Many people often ask me why I went from being a Democrat to being a Republican. I think its an important question to answer, especially in light of what is happening to our country today.
When I was growing up, Republican was a dirty word. Its not that my parents were bleeding hearts; they were Democrats who believed the notion of taking care of your fellow man. I grew up in a conservative community in Texas and came of age when Bill Clinton was President. I thought Clinton was a great President (and I still do); the economy was going full throttle and the future was bright. I was outspoken about my liberal values in my high school classes. So outspoken was I that I was voted Most Liberal in my high school’s senior poll. I even graduated from one of the most liberal schools in the United States: Smith College.
After I graduated college, I banned Fox News in my home, preferring to listen to the 24 hour liberal news channel, MSNBC. I thought Rachel Maddow and Keith Olbermann were brilliant, and I looked forward to Hardball with Chris Matthews. I enjoyed political discussions with my liberal friends where we would all take shots at Republicans. I believed that there was a vast right wing conspiracy.
In 2008 I supported Hillary Clinton’s bid for the Presidency. As a women’s college graduate, I was ecstatic at the idea of a female President, and I had always been a great admirer of Mrs. Clinton’s. I was shocked when she lost the nomination to little known Barack Obama. I did not understand the hype surrounding Obama and I thought he was woefully inexperienced. Because I was wary of Obama, I voted for John McCain in 2008. I thought he was an experienced, stand up man, even though he was a Republican. I knew, however, that Obama was going to win the Presidency in 2008. After George W. Bush’s unpopular Presidency, I knew that even if the Democrats ran a dog as their candidate it would win.
During President Obama’s first term, I bought into the Democratic narrative that everything happening in our country was President Bush’s fault. I thought that Obama was doing a pretty decent job as President. When I was in high school, I had the opportunity to meet President Bush when he was the Governor of Texas. He was a very nice and sincere man. I very much liked him as a person, but thought he was a terrible President.
Fast forward to 2012. I still was not crazy about President Obama, but I liked him better than I liked Mitt Romney. I did not yet see the destructive path President Obama’s policies were creating. Instead, I voted on issues that should not have been as important at the time.
Early into President Obama’s second term, I realized what a huge mistake I made by not only voting for him, but by also buying into the Democratic rhetoric that chastised Republicans for being the out of touch party of the rich. I started to see that the freedoms our forefathers fought for were being eroded. I saw government growing at an unstoppable rate. I was sickened by Obamacare and the fact that the IRS would be getting more money and more power to enforce this disastrous law. I saw that race baiting was getting out of control. I saw that progressive policies were championing laziness instead of work ethic. I saw that the only concern of the Democratic party was to gain control over we the people.
I started to read about the Tea Party and I realized that its platform was very similar to what I now believed: fiscal conservatism and limited government. I started to read the National Review and watch *gasp* Fox News. Both made a lot of sense to me. I started to realize that MSNBC was nothing more than a shill for the progressive arm of the Democratic party. I started to realize that I mostly agreed with Senators like Rand Paul, Ted Cruz and Mike Lee. Finally I realized that I was doing really well under President Bush and that many of the economic problems our country faced under his Presidency were not entirely his doing.
I am glad to have finally seen the light and I am proud to call myself a Republican. I know that there are more people out there like me. I am happy to help Republican candidates get elected so that we can stop the progressive train wreck before it runs over our country.
PolitiSphere 
Loved the read. Thanks for the honesty. Hard for people to say, “yeah I was wrong, now I’ve changed.”
Wondering if youth are more likely to be dems due to liberal input from public education and the NEA influence. Then as we grow up and see how the world really works, we begin to re-evaluate. Just a hypothesis.
Keep fighting. Keep writing. Some of us do care.
Well it’s good that you’ve come to your senses. As a youngster, I, too, was leaning democratically. But once I started looking at the issues instead of the party, I was able to see things in a better light.
Politics is a nasty profession. After all, you might be able to appease half the people at a time.
For me, it’s better to see the actions instead of the words they say because they all lie at one time or another.
This particular leadership is the worst I’ve seen and I hate the direction of Socialism and lost of Freedom it’s perpetuating.
I hope we can limit the damage by voting for someone who loves America.
Guy
The numbers will only get worse. More feel entitled to do less and expect more. Less accountability and responsibility for one’s own success or failure.
What’s great about this is that you have an open mind and you are willing to challenge long-held beliefs. Keep it up!