man.
So "ma'am" not "sir".
I was simultaneously correcting you and answering the question, sir.

 

I'm registered green more so for the underlying philosophy than anything the talking heads are saying. I get crap from my stepdad because he thinks he could have gotten me a job with the CDC if I had only registered Democrat like him.
Cha, okay, whatever. Good reason.

 

I would if there was a party that was a WORKERS party.One that had the numbers,strength and lobbying power of the existing parties.A party that ,among the issues they would address, would be one seeing that american companies that operate over seas would be taxed so high that it would no longer be profitable to operate without returning to these shores,bringing jobs back here.A party that would fascillitate the forming of more unions throughout the country.(if you don't know why unions are good and necessary--you haven't studied the history of them)A party of workers that could influence the legislators more than the rich presently do.A party whose main goal would be to raise the standard of living for all workers and be able to get environmental and safety laws passed from a position of power by dint of sheer numbers and ethical stances on issues.A party that would not stand for people getting a measly wage per hour while CEOs and others rip off millions and millions of dollars. A party that would stress that the middle class buys most everything and the larger and stronger they are ,the healthier this country would be. And a party of ethics that would have so much influence that the bullshit that comes about as elections get close,especially from the right, could be made plain to those that usually get fooled by it. A party that could philisophically understand the concept of altruism and empathy regarding medical coverage,and education for all ,could only help this country be healthier ,smarter and happier.These are a few of the issues for me.

 

sounds like you would benefit from finding out more about the Workers Revolutionary Party... the only thing is that they are very small, but they are trying to expand... if more people got involved, they might actually have some clout... they are international so there should be reps in USA i would think...

 

I see a problem with including the word 'revolutionary' in the party's name.I think that word freaks a lot of people out --especially the working folks that should vote democrat but continue to vote republican ,in spite of what the repubs represent, which is not working people.

 

i can see your point... their old style 70's england roots image needs a brush up... i'll suggest that :cheers2:

 

Democrat, but I have and, I'm sure will again vote Green

 

I am not and never will be registered to any party.

I don't like the dems because they want to increase the governments control over us via social programs and too much regulation on businesses which I believe the average citizens ultimately pay for...

I don't like the republicans because they want to increase the governments control over us via moral regulations...

I am not totally convinced that the Libertarians ideas of isolationism is the best policy either... They can't seem to get their act together anyway...

I just want the gov out of our lives as much as possable. I feel that governments naturally corrupt over time, and don't trust them.