Since calamity befell the elites in 2016, I have been pushed right considerably. My disdain for the upscale voters of whom the Democratic Party now largely consists reached new levels during the pandemic.
I was a consistent Left/liberal from my first vote in 1992 until about 2016.
But once the Left injected itself with the Critical Theory brain virus they became my instant enemies.
I was a Lit major at a private liberal arts college in the 80s so I got to witness the birth of this malignancy up close, and if you had told me back then that the postmodern Crit Theory cult—dreary dogmatic conformists who were mostly miserable rich kids babbling about "power" and "oppression", who tried to convince me that I only loved Tolstoy and Homer because I'd been brainwashed by unseen hegemonic structures, essentially Puritans posing as Bolsheviks—would one day rule our entire culture, I would have died from the shock.
The Crit Theory/Soc Justice project is a full-on scorched-earth project against freedom of thought and expression, against the imagination and esthetic values, against the integrity of art and culture, against all free and joyful interaction.
I will vote for whoever promises to punch them on the nose (metaphorically).
Normie "blue team" Democrat all of life until post-Trump bc Democratic = free speech, social liberalism (gay marriage, etc.). The usual stuff. Then two things happened post-Trump. 1. The political bias in my beloved media (NYTimes, Atlantic, WaPo) suddenly became blazingly apparent in any number of stories--lab leak suddenly ok to talk about; Hunter Biden laptop; Trump border policy left in place; Trump approach to China and NATO revealed to be correct/wise; Betsy Devos Title IX restoration of due process obviously correct in free, liberal society; etc. 2. Got Woke to Wokeism, ideological purity tests and capture of entire sectors and institutions from education (no longer just higher ed) to journalism to medicine to law. Plenty of overlap bw the two--the ideological messaging out of NYTimes just insufferable. Every article the same message. I began to understand that I could no longer lazily receive and trust and embody the messaging coming out of...where, exactly? Exactly the point. Suddenly the aphorism about Freedom = Responsibility and the proverbial "informed electorate" making a lot more sense. I believe this is called being Red Pilled? Now the ongoing project is to back myself out of anti-Woke radicalization. I.e., the political project is to avoid message purity of any kind. The project is to constantly interrogate beliefs, to challenge myself with perspectives that I reject, to do my best to settle on principles, to practice those principles, and, most importantly, to always understand that I could be entirely wrong. This is challenging work!
At 62 years old I would say that my political views have remained fairly consistent though the Democratic Party, which I identified with for years, no longer represents my views. I would consider myself an old school leftist who is anti-war and pro-working class. The Democrats have abandoned both of those issues. They are now rabidly pro-war (which is unforgivable) and they treat the working class with distain. My dissatisfaction with the Democrats started during the Clinton administration. After Clinton, I largely voted third party in Presidential elections and Democrat in state/local elections (though I did vote for Obama the first time). When they essentially stole the election from Sanders in 2016 I was done with them and changed my affiliation to Independent. There was no way I was supporting the warmonger/war criminal Clinton but couldn't bring myself to vote for Trump. Her "basket of deplorables" comment was also unnecessarily divisive but laid bare the Democrats views regarding anyone who doesn't agree with them.
CRT and the disastrous COVID policies of the Democrats have sealed my fate with them. While I won't necessarily vote Republican, I'm done voting for Democrats. Their COVID policies, especially shutting down schools, have had a disproportionately negative impact on the poor and minorities - people they claim to support. Their vaccine mandates make a mockery of "my body, my choice". Their intolerance of anyone who doesn't toe the line of their identity politics and CRT, including their support of censorship, is absolutely against my views.
The Republicans aren't much better. Both parties are corrupt and beholden to big business and the military industrial complex, as well as big pharma. That said, I would vote for DeSantis if he runs in 2024 if only because of his sensible approach to COVID.
i'm on the right, but not hyperpartisan. if the neocons took over the party and threatened war i would consider voting D. but with the D's are now, no way
I was a reliable Democrat voter every four years. Now I'm an independent who votes every two. In my upcoming state election I am not voting for either candidate for Governor, but will vote down ballot. The next presidential election will be the first that I don't vote for a Democrat and do vote for a Republican, unless Democrats commit to a liberal society that values free speech and debate.
