Reflecting on Insurgent's thread where he blames the Electoral college for the Democrats losing, I think the Democrats have lost because they have moved to the left of the mainstream.

What issue changed your from being a Democrat? for me it was the abandonment of their labor base. Now union leaders support giving illegal immigrants amnesty even if it would put their own union out of work. It is clear that the Far Left has taken over many unions, luckily some union leaders saw the light in 2004 and refused to support Kerry.

The Democrats need to return to the center if they want to start winning the presidency. Even Clinton couldn't get the majority of the US to vote for him.

I was a Republican as far back as I can recall.  Specifically, when I was in 3rd grade at Grand Ave Elementary, during the Nixon/McGovern race, I and a bunch of pro-Nixon 3rd graders beat-up the pro-McGovern kids.

When I was in high school, I got my parents to switch to the Republican Party and vote for Reagan rather than Carter.

I haven't had that kind of luck with other family members, but I think I've finally got the wife to join the fight for America and vote Republican!!

I was once registered as a Democrat when I first voted at age 18.

A couple years later I reread the Fountainhead and Atlas shrugged and have been objectivist/libertarian ever since.  The republicans are as close as I can get to the type of leadership that would agree with me, especially on some of my more important issues.   And they still piss me off to no end.  

Graduated from college, got a job, opened up my first paycheck and I said, "Who's FICA and why is he taking all my money."  Ever since then lower taxes, not paying for welfare, and supply side made sense.

I would restrict the power of political parties if I could. They're only good for collecting money and tearing the country apart, IMHO. Candidates for political office should just have to fill out questionaire showing where they stand on each issue, and have it posted at the election site. Maybe we can have a blank space at the bottom to make any statements.

But honestly, I've been a registered democrat for the whole 10 years I've been of voting age. But when I renew my driver's liscense, which will be soon, I'm going to change to independent. Some of the Democrat's core issues I just can't support, and they seem to be swinging too far left, even for me. I agree with the Republicans on a number of issues, but their stance on others means I can never support their party, even if I'm willing to support one of their candidates. The Libertarians have became closer to my views since they changed their stance on immigration, so who knows, next election I'll be voting for a candidate, not a party.

Ah, FICA. I would be happy if Social Security was ended, but apparently old people vote, and even elderly anti-tax Republicans enjoy cashing their monthly checks from the government alongside their elderly Democrat enemies.

I was a life-long registered Republican and still am so right-wing that I make Ronald Reagan (God rest his soul) look like a commie.

BUT, I am now retired from Law Enforcement and own a Private Investigation agency with a large state government contract.

When our current governor (D) got elected, all contractors with an (R) next to their name instead of a (D) suddenly got their contracts cancelled and they got replaced by agencies headed up by (D)'s.

I will, unfortunately, be a registered democrat until this bozo's term expires.

Oddly enough, I have always been a Republican because of their stalwart stance in support of national defense. However, way back when I was pro-choice, pro-gun-control, pro-high-taxes, pro-single-payer-healthcare (i.e. socialism), and pro-big-government.

Little by little, and with the help of folks like Rush Limbaugh and Newt Gingrich, I realized the error of my ways.

Quoted: Ah, FICA. I would be happy if Social Security was ended, but apparently old people vote, and even elderly anti-tax Republicans enjoy cashing their monthly checks from the government alongside their elderly Democrat enemies.

And that really is the problem with SS.   People who vote, have already bought in, and aren't willing to see "their" money dissapear; so they keep voting to keep it, which perpetuates the problem.  

Of course, those of us who are just starting out, or only paid into SS for  a short time, would like to give it up, but who would pay for those in retirement age, who already paid for the generation before them?   Shitty circle.

forgot to add: I never have considered my self stupid enought to be a democrat.

For teh hot wimminz!

I would have considered myself a democrat until I was about 16 or so. Then I got a taste of what the real world was like and began making up my own mind.

I register to vote as Dem when I was a junior in college in the early 1970s, I changed to a Republican when I started working. Back then the voting age was 21. When I was college, I didn't take voting so seriously because it didn't really affect me all that much, back then I was rather naive about the real world.

Chicks are hotter over here?  

I am actually registering as a Democrat next year just so I can vote against Hilary in 2008 twice!

I switched because the Democrats do not represent anything I believe in.
I think they are communist.

Bilster

I never considered myself a Democrat, in fact because of my father I would usually vote Republican, but I used to think pretty liberally in a more "idealistic" phase of my life.  I'm only 25 now, but I changed over to a hardcore conservative in a matter of months- mostly a result of the influence from this site, as well as the fact that when I graduated college, I was promptly delivered a hefty dose of the real world.

I quit smoking weed and grew up.

I grew up. Edit:  . . . and quit smoking weed.