I used to be a "Tea Party" Republican...

I grew up as a Democrat, raised in Evangelical church. Independent Fundamental Baptist, to be more specific.
I served in Air Force 1993 to 1998. Had to get out for medical reasons. Different story different time. As a young adult I found myself going to Southern Baptist Church at one point. Late 90s to early 2000s. I used to be a tea party Republican. I listened to AM radio everyday. Rush Limbaugh. Glenn Beck. Mark Levin. And any other talk show host that came on AM radio. I voted for Trump in 2016. Because I saw him as the lesser of the two evils. As a living I work in civil service. And I'm a member of a labor union. I was led to believe that Trump would reform a lot of Labor laws. I guess that's why I voted for him. And he seemed to differentiate himself between the rest of the republicans. But after I voted for him I became a Democrat. Why? I think it was because ever since getting out of the air force, I struggled to make ends meet. One dead-end job after another. Usually just above minimum wage. And supporting a wife and three daughters, that doesn't fly too well. Of course I was getting disability compensation from the VA. But that only helped out a little. Kids were on WIC. And sometimes we had to get help from food pantries. All this happened while still a Republican. I got to thinking how the Republican party has done nothing for me as far as improving my economic condition. I don't like and see was hell rich people were getting richer and poor people were getting poorer. And all I kept hearing about that was how the "owners of means of production" kept on coming down on the laborers. So I had to find a party that would better represent me. That's why I choose to be a Democrat.

You may be a Republican. Good for you. Because the Republican Party may be better at representing your own "best interest"** as the "owners of the means of production." But keep in mind that as a laborer, I am obligated to preserve my own best interests. To meet that end, I choose to be a Democrat.

As a former Republican I need to caution correct Republicans upon the radicalization of the Republican Party by MAGA Republicans. I cannot take the Republican Party serious with all these trumpers are running around doing the things they do. Get rid of them. Come back to the table. And let us reason together the best direction for the United States.

*Marx & Engels, "The Communist Manifesto" (name of publisher, city and year of publication currently unknown to me)

** Adam Smith, "Wealth of Nations" (name of publisher, city and year of publication currently unknown to me)