I voted Hilary in 2016, the riots and BLM shit push me over the edge. Voted trump in 2020. I don't like being implicated as evil for being a straight white male, nor do i want my son to miss one single opportunity because of it.
I'm still a liberal, but I'm considerably fed up with the Democrats. I was far more on board with them in the past and basically ran with the "Republicans are just too ignorant to know any better" line. I've become more conservative on immigration and law and order, and I've gotten pretty fed up with everything queer (I say as a woman in a committed same-sex relationship).
I voted for a Republican for the first time in 2020, for a state representative. 2014-me would be aghast, but honestly if someone like Romney ran for 2024 I might actually vote for him over several of the likely-looking Dem candidates.
I didn’t take politics seriously unti I retired in 2006. As I grew up in left leaning extended Jewish family in arguably the poorest part of Brooklyn, my default unthinking vote was Democrat.
Since retiring, I have focused my study time on Climate Change and Race. Climate because I am trained in the underlying science and Race because I discovered Thomas Sowell. I have been doing this for 16 years.
My politics now are right of center. Given what we have seen during the last 10 years, I will not even consider voting Democrat.
Jul 15, 2022·edited Jul 15, 2022Liked by Leighton Woodhouse
Lifelong Dem (I'm 65 yo), voting straight blue on the ticket. But in May/June of 2020 I left the party (now officially "No Party Preference"). Can't imagine voting for Dems any longer, at least not until they give up on fear mongering, child abuse, climate hysteria, authoritarianism, and CRT/wokeism.
I am a liberal who has recently become alienated by the myriad excesses of left politics. So much so that I no longer feel either party represents me.
Both parties have taken a turn against liberal principles — though of the two, the GOP’s turn is more dangerous. For this reason I will probably continue to vote Democratic in national elections as long as the GOP continues the anti-democratic turn that led to the events of January 6.
But as a California voter, I have recently taken to voting against the Democrat establishment represented by Gavin Newsom. I voted for Shellenberger for governor.
Between the two main parties the choice is between the neurotic and the delusional.
Only thing Democrats seem to create is, more and different reasons to get you fired and obnoxious nanny state horseshit.
Republicans seem inspired by the Taliban that sent us packing. Yet somehow are now less judgemental then the left (barely). To bad they chose to bite the bat head ,with this stop the steal insanity.
Been a registered Democrat for almost twenty years and the Democrats are pushing me out. Not into the Republican arms but probably to third party or write in my wife's name.
The whole thing feels like I'm eight again and my parents are getting divorced. Like then as now, you'll excuse me for I'll be in the treehouse with my magic cards because it sucks ass in the house.
Well, you had my answer before, so I'm just here to say don't be churlish about them free subscriptions! If I felt that way about mine, I'd have zero readers to be grateful for. In this universe of a gazillion voices yakking, we gotta be grateful for anyone who wants, for any reason, to hear ours.
Jul 15, 2022·edited Jul 15, 2022Liked by Leighton Woodhouse
I've always labeled myself a Democrat. 20+ yrs of living in NYC only cemented that initial path although I did vote for W in 2000 simply because I thought Gore was a pompous ass. Later I campaigned for Obama and got caught up in the fever but became disaffected and disappointed during his second term. I voted for Hillary only because I couldn't stand Trump but who knew I would then face an even more impossible vote-and I almost didn't vote-in 2020 with two idiots running for office. I unregistered myself as a Democrat last year and became in Independent after suffering a couple of THE worst years known to man dealing with a pandemic mixed with toxic ideological madness that was especially rampant in my workplace-a college campus-all on the heels of living in San Francisco from 2015-2018. The word liberal has lost ALL meaning and to call myself one any longer is futile even if I do invite and yearn for free liberal thinking conversations wherever they're still had. So I'd vote for ANY ticket this next election that doesn't make my skin crawl. Thank GOD for substacks like Bari Weiss's Common Sense, Podcasts like The Fifth Column and Conversations with Coleman and this one. Thank you for the work you're doing to bring some sanity back to the world.
