# Have you ever been a card-carrying member of a political party, and if so, why? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 9, 2011, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-a-card-carrying-member-of-a-political-party-and-if-so-why/574104 "2011-03-09T23:30:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-a-card-carrying-member-of-a-political-party-and-if-so-why/574104/1 "2011-03-09T23:30:14Z")
I’ve never seriously considered joining a political party here. Most of the people hereabouts who get involved in mainstream politics just aren’t my kind of people. I had considered joining the Socialist Party locally but then I’d have to put up with humourless lectures on political theory which is about as attractive as Ebola to me. Anyway have you ever been a member of a party, or are you currently? What made you nail your colours to that particular mast? ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-a-card-carrying-member-of-a-political-party-and-if-so-why/574104/2 "2011-03-10T00:07:20Z")
I never bothered registering with a party until we invaded Iraq. Heck I had only ever voted in presidential elections (Bush, Bush, Dole, Gore, Kerry, Obama (Obama was the first time I picked the winner). I feel like I chose Jar Jar Binks over Senator Palpatine. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-a-card-carrying-member-of-a-political-party-and-if-so-why/574104/3 "2011-03-10T02:06:49Z")
I’m a registered Republican. But I didn’t get a card or anything. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-a-card-carrying-member-of-a-political-party-and-if-so-why/574104/4 "2011-03-10T02:17:40Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I’m a registered Republican. But I didn’t get a card or anything. I’m a registered Democrat, and I didn’t get a card either. I think there’s a cultural difference with the OP’s country. I think that by “joining a political party” he means being an official member of the party, participating in party meetings, paying dues, that sort of thing, whereas for us it just means we vote (mostly) for candidates of the party we support. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-a-card-carrying-member-of-a-political-party-and-if-so-why/574104/5 "2011-03-10T02:21:57Z")
I’ve been an independent for my entire voting life (which started in 1984). Who needs the spam? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-a-card-carrying-member-of-a-political-party-and-if-so-why/574104/6 "2011-03-10T02:25:22Z")
I don’t think there is even such a thing as formal party membership, in Montana. When you go to the polling place for a primary, they ask you which ballot you want, and you can pick either. There’s no paperwork, and you could change for every election if you wanted. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-a-card-carrying-member-of-a-political-party-and-if-so-why/574104/7 "2011-03-10T02:25:56Z")
I’ve been to a GOP caucus, years ago, had to sign some loyalty oath or something (it didn’t take). I take in a local Democrat meeting now and again. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-a-card-carrying-member-of-a-political-party-and-if-so-why/574104/8 "2011-03-10T02:30:08Z")
I’ve contributed to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and now the DCCC sends me a membership card every year. So I suppose that makes me a card-carrying Democrat. Or, more accurately, a card-sitting-on-the-kitchen-island-in-a-pile-of-mail Democrat. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-a-card-carrying-member-of-a-political-party-and-if-so-why/574104/9 "2011-03-10T02:31:50Z")
Never joined a party; I’m not a joiner, and neither of the two parties that matters really reflects my beliefs or desires much. > [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I’m a registered Republican. But I didn’t get a card or anything. No need; they just check a mirror and if you don’t have a reflection, you’re in! ---
**Author:** ![Capitaine\_Zombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@Capitaine\_Zombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capitaine_Zombie)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-a-card-carrying-member-of-a-political-party-and-if-so-why/574104/10 "2011-03-10T02:34:39Z")
> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > I feel like I chose Jar Jar Binks over Senator Palpatine. That would make a nice OP topic. Seriously. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-a-card-carrying-member-of-a-political-party-and-if-so-why/574104/11 "2011-03-10T02:34:48Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > No need; they just check a mirror and if you don’t have a reflection, you’re in! It’s made shaving a problem but on the plus side I get to vote in primaries. ---
**Author:** ![antonio107](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ea924/32.png) [@antonio107](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antonio107)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-a-card-carrying-member-of-a-political-party-and-if-so-why/574104/12 "2011-03-10T02:38:56Z")
I’ve been a member of the Liberal Party of Canada, the Bloq Quebecois (even though I’m from Ontario), and the Workless Party, which advocates a 20 hour work week, with their slogan, “Alarm clocks kill dreams!” I’m hoping to join every federal political party at least once in my life. That’d be sweet. You don’t get to learn what’s behind the media image unless you become a card carrying member. The things you’d read on e-mail lists alone were astounding. ---
**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-a-card-carrying-member-of-a-political-party-and-if-so-why/574104/13 "2011-03-10T03:12:40Z")
> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > Heck I had only ever voted in presidential elections (Bush, Bush, Dole, Gore, Kerry, Obama (Obama was the first time I picked the winner). There’s a contradiction here. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-a-card-carrying-member-of-a-political-party-and-if-so-why/574104/14 "2011-03-10T03:17:30Z")
Not me. I cover my eyes when I vote. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-a-card-carrying-member-of-a-political-party-and-if-so-why/574104/15 "2011-03-10T03:24:48Z")
I’m a registered Democrat, but that’s simply so that I can vote in the Democratic primaries. They didn’t send me a card, and I never go to any meetings. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-a-card-carrying-member-of-a-political-party-and-if-so-why/574104/16 "2011-03-10T03:31:34Z")
I feel like Will Rogers. they asked him if he was a member of an organized political party. He said " no i am a Democrat". It has not changed much. My son is a political 0rganizer for the Dems. My wife has been a volunteer for them. They are both dues paying, meeting attending ,Dems. I might get more involved but i play racketball 4 times a week and it conflicts with meetings. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-a-card-carrying-member-of-a-political-party-and-if-so-why/574104/17 "2011-03-10T03:40:35Z")
> [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](#): > > There’s a contradiction here. Yep, Bush won in '88. ---
**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-a-card-carrying-member-of-a-political-party-and-if-so-why/574104/18 "2011-03-10T06:04:07Z")
I switched to Democrat from independent in 2008 so I could vote in the primary. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-a-card-carrying-member-of-a-political-party-and-if-so-why/574104/19 "2011-03-10T07:00:40Z")
Like others, I registered Democrat to vote in the primary. Back in the late 60s, I was a member of the Libertarian Party for a few years. ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-a-card-carrying-member-of-a-political-party-and-if-so-why/574104/20 "2011-03-10T07:20:36Z")
Yes, the Dutch Party for animal rights. I even joined in the provincial (state) elections. My party got about 2 % of votes, (abouit 7000 votes) so we lost our one seat in the provincial parliament. I got about 400 personal votes. Those can’t all have been aqaintances and family 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-a-card-carrying-member-of-a-political-party-and-if-so-why/574104.md?page=2)