Joining up: What's wrong with right?

Following up from my earlier post.

Why the Democrats?

It wasn't an easy decision. Even after deciding that I wanted to join a party, I wasn't sure which one to choose.

Over my voting lifetime, I've voted for Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, Greens, and independents. I did consider all four of these parties. Obviously, one can join neither the independent party nor the oxymoron party. 

Why not join either of the parties on the Right?

Republicans: As a teenager, I identified with the Republican Party. I was, after all, a poor white boy from Indiana. Any hold that the Party had on me withered as my identity moved away from being white, poor, and Hoosier. By the time I was 20, the Republican message was lost on me.

Both of my parents are Democrats. So, part of my attraction to the Republicans might have been an act of rebellion.

Still, I did consider joining the county Republican Party. It appeals to me that they are in the minority here. Plus, I thought that they could use more moderates in the Party. But, no. I just couldn't see it working out.

Libertarians: My 20's were dominated by the Libertarian Party, or ,at least, the idea of it. I never joined. However, I often sung the praises of the LP loudly. 

Again, I've changed. I no longer believe in many of the ideas that made me a Libertarian. Furthermore, I don't think that the Libertarian Party is the same party it was. When I was 22, the LP position on abortion was that it was an individual choice which should not be infringed upon by the government. The average Libertarian now seems to view it as a States' Rights issue. 

Most people like to claim that they're moderates. I'm not immune to the pull of this trend. In reality, I doubt that many people are so nonpartisan. It would be a lie to say that I am. I simply don't identify with the Right. So, joining either the Republicans or the Libertarians would be endeavors unlikely to bear fruit.

I'll return with my views of the parties of the Left.

P.S. I'm not in a proofreading mood. So, you'll just have to live with any grammatical or spelling errors.