Jul 15, 2022·edited Jul 15, 2022Liked by Leighton Woodhouse
I'm a fairly reliable Republican voter at this point, for the most part, by default. That hasn't changed much over the last 5-8 years, but if you go back 10-12 years, it's changed dramatically. I was a lifelong Democratic voter until circa 2010, and in 2007 was even known as the "Obama guy" around my neighborhood, as I was the first person to start knocking doors for him locally. Mostly voted Republican after being severely disillusioned by Obama's response to the financial crisis, and lack of follow-though on other campaign promises.
In either case, I've never been super-partisan, when I was a Democrat, I sometimes voted Green or other third-party, and always for the more anti-establishment candidates in the primaries, and as a Republican, again, I always favor the more anti-establishment candidates in primaries, and recently voted for Schellenberger for California Governor.
My politics is not really represented in the political system though. I would ideally like to vote for candidates that are really strong on a European-style public sector/social safety net, universal health care, free college/trade schools, great public amenities like schools, parks, transit, clean air and water, etc., but at the same time being more moderate on social issues, pro-life, anti-illegal immigration, law and order, and also more libertarian with respect to individual rights, free speech and assembly, marijuana, etc. On foreign policy I like "realism", not delusions of spreading "democracy" all over the world at great loss of blood, treasure and rights.
Most of this has not changed that much over the years, though I've become somewhat more appreciative of capitalism and traditionalism as I've acquired more experience and education. But right now, the Democrats don't really stand for that social welfare state anymore or against unnecessary foreign intervention, they're more just about woke virtue signaling, whereas the now-ascendant "Trumpist" wing of the Republican Party does actually align with me fairly closely where they should, so that's where my vote is going for the foreseeable future.
I used to believe Ds were driving 35mph down the wrong side of the highway versus Rs 100mph down the wrong side of the highway drunk. Now its more like they are both driving parallel at breakneck speed down the wrong side of the highway but the Ds are busy texting and watching content while driving and the Rs are blindfolded and praying for Jesus to drive the car for them.
Ds suck, Rs suck - its a uniparty system for the corporate system... I am open to voting for what passes for an R in my very liberal blue state but voting for R in a national election absolutely fucking not. As awful as Ds are they still are a far better pragmatic choice than a Republican corporate theocratic hellscape.
Since calamity befell the elites in 2016, I have been pushed right considerably. My disdain for the upscale voters of whom the Democratic Party now largely consists reached new levels during the pandemic.
I was a consistent Left/liberal from my first vote in 1992 until about 2016.
But once the Left injected itself with the Critical Theory brain virus they became my instant enemies.
I was a Lit major at a private liberal arts college in the 80s so I got to witness the birth of this malignancy up close, and if you had told me back then that the postmodern Crit Theory cult—dreary dogmatic conformists who were mostly miserable rich kids babbling about "power" and "oppression", who tried to convince me that I only loved Tolstoy and Homer because I'd been brainwashed by unseen hegemonic structures, essentially Puritans posing as Bolsheviks—would one day rule our entire culture, I would have died from the shock.
The Crit Theory/Soc Justice project is a full-on scorched-earth project against freedom of thought and expression, against the imagination and esthetic values, against the integrity of art and culture, against all free and joyful interaction.
I will vote for whoever promises to punch them on the nose (metaphorically).
Normie "blue team" Democrat all of life until post-Trump bc Democratic = free speech, social liberalism (gay marriage, etc.). The usual stuff. Then two things happened post-Trump. 1. The political bias in my beloved media (NYTimes, Atlantic, WaPo) suddenly became blazingly apparent in any number of stories--lab leak suddenly ok to talk about; Hunter Biden laptop; Trump border policy left in place; Trump approach to China and NATO revealed to be correct/wise; Betsy Devos Title IX restoration of due process obviously correct in free, liberal society; etc. 2. Got Woke to Wokeism, ideological purity tests and capture of entire sectors and institutions from education (no longer just higher ed) to journalism to medicine to law. Plenty of overlap bw the two--the ideological messaging out of NYTimes just insufferable. Every article the same message. I began to understand that I could no longer lazily receive and trust and embody the messaging coming out of...where, exactly? Exactly the point. Suddenly the aphorism about Freedom = Responsibility and the proverbial "informed electorate" making a lot more sense. I believe this is called being Red Pilled? Now the ongoing project is to back myself out of anti-Woke radicalization. I.e., the political project is to avoid message purity of any kind. The project is to constantly interrogate beliefs, to challenge myself with perspectives that I reject, to do my best to settle on principles, to practice those principles, and, most importantly, to always understand that I could be entirely wrong. This is challenging work!
