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One week ago, I joined the Democratic Party. I wrote about in an article "44 years a Republican, 1 year an Independent today I'm Joining the Democratic Party." You can read the article by clicking here. In the article I said:

"…Will I be welcomed into the Democratic Party with open arms? That is highly doubtful. Like the GOP, they are wary and suspicious of anyone who was not born into the party. I won't be trusted…"

It wasn't just trickle-down economics I was wrong about. I was wrong about the reception I would get into the party from the rank and file. I was wrong about the reception I would get from party officials too.

The Democratic Reaction

As of today, I've received over 12,000 emails welcoming me to the Democratic Party. At least 50 of them are from County Chairmen of the Democratic Party. Two state Party Chairs have written me. By far, the warmest letters are from the rank and file.

The article itself has nearly 500 comments in the comments section. Chicago Now is a moderated site. What that means is a moderator has to approve every comment that is posted. That moderator is me. I have read every post. I haven't been able to respond to all of them but I have read all of them. I am deeply touched by their kindness and warmth.

Of all the 1000s of contacts I've had so far, I've only had two unkind notes from a Democrat. One was on twitter. The second was on Chicago Now. I was told in both cases that I have no soul or I could not have been a Republican in the first place. That is the kind of rancor that first made me think about leaving the GOP.

That kind of hate spewing is common in the GOP it is how they roll. Two out of thousands of Democratic responses tells me a far different tale about the Democrats and how they treat each other.

I wondered if maybe Democrats were just being polite and if I looked at comments on pages and Facebook Timelines where my article had been shared, I would find out if I am being slammed by Democrats.

The article is viral, and still is hot, so I didn't have to look far to find where it was posted. I went to "Union Thugs" on Facebook which is a Democratic site with 400,000+ members. The union thugs are mostly schoolteachers. Democrats have a marvelous sense of humor. They shared the article. I thought, if I am going to be slammed, it will be here.

There were no slams. There was a lot of welcomes for me joining the party. There was intelligent discussion on the thread. I was not attacked for being a soulless oaf who after the majority of his life is over, finally came to his senses. There was none of that. There was warmth.

The Bernie Crowd

The Democratic Party is very much the centrist party in America at the moment. Yet, among this centrism sits the Bernie crowd who are way far to the left of liberal. They know I am not a fan of Bernie. I openly state it in the article. Their response has been to engage in civil discussion with me about it. They show respect and no hostility masquerading as candor.

They listen to my points, then they present me their points of view. If we disagree, we disagree and we look for areas where we can agree. That is a far cry from what I am used to.

The GOP Response

There are two levels of GOP response to my departing. The first level are those elected to Congress who are genuinely sad to see me leave. Some of them are genuinely sad I will no longer be raising money for them and giving them free campaign help. A couple are truly sorry to see me go. One, a Republican Member of the House told me without reservation that he has one foot out the door himself.

The second level, the rank and file are predictable. I've been called a communist, a libtard snowflake, a traitor to my race, a kike, and of course "You were never a real Republican."

I love that last one. The No True Scotsman is a form of circular argument to try and discount evidence of things we can't fathom. You can read about it by clicking here. Those who don't know how to debate rely on The No True Scotsman and Ad Hominem, personal attacks, to not have to confront reality. Absent ideas, those two are lifesavers for those who are thinking challenged.

Friends in the GOP have told me they hate to see me become a Democrat. They say I have joined the party of corruption and hate. Illinois Democrats, especially those who live in Cook County, Illinois give them plenty of ammunition for the corruption argument.

My view on that is Cook County Democrats are not representative of the National Party in any way, shape, or form. In Illinois, there really is only the Democratic Party. It is as close to one party rule as we can get and shows why single party rule is not a good thing. When one party doesn't have the other party to keep them in check, they abuse their power.

That worries me about things nationally. While the GOP now has the House, Senate, and White House, they are on the decline. This power will be short lived. They have already slipped in polls in membership and one thing I learned from my own experience is there are many who are leaving the GOP for the Democratic Party as I have.

Their base is changing rapidly. They are losing their business base to the ill educated and hostile. Neither of those traits will sustain a national party. Will they disappear and something new come in its place?

I don't think that is on the horizon. I do think the Democratic Party is coming into another period of glory and this time, I get to be part of it.

I'm glad I'm here.

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