Me? … a Closet Democrat?

It all started when I began watching “the other side” give their speeches. Then I started dialoguing with co-workers about their political party favorites. And then, well, then I was so moved by one of the candidates speeches that I went to his website, joined his listserv and found out when and where my local caucus will be. They didn’t care that I was from an opposing party; they welcomed me in with open arms.

But I wasn’t ready for anyone to find out yet about what I’m really thinking, or how I’m planning on voting, so I opened up a separate e-mail account for just my political correspondence. My husband was deployed so I tried to keep this on the “DL” (“down low”) as much as possible.

I justified my actions, thinking, “well, my husband opened up several e-mail accounts-one for each fantasy football team he had going on. I supposed I am also entitled to my “sports.””

He’s still gone so this article will be the first time he knows of my bombshell. I think I might be a closet Democrat. GASP. Well, at least unsure as to where I stand anymore. Shocking for friends and family reading this, I know. I’m still in shock too. I’m too young to be crossing party lines. I ask myself, “is it some type of quarter-life crisis I’m going through?”

Perhaps, it could be. But I don’t think so. I think it’s more than that. I think that just like so many in my grandparents’ day switched from the left to the right, that now it’s time for the pendulum to swing back again-and many are moving back from the right to the left, back to what the parties originally stood for, and not all the moral issues that got mixed into the equation.

It’s a complicated thing the economy is. How do we really know which direction the dollar should go? I still have very strong Republican values. As a state employee, it angers me to see not only citizens abusing our state funds and programs, but other state employees when they don’t work in full integrity.

I think everyone should work their hardest, and with what they are given, they should give back to the communities. I think that if more people were more charitable (myself included) then we wouldn’t have as great of need for taxes and programs. Just think if churches were more involved in the communities than in their own church functions. I know of one church like that, maybe a couple, but not very many. Most are concerned with their own ministries and outreaches, and very few truly help those who are outside their denominational walls. Those that do are sorely under budgeted.