At 62 years old I would say that my political views have remained fairly consistent though the Democratic Party, which I identified with for years, no longer represents my views. I would consider myself an old school leftist who is anti-war and pro-working class. The Democrats have abandoned both of those issues. They are now rabidly pro-war (which is unforgivable) and they treat the working class with distain. My dissatisfaction with the Democrats started during the Clinton administration. After Clinton, I largely voted third party in Presidential elections and Democrat in state/local elections (though I did vote for Obama the first time). When they essentially stole the election from Sanders in 2016 I was done with them and changed my affiliation to Independent. There was no way I was supporting the warmonger/war criminal Clinton but couldn't bring myself to vote for Trump. Her "basket of deplorables" comment was also unnecessarily divisive but laid bare the Democrats views regarding anyone who doesn't agree with them.
CRT and the disastrous COVID policies of the Democrats have sealed my fate with them. While I won't necessarily vote Republican, I'm done voting for Democrats. Their COVID policies, especially shutting down schools, have had a disproportionately negative impact on the poor and minorities - people they claim to support. Their vaccine mandates make a mockery of "my body, my choice". Their intolerance of anyone who doesn't toe the line of their identity politics and CRT, including their support of censorship, is absolutely against my views.
The Republicans aren't much better. Both parties are corrupt and beholden to big business and the military industrial complex, as well as big pharma. That said, I would vote for DeSantis if he runs in 2024 if only because of his sensible approach to COVID.
i'm on the right, but not hyperpartisan. if the neocons took over the party and threatened war i would consider voting D. but with the D's are now, no way
I was a reliable Democrat voter every four years. Now I'm an independent who votes every two. In my upcoming state election I am not voting for either candidate for Governor, but will vote down ballot. The next presidential election will be the first that I don't vote for a Democrat and do vote for a Republican, unless Democrats commit to a liberal society that values free speech and debate.
I voted Hilary in 2016, the riots and BLM shit push me over the edge. Voted trump in 2020. I don't like being implicated as evil for being a straight white male, nor do i want my son to miss one single opportunity because of it.
I'm still a liberal, but I'm considerably fed up with the Democrats. I was far more on board with them in the past and basically ran with the "Republicans are just too ignorant to know any better" line. I've become more conservative on immigration and law and order, and I've gotten pretty fed up with everything queer (I say as a woman in a committed same-sex relationship).
I voted for a Republican for the first time in 2020, for a state representative. 2014-me would be aghast, but honestly if someone like Romney ran for 2024 I might actually vote for him over several of the likely-looking Dem candidates.
I didn’t take politics seriously unti I retired in 2006. As I grew up in left leaning extended Jewish family in arguably the poorest part of Brooklyn, my default unthinking vote was Democrat.
Since retiring, I have focused my study time on Climate Change and Race. Climate because I am trained in the underlying science and Race because I discovered Thomas Sowell. I have been doing this for 16 years.
My politics now are right of center. Given what we have seen during the last 10 years, I will not even consider voting Democrat.
Lifelong Dem (I'm 65 yo), voting straight blue on the ticket. But in May/June of 2020 I left the party (now officially "No Party Preference"). Can't imagine voting for Dems any longer, at least not until they give up on fear mongering, child abuse, climate hysteria, authoritarianism, and CRT/wokeism.
I am a liberal who has recently become alienated by the myriad excesses of left politics. So much so that I no longer feel either party represents me.
Both parties have taken a turn against liberal principles — though of the two, the GOP’s turn is more dangerous. For this reason I will probably continue to vote Democratic in national elections as long as the GOP continues the anti-democratic turn that led to the events of January 6.
But as a California voter, I have recently taken to voting against the Democrat establishment represented by Gavin Newsom. I voted for Shellenberger for governor.
