Evolving Ideals: My Journey from Right to Left

It has recently occurred to me that here in these very narrow lanes of social media, only the condensed version of Joe Mannino, the human, is visible. The complex history replete with many twists and turns along my evolutionary highway is absent from any superficial appraisal, and this phenomenon is not limited to me. Every one of us have stories and experiences that influenced and informed our philosophies. Though that backstory is not readily available, we should seek to consider it regardless. Since nobody asked but many assumed, let me briefly summarize my story so far.

Previously on Joe’s Philosophy…

I was raised Catholic and was an altar boy who briefly considered priesthood. I faithfully practiced well into adulthood, even serving as the Catholic layperson during Marine Corps boot camp sharing evening prayer duties with my Protestant counterpart. I read the bible cover to cover several times, taking divine inspiration from the books of Psalms and Revelations. For reasons too numerous to list here, I grew apart from the church and have since lived a self-guided moral life without the dogma of oversized religion. I have experienced both ways of life and made an informed decision.

For the better part of my professional career, I’ve used both Mac and PC equally and recognize that each system has pros and cons. In my personal life, I use mostly Apple products, so much so that I’ve been called a “fanboy.” I didn’t respond to persuasive identity-based ads; for instance, in the classic Mac vs PC spots, I didn’t relate to Justin Longs’ hipster “Mac” character, but the nerdy PC guy was my spirit animal. I am a power user of both, but I made an informed decision to choose Macs.

I joined the young republicans club in high school principally because my Pops was a Reagan fan, but let’s be honest, Ronnie was just cool. I joined the Marines and cast my first presidential vote for Bush 1.0 while returning from deployment in the middle of the Atlantic. I continued supporting the Grand Old Party throughout my adulthood, voting strictly down the right whenever the opportunity presented itself. I embraced the conservative values diving deep into the political landscape throughout my thirties and well into my forties. I voraciously consumed all of the required material from all media sources. O’Reilly, Hannity, Limbaugh, Savage, Beck, Schnitt.

I watched or listened to their shows.

I bought their books.

I wore their merch (yes, even the classic Michael Savage “Liberalism is a Mental Disorder” ball cap).

Trump, the candidate, intrigued me. I bought wholesale into the allure of his disrupter energy. After all, Obama and his socialist tendencies had ruined America, and what we really needed was to be Great Again. Who better to get us back on track than a Washington outsider? A self-made man who had amassed his fortune, perfected his brand and captained his industry seemed perfectly poised to tackle politics and drain the foul fetid swamp of Washington. Throughout the primary and election cycle, my enthusiasm waned as I became more familiar with Donald Trump, the man versus Trump the brand. I went into the booth undecided where my pencil oscillated between the two options for a moment that felt like an eternity.

I didn’t like Hillary.

I was beginning to dislike Trump.

Back and forth, back and forth until finally casting the “lesser of two evils” vote and for the first time in my life, checked a box with a “D” next to the name. That was 2016. I’ve been a registered Democrat since.

So before you condemn my opinions…

Before you demonize my affiliations…

Before you call me a libtard socialist, just remember I was right there with you.

I’ve walked more than a mile in your shoes.

I was a card carrying adherent to the cause.

I have lived and experienced both sides of the issues and the aisle, and my decision has been informed. I don’t respond to identity politics. I respond to my experience, and that’s an important distinction.

That’s my story. Let’s hear yours.