I agree totally.

I come from a Union family and was a registered RAT until Clinton. Then I went Independent. (Actually in Cali it was "Decline to State," now "No Party Preference.")

For years I resisted registering Republican, although I always voted that way. The dainty white glove routine, and later the PC submission, really got on my last nerve.

I always said when they finally decided to get in the gutter and play for keeps, like the Rats do, when it mattered THAT MUCH to them, I would change my registration.

They never did...UNTIL Trump came along.

As a result, I switched registration in time to vote for Trump in California...for the first time, as a Republican.

So it wasn't Bush, Romney, or McCain that turned me. Heck, it wasn't even Reagan.

It was Trump who pulled me in.

Ahem...so there.

Some very pertinent and informed comments on this thread. Kudos to everyone. I have much enjoyed reading this.

While we're on the subject, what exactly is meant by "voting your conscience"? For Pete's sake, don't we always "vote our conscience" when we get into the voting booth?

Maybe it's because I was raised Catholic and grew up with instructions to "examine your conscience" before entering the confessional.

To me the voting booth does feel a tad like the confessional. In any event, it sure does feel like doing penance!