Between the two main parties the choice is between the neurotic and the delusional.
Only thing Democrats seem to create is, more and different reasons to get you fired and obnoxious nanny state horseshit.
Republicans seem inspired by the Taliban that sent us packing. Yet somehow are now less judgemental then the left (barely). To bad they chose to bite the bat head ,with this stop the steal insanity.
Been a registered Democrat for almost twenty years and the Democrats are pushing me out. Not into the Republican arms but probably to third party or write in my wife's name.
The whole thing feels like I'm eight again and my parents are getting divorced. Like then as now, you'll excuse me for I'll be in the treehouse with my magic cards because it sucks ass in the house.
Well, you had my answer before, so I'm just here to say don't be churlish about them free subscriptions! If I felt that way about mine, I'd have zero readers to be grateful for. In this universe of a gazillion voices yakking, we gotta be grateful for anyone who wants, for any reason, to hear ours.
I've always labeled myself a Democrat. 20+ yrs of living in NYC only cemented that initial path although I did vote for W in 2000 simply because I thought Gore was a pompous ass. Later I campaigned for Obama and got caught up in the fever but became disaffected and disappointed during his second term. I voted for Hillary only because I couldn't stand Trump but who knew I would then face an even more impossible vote-and I almost didn't vote-in 2020 with two idiots running for office. I unregistered myself as a Democrat last year and became in Independent after suffering a couple of THE worst years known to man dealing with a pandemic mixed with toxic ideological madness that was especially rampant in my workplace-a college campus-all on the heels of living in San Francisco from 2015-2018. The word liberal has lost ALL meaning and to call myself one any longer is futile even if I do invite and yearn for free liberal thinking conversations wherever they're still had. So I'd vote for ANY ticket this next election that doesn't make my skin crawl. Thank GOD for substacks like Bari Weiss's Common Sense, Podcasts like The Fifth Column and Conversations with Coleman and this one. Thank you for the work you're doing to bring some sanity back to the world.
I'm a fairly reliable Republican voter at this point, for the most part, by default. That hasn't changed much over the last 5-8 years, but if you go back 10-12 years, it's changed dramatically. I was a lifelong Democratic voter until circa 2010, and in 2007 was even known as the "Obama guy" around my neighborhood, as I was the first person to start knocking doors for him locally. Mostly voted Republican after being severely disillusioned by Obama's response to the financial crisis, and lack of follow-though on other campaign promises.
In either case, I've never been super-partisan, when I was a Democrat, I sometimes voted Green or other third-party, and always for the more anti-establishment candidates in the primaries, and as a Republican, again, I always favor the more anti-establishment candidates in primaries, and recently voted for Schellenberger for California Governor.
My politics is not really represented in the political system though. I would ideally like to vote for candidates that are really strong on a European-style public sector/social safety net, universal health care, free college/trade schools, great public amenities like schools, parks, transit, clean air and water, etc., but at the same time being more moderate on social issues, pro-life, anti-illegal immigration, law and order, and also more libertarian with respect to individual rights, free speech and assembly, marijuana, etc. On foreign policy I like "realism", not delusions of spreading "democracy" all over the world at great loss of blood, treasure and rights.
Most of this has not changed that much over the years, though I've become somewhat more appreciative of capitalism and traditionalism as I've acquired more experience and education. But right now, the Democrats don't really stand for that social welfare state anymore or against unnecessary foreign intervention, they're more just about woke virtue signaling, whereas the now-ascendant "Trumpist" wing of the Republican Party does actually align with me fairly closely where they should, so that's where my vote is going for the foreseeable future.
I used to believe Ds were driving 35mph down the wrong side of the highway versus Rs 100mph down the wrong side of the highway drunk. Now its more like they are both driving parallel at breakneck speed down the wrong side of the highway but the Ds are busy texting and watching content while driving and the Rs are blindfolded and praying for Jesus to drive the car for them.
Ds suck, Rs suck - its a uniparty system for the corporate system... I am open to voting for what passes for an R in my very liberal blue state but voting for R in a national election absolutely fucking not. As awful as Ds are they still are a far better pragmatic choice than a Republican corporate theocratic hellscape.