You aren't getting engaged. The shocking truth is that most people in this country agree on most things.

For example: no wants there to be more abortions. No one wants illegal immigration.

Rs want to stop funding anything having to do with abortion (defunding planned parenthood), Ds want to stop the cause of elective abortions, which means sex education, free/low cost birth control, and poverty. (Rs block those things.)

Rs want fewer immigrants, Ds are okay with more immigrants. No wants illegal immigration.

Most people have a huge amount in common as far as the end goals. The parties have taken different approaches to achieve those goals.

You aren't getting married to a candidate. One candidate may be your person this year and then in the next election you think, hmmm, I like this other person better. That is okay.

You don't have to register as a member of a party. You can choose based on what they say.

I’m 50. I keep trying to figure out how the Dems have moved that far left. Actually, the Republicans have moved way far right. When I worked on the hill in 1991, every Republican woman I knew was pro-choice. I am really curious to see what are these leftist policies you folks claim have taken over the democratic party. Clinton tried to Pass a healthcare bill. How is that different than what we have today.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nice try OP

As soon as someone complains about the Democrats moving to the left, I know this person is either really young or really new to politics.

Go look at where Republicans stood from the 50s to the 70s.

Exactly. The main part of the D party now is where republicans were in the 50s to 70s. The Rs have moved WAY to the right. WAY over there.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand why people think political parties have power over the culture. Culture influences the political party, not the other way around. I don’t understand what culture of dependency you are talking about. I don’t like all of the things happening in the culture but I don’t connect them to Democratic policies- the culture is moving to the left while a Republican is in office.

Not in the halls of power (Senate, Courts, White House).

The "halls of power" are NOT the culture. That is exactly my point.

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand why people think political parties have power over the culture. Culture influences the political party, not the other way around. I don’t understand what culture of dependency you are talking about. I don’t like all of the things happening in the culture but I don’t connect them to Democratic policies- the culture is moving to the left while a Republican is in office.

This. So much this. Politics catches up to the changes in the country slowly. But it does catch up. Barring a conman like Trump actively attacking the foundations of the country, elections are just about how fast the govt is going to adapt to the changing country.

Anonymous wrote:Nice try OP

As soon as someone complains about the Democrats moving to the left, I know this person is either really young or really new to politics.

Go look at where Republicans stood from the 50s to the 70s.

It sounds like you liked Democrats when their programs benefited you, but then when you were comfortable you liked Republicans because you don’t want to pay taxes or support programs that help other people. You don’t really care about the country or about anyone or anything except what you get personally. You are a typical suburban of a certain generation.

Anonymous wrote:Nice try OP

+1
So predictably tiresome.

Plenty Dems are moderates.

Also, remember that we are a huge and diverse nation, and no one candidate is ever going to align 100% with every single thing you believe or care about. So you vote for a person who ticks off some of your issues and who you believe will be an honest and non-corrupt official.

The second part is vital. More important than the first. No one gets their full slate of ideas passed into policy, let alone law. But you want someone who understands how our government works, follows the rules and laws, and does their best to make decisions and judgments that to more good than harm and take into account all people, even if all people cannot be pleased with every decision.

For example, it is dangerous to be a one-issue voter if and when you are knowingly putting a corrupt person in power on the hopes that they are telling the truth to you about your one issue. The amount of harm to the rest of the world that comes from your one-issue victory may not be worth it in the end. It takes an honest and moral person to recognize that.

Nice try OP

With disengagement.
Willful ignorance.

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand why people think political parties have power over the culture. Culture influences the political party, not the other way around. I don’t understand what culture of dependency you are talking about. I don’t like all of the things happening in the culture but I don’t connect them to Democratic policies- the culture is moving to the left while a Republican is in office.

Not in the halls of power (Senate, Courts, White House).

Voting 3rd party hurts the Dems more than the GOP but it still hurts the GOP. Look at what just happened in KY.

Wanted by the Dems? You're not picking a life partner here. Just pick someone you can feel ok about for a few years.

I don’t understand why people think political parties have power over the culture. Culture influences the political party, not the other way around. I don’t understand what culture of dependency you are talking about. I don’t like all of the things happening in the culture but I don’t connect them to Democratic policies- the culture is moving to the left while a Republican is in office.

I feel so politically lost. I grew up in a "vote Democrat or die" home and was raised to believe that Republicans were the source of all problems in America. However, as the Democrats moved further to the left and I saw firsthand how the culture and policies of dependency impacted my family, I identified less and less with Democrats (I'm also a closeted pro-lifer and I'm not very sympathetic to illegal immigration so that doesn't help in today's Democratic Party). However, the current GOP is repulsive and amoral and there's no way in heck I can support their agenda which I think is chipping away at our democracy. I'm not going to vote Republican (haven't since Bush at the national level), but I don't feel wanted by the Democrats, so I feel lost. Voting for a 3rd party might feel emotionally right but won't help to solve our nation's problems. Is anyone else feeling lost and disillusioned in today's political world? If so, how are you coping with it?