Sorry, I have no links for this thread but was just wondering how others saw the politics of their parents. For me, I go back a long way, and I remember my mother criticizing my father for voting for JFK, and of course, my mother voted for Nixon, and every Republican thereafter. My father said he voted for JFK because he was young and youthful. He also became a big Ross Perot supporter later on. I asked him why he voted for Perot when all it did was to help elect Clinton. He said, "Because Bush was a warmonger." Anyhow, just thought it might be an interesting topic for some to discuss.
When I was born, my parents lived naked (I'm not exaggerating) in a plywood shack with no electricity and a creek for water, 10 miles from the nearest road, in the ozarks with some guy named Bob, raising goats, chasing off bears and (though they've never officially confirmed it) growing weed (my dad was addicted ((his words)) to weed for 10 years before I was born and 10 years after- dont tell me they werent growing it ;D). This was by choice, mind you, and in 1980. I don't know for sure what their politics were then, but I can guess. But by the time I was able to understand on a basic level what politics actually are, they were (and are still) very very right wing. My dad still thinks Bush was good guy.
my father was an "old regular" democrat. they met at the "choctaw club," a local tammany hall. when civil rights passed he, and all his friends, became republicans. in the "solid south" we had many choices within the democratic party that we do not have in a 2 party system.
i suppose if one is "addicted" to marijuana "just say no" is not an option. reagan had a libertarian vibe but delivered a very authoritarian social conservatism that many of us reject.
I have no idea which way they leaned. They were both very private on certain things..politics being one of those things. And I agree with that concept. However..in case you want to know..I used to lean left. Then I leaned right. Now I stand upright.
If Reagan's policies had matched his rhetoric, he would've been the greatest president. Unfortunately they weren't often similar.
Parents were born and raised in Providence, Rhode Island, my Mom's side of the family were firmly entrenched in the Democrat Party of Rhode and Providence Plantations as well as the unions and their related "associates" ... my Mom got away from it all and became a world renowned burn unit nurse ... she was fiery Democrat and I loved the many talks we had on humanity and passion ... my Dad joined the Army at 16 in 1954 and John Chafee got him a bootstrap to Providence College in 1957 .. I attended Chafee's daughter Trib's wake in 1968 ... I barely remember meeting Ted Kennedy for the first time there ... yeah Chafee was a Republican in name but if you knew anything about Rhode Island and the greater New England area going back to the uh 1600s? ... Claiborne Pell was one of the nicest men I have ever met ... anyway, Dad went on to a decorated career in the Army, DOJ, State Dept, DHS as well as private advising, writing, general consulting, pain in the ass to many etc ... I guess he was a Reagan Democrat ... dunno, he never really retired but was writing daily till the end ... so uh, Mom definitely Democrat ... Dad a chameleon smarter than the people he worked for ...
Mine were non-sectarian, they hated politicians PERIOD. Didn't think much of preachers either.....life experience, I guess.
Interesting topic. I grew up in Germany. My father was a staunch conservative (not a right winger, In Germany that meant basically being a neo-Nazi). My mother was also conservative, but less because of conviction, more because my dad was one. They had a particular problem with the green part in Germany, my father was convinced they were all communists and wanted to take the country back to the stone ages. Both of them were also religious, traditional church goers, although I think my dad started questioning god in the years before he passed away. My sister, who was always a green/liberal always fought with my parent about politics. I used to be conservative when young, and still am when it comes to personal finance, family values, etc, but when I turned to the liberal side, I never had any strong disagreements with my dad, like my sister did I think he became much softer and less conservative in old age. When I think of compassionate conservatism, I think of my dad. He was a very generous man. Always donated to UNICEF, the church, the poor... I don't know how much, but I think he gave away a lot of money.
Reminds me of my father....YEARS ago someone built a two unit apartment across the street and rented one to a Black couple with an infant and toddler. END OF THE WORLD! (property values dropping, you know?), he went with a couple of other neighbors to complain to the city council, but nothing came of it. Two months later the "father" left them high and dry....and guess WHO was tasked once a week to sneak over in the dead of night to place an envelope containing a bit of money (that we really didn't have) in her mailbox until she moved....ah Dad, you old racist you, miss you still.
