I, too, had been a traditional democrat in my early adult years. The last democrat I've voted for was Jimmy Carter.
Despite voting for Republicans, I never considered myself one of them until Dubya came along. It was obvious to me that algore despised everything I supported, not to mention despising those like me. I simply admitted that I'd been a conservative for years, arguing conservative positions and conservative causes.
The democrats had gone down some wormhole and morphed into something that I'd never be able to support. To sum it up, they just got to the point where they don't support normal people and normal things anymore.
Their base at this point can best be described as a gathering of the bizarre.
I still believe that George W. Bush is a classic liberal. He might have been a democrat if the party hadn't become the party of perverts and baby killers.
Certainly the President's positions on issues such as Social Security (keep it but privatize it) and education (throw tons of Federal money at it) are more classically liberal than conservative. His deficits certainly are.
Shalom.
You considered yourself a Democrat up until W came along (2000), but you've been a FReeper since '98?
Something kinda strange about that x.
The first time I voted at age 19, it was an independent and I also voted for Carter. It's one of the regrets of my life. I had the chance to vote for one of our greatest Presidents and I didn't. Oh well, live and learn.