What party did you belong to before you started supporting Ron Paul?

[PaulConventionWV]

Did you switch, and when?

This should help us get an idea of which party members are most likely to become hardcore RP fans.

 

[sailingaway]

I was Republican basically forever. However, I didn't often vote in primaries. I didn't think much of the candidates nor the system and saw politics kinda like trash removal -- something we pay others to deal with so we don't have to.

Stupid, I now know.

 

[VIDEODROME]

Green

Voted for Ralph Nader in 2000 and 2004

 

[pcosmar]

Independent, Still am.

Though I have often voted for the "R" choice, and often been disappointed.

 

[brandon]

Libertarian. Surprised that's not a poll choice.

 

[nate895]

I wasn't a registered voter, since I was too young, but I always considered myself a Republican.

 

[PaulConventionWV]

Libertarian. Surprised that's not a poll choice.

It's in the "other" category. I can't include every small party, so I left that up to you to identify yourself by posting. I am specifically curious how many democrats and unregistered voters are now with us.

 

[goRPaul]

Libertarian. Surprised that's not a poll choice.

Same. I switched to Republican to vote for RP in the primary, and immediately after turning in the ballot I asked for a voter registration form to change back to libertarian. Couple months later I had to change to Republican again to participate in the county REC.

 

[sailingaway]

It's in the "other" category. I can't include every small party, so I left that up to you to identify yourself by posting. I am specifically curious how many democrats and unregistered voters are now with us.

Last time the Dems had 'hope' in Obama, and Ron didn't make it out of the primary. Now many see Obama as Bush's 3d term on a lot of issues. I'm hoping some will register to vote for Ron, but we'll see. There is such a Dem/gop divide I think they think they'd go up in smoke, some of them.

 

[torchbearer]

It's in the "other" category. I can't include every small party, so I left that up to you to identify yourself by posting. I am specifically curious how many democrats and unregistered voters are now with us.

just to give a heads up, the libertarian party has major party status in louisiana.

 

[amy31416]

I was Independent, then held my nose and switched to Republican about a week before the primary vote in 2008. The only reason I'm a Republican is because of Ron Paul, despite the fact that I come from a very Republican family--I don't know if that made me more or less open to RP, but I was hooked from his "blowback" exchange with Giuliani.

 

[aspiringconstitutionalist]

Republican.

Was a neo-con, before Ron Paul cured my stupidity.

 

[JohnGalt1225]

Independent, and I still am. I used to hold a mixed bag of political ideas, some libertarian, some progressive, but I've always been consistently anti-war. I used to believe that universal health care was a good idea. I was vehemently anti-corporatist. I still am by the way, but I used to follow the illogical conclusion that more regulations would reign in out of control cronyism. I was in the Ralph Nader mold of opposing all big-ness, big government, big business, big anything.

I supported Ron in the 2008 primaries, but I came on late, well after he was out of the running essentially. But his ideas planted the seeds of liberty in my heart and mind. Over the past three years I've been converted to a more consistent pro-liberty message. I used to have certain libertarian beliefs because they were "cost effective," I viewed the world in a more Gary Johnson sort of "cost benefit analysis" way. I know oppose UHC not just because it would likely be un-cost effective, but because it's immoral to rob Peter to pay Paul in so many words.

 

[KCIndy]

Libertarian. Surprised that's not a poll choice.

Almost the same. I was never registered with any party (Indiana is an "open voting" state) but I always considered myself a libertarian since discovering the Libertarian Party while I was attending Indiana University. One of my biggest regrets was not knowing about the Libertarians or Ron Paul in '88, which was the first year I was eligible to vote in a presidential election.

 

[Southron]

I was a Republican until 2006. Then I was unaffiliated until 2008 when the LP was gained ballot access in NC. I would join the CP if it had ballot access.

If RP is still on the ballot next year, I will switch back to unaffiliated to vote for him, even though the nomination is always wrapped up by the time we have our primary.

 

[KCIndy]

even though the nomination is always wrapped up by the time we have our primary.

Don't ya hate that? Indiana's primary is in May. In '08 I decided to go through the hassle of registering as a Republican anyway, just so I could say I had voted for Ron Paul!

 

[nate895]

If RP is still on the ballot next year, I will switch back to unaffiliated to vote for him, even though the nomination is always wrapped up by the time we have our primary.

With the way Republicans are doing things this year, it might not be this go around. With the exception of the designated early states, all states up through to the end of March have to have a proportional system (why the GOP switched to that given what happened to the D's last time is anyone's guess). Since there is no clear frontrunner right now, it is entirely possible that a situation could happen where two (hopefully including Paul) will end up facing each other into early May.

 

[Simon]

Libertarian

 

[Theocrat]

Constitution Party Paulite

I was a member of the Constitution Party before supporting Congressman Paul in his 2008 Presidential run, but I had known about him and read many things from him way before that.

 

[speciallyblend]

I was a lifelong democrat from Virginia. Then i heard Harry Browne and joined the LP. Then i heard Ron Paul and have to say thanks to harry browne or i would of never bothered to listen to Ron Paul! I viewed a majority of republicans as scum of the earth until i heard Ron Paul!! Then i realized it was just neo-cons and GOP establishment who were the scum! I joined the GOP because of Ron Paul and i brought my scum remover!!