In 1989 when I switched from Democrat to Republican, with God as my witness, not one thing changed about what I believed about one man and one woman in a marriage or about diversity of color. That's a good thing.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
I am still a Republican. I have not changed that.
I didn't want to engage in a campaign where I was defending myself on those issues at every turn, so I just decided that I'd switch and run as a Republican.
I became a Republican when a very wise young lady asked me how I could remain a Democrat when I didn't agree with what they stood for and did agree with what the Republicans supported.
I was a Democrat for a period of time early on. And then I was also an independent. And then I became a Republican.
There are several such issues where I have departed radically from the Republican orthodoxy.
I grew up in a very Catholic household. We were pretty conservative.
When I got political that blew our marriage out of the water. I was not the same person and I admit that.
When I retired out of the military, I registered myself as a Republican because my views and perspectives were more in line with that party.
There isn't a day when I don't look in the mirror and think, 'How in the hell did I become a conservative Republican?' It's still a weird reckoning, because it shouldn't have happened.
I have been a Republican since 1966.