Greetings from an old school Democrat
On making my 10th comment I got a message suggesting I introduce myself, which I will do albeit anonymously he he, no doxing thank you very much.
I've actually been registered here on DU for a dozen years, on the second presidential election I worked on I looked around at social media and registered, but at the time I was much more interested in GOTV. This was back in 12
The first election I worked on was 08, as an election judge, canvassing, and phone banking. I was an Obama supporter from the time he was a newly minted senator.
The mid terms of 10 were important where I lived in that the senate was in play. We pulled a long shot upset in my state, one of the very few in that cycle, and we maintained control of the senate. We also lost a couple of congressional seats, one of which was held by one of the last western Democrats. No cowboys in our party anymore.
In 12 I was well plugged into the OFA method of GOTV, and as I remember we also had mail in voting in my state. We were able to check which Democrats in our district had returned a ballot, and then contact the voters who hadn't yet and beg, cajole, or otherwise get them to vote. I was a precinct coordinator, of my precinct and also some of the adjoining precincts.
The 2016 primaries were my last real contribution to Democratic elections. We had maybe hundreds of very enthusiastic caucus attendees. I was the only one left with the institutional memory, and the will to make the arrangements for all the surrounding precincts. I thankfully got help from someone in the state party who was much more knowledgeable than I was. Raucous crowd with mostly people of goodwill, hundreds. Of course I gave no indication to anyone of my preference, and afterwards I was surprised that others were surprised at who I supported.
In my precinct that primary was a young attorney, and I snookered her into taking over the duties of being the precinct coordinator which is what we call precinct captains here. Turns out she was that new couple that had moved in a couple doors down the street.
Since then I've done little. I vote. Our youngest is now a freshman studying bio/chem. My wife and I forever on the verge of poverty worked and saved as sometimes happens to those who have little. The CHIPS+ act early in Obama was a lifesaver, now we pay more for fancy health insurance than our combined yearly income was back in those early years. We leveraged a modest working class income with some blockbuster years with the business, into a profitable investment in equities which kept doubling, again and again, and now eclipses our still modest working class incomes. We still live very frugally, but our kids will never know want.
What are my politics? Some combination of capitalism and socialism, like most Americans. Unlike the Democratic Party I am much further to the left on economic issues, especially as they relate to the working class. Mess with people's jobs and I get my dander up. On cultural issues I'm also very classically liberal, but no where as extreme as the vocal folks on what is called the left. Live and let live like many in the west. I don't make judgments about people based on group identity, even if that group includes a different political party or organized religion. People should be free to do as they like, just don't require me to participate.
I've lived in some obscure countries and can wing it in some unusual languages.
= new reply since forum marked as read
I hope you will chime in more often. Your views matter.
