[Benzene]

I used to be a Republican in high school.

[ariesjow]

Originally posted by King Maxx

Well Republicans altogether aren't intellectually inclined imo. So black, Hispanic, or white it doesn't matter.

But in all honesty, the only black Republican I can think of are those people who were once poor or witnessed poverty around them and had a troubled life and does whatever it can to forget their struggles. They are basically those "bougie" or as some would say "trying to be white" individuals.

One of my old high school classmates is like this. Every other post was about shaming the Black community because she votes GOP and feels that somehow makes her more enlightened. I finally had to hide her on FB. The self-loathing was too strong with that one.

[LuLuDrops]

Originally posted by Benzene

I used to be a Republican in high school.

Parents were too? What made you change?

[Giselle]

Originally posted by heckinglovato

Why should Bernie "keep quiet" and not endorse Tim publicly? That's not what most politicians did to endorse Clinton and you guys bragged about that day and night; the vast majority of them refused to stay neutral and refused to leave it until the nomination is settled.

Bernie shouldn't stay publicly neutral on whom he believes would be a better congressperson than DWS. When you guys claim DWS is terrible it's totally fine, but when Bernie does it - he's "bitter trash" and should have "kept quiet".

Give me a BREAK

He should keep quiet because he's not a very smart man and often says silly things.

[LuLuDrops]

Originally posted by ariesjow

One of my old high school classmates is like this. Every other post was about shaming the Black community because she votes GOP and feels that somehow makes her more enlightened. I finally had to hide her on FB. The self-loathing was too strong with that one.

There was one girl in middle school who people used to joke was an 'oreo' then one day another black student in my group of friends told us that the girl told her "I wish I was white"...

[ariesjow]

Originally posted by LuLuDrops

There was one girl in middle school who people used to joke was an 'oreo' then one day another black student in my group of friends told us that the girl told her "I wish I was white"...

Poor girl

[Retro]

Originally posted by Marvin

May not mean much but Trump is now beating Clinton in the RCP average

They haven't included all the polls yet, so it means nothing, really.

[Benzene]

Originally posted by LuLuDrops

Parents were too? What made you change?

My mom wasn't yet a citizen when I was in high school so she didn't really pay attention to politics.

I was one of those black people who thought I was better than other black people, and loved hearing praise from white people who would compliment me at the expense of other black people. I was also raised Catholic so I was pretty socially conservative.

Around 12th grade I started switching my views on social issues like gay marriage and abortion, mostly the product of some friends coming out and general discussions about sexual activity (the real turning point was when someone asked me if I got pregnant that day if I would forgo a year at college to have the child. That's when I knew I was a hypocrite ).

As for the race thing, it's honestly hard for me to pinpoint when I shifted on that. It was definitely before I started college. I just realized at some point that to the average white person a negro is always going to be a negro and that I shouldn't waste time trying to please anyone.

For the record, my mom is now a citizen and is a registered Dem. She's a Republican at heart but has voted straight-ticket D in every election since 2008.

[RatedG²]

Originally posted by Benzene

I used to be a Republican in high school.

Same. Actually I plead guilty on some issues

[Javan]

Originally posted by Sasha.

She has a tendency to be right

[Retro]

Originally posted by Benzene

I used to be a Republican in high school.

Originally posted by RatedG²

Same. Actually I plead guilty on some issues

Interesting.

I've been a Democrat since I was four; never gone red a day in my life.

And I never will!

[Bloo]

Originally posted by Benzene

I used to be a Republican in high school.

I used to be very pro-life in high school; now I'm very pro-choice.

[Jan]

I've actually been socialist throughout most of grammar school. I turned right when I was 16ish.

[LuLuDrops]

Originally posted by Jan

I've actually been socialist throughout most of grammar school. I turned right when I was 16ish.

Same questions as Benzene: what caused the change?

[rl231]

Originally posted by King Maxx

I disagree. I do think there will be terms he wants met, and Hillary the generous party uniter she is will give it to him.

1) Try to get states to have open or mixed contests
2) Get rid of super delegates or at least have them vote proportionally
3) A compromise of policies. For example, she may finally come out against any bad trade deal. But if he is expecting her to say free college then he is delusional for sure.

Correct. Probably a few other things, but this is correct. Here's the thing: Hillary needs Bernie to win this election, in the sense that she has to get his supporters to support her. If she does that, she'll win. If she doesn't...I'm not sure what will happen. It'll either be too close to call or there'll be a major third party uprising. When I say major, I mean major in that it won't affect the two-party system but major enough where it could impact who gets each state in the Electoral College.

That's what frightens me about Hillary, as a Bernie supporter. Also, her foreign policy in the Middle East is frightening too, but that's a totally different subject.

[Jan]

Originally posted by LuLuDrops

Same questions as Benzene: what caused the change?

I started to get interested in capitalism, how it works more or less, why did it develop and what causes it to be better than socialism. Once I got to the bases and foundations of the system in my mind, I started thoroughly opposing or supporting limiting social welfare which aligned me with the right.

My views on other issues haven't dramatically changed.

[Lose My Breath]

My entire life I have found more in common with Democratic and liberal ideas

[LuLuDrops]

Originally posted by Lose My Breath

My entire life I have found more in common with Democratic and liberal ideas

Same and since I was teased for being gay I turned my attention to people who seemed more accepting rather than taking it out on myself and listening to some church sermons

[Retro]

But while theoretical capitalism might sound okay because it's purely logical and follows systems of work-and-reward ingrained in us since birth, kind of fails miserably in many ways in practice, and it fails to account for systems that produce massive income inequality and poverty.

The United States has a massive wage gap problem and purely capitalist ideas fail to address the problem. While I understand that one is entitled to that which they earn, we're not even talking about that anymore - we have people who cannot afford food for themselves or their children, utilities like electricity and water, or safe housing. On the other end, we have people with such massive wallets as to have a thousand times more on any given day than they need in a lifetime. And the disparity is becoming greater, the stratification of our society into starkly different wealth classes is amazing and disturbing.

I can see how capitalism might be enticing and interesting when it's a new concept to you, just as socialism is the same for someone used to growing up with capitalism - but it doesn't work in a pure form, just as socialism doesn't.

I became disillusioned with capitalism a long time ago. Even within traditional capitalist economics, I'm heavily Keynesian in my views. The way the right views economic and fiscal policy is flawed at its very core. Side note, I actually really ****ing love John Maynard Keynes.

[Jan]

I don't think income inequality is a bad thing. It baffles me why people think it is so, it's just fair. People whose work is worth less on the market earn less and people who are more qualified and better enterpreneuers earn more. This is fair to me.

Income redistribution is harmful and demotivates people from working. Why would I work if the state provided all I needed for myself to live? I don't oppose social security as means of preventing huge poverty. But the money should be low enough for those people to be able solely to fulfill their needs.

A different issue is with those who are unable to work. They, in my opinion should have the right to benefits because it would simply be inhumane to deny them that.

The rest should work just like everybody else does.

I lean towards the Austrian School when it comes to economics. I'm aware that social democracy is based on Keynesism and me being opposed to Keynesism equals being opposed to social democracy.