Why I Left the Democrats The GOP and the rise of Italian-Americans By John Marino
y cOllnection (0 the Delllocratic Parry runs d('t.'p, extending back to my yomh. My earliest memories incl ude Imfching as a child in the Labor Day parade in Asbury Park with my Etther, a union carpenter. We would make the trek in his Ford work \'an in order to celebrate the
M
~working man~
and the land of opportunity.
[ was raised in a bille-collar home in Belmar,
New Jersey. I grew up proud of my Family's worki ng-class rOOIS and union idemit),. My loyalty to the Demo cratic P3.rry came naturally. My relationsh ip with the Democrats W;l~ reinforced by Illy p:lTems' immigrant experience. T hey were born and raised in a sm:Jll, humble village in somhcrn [tal),. In SC;lrch of a beneT life, they CUlie to the Un ited Smlcs. Although initially not knowing the language or c ulture, they enthusiastically embraced the American War I-knce, lik<· countless other ltalianAmericans, they saw the Democr.uic Party :IS their politic il home, I remainL-d :m:lClled to the Democrats throughout my teenage years. In 1984, my grade school notebooks were covered with Mondal e-Ferraro bumper stickers even though I was nor yet old enough 10 vote. I caSt my first vote in the 1989 N(w Jersey gubernalOrial race for then-Democ r:ttic candidate Jim Florio. When I emerl'd colk-ge my cornmirmem m the Democf'Jrs was only reinforced by an environment Ihat slamed disti nctly Lcfr. Since almost all of my fitmily. friends and educuors were Democruts and liberals. it is easy to discern how [ remained :111 unwavering Democrut for many years. This began to change, however, during my late twenties. Looking at my new-found responsibilities at home and at work, I Started to question my affiliation with the Democruts. I realized something imporram: Thl')' no longer represented my political Outlook o r pe rsonal values. The t ime had arrived fo r me to break old tics and forge new oncs. lroniclJly. the culture that placed me firmly withill the Democratic fold \'l:IS the same one th:l1 motivated me to leave it. I was miscd ill a household where personal responsibility, hard work, rel igion and Th~
Ripon Forum · Winter 2005
(unily we re nOI o n ly ¥;llues hut requireme n ts. You wouldn't know t his from the us ual portrayals of hali:1I1Americans til fi lm or television. Holl yv.ood has distom-d the image of Italian-Americans, oflen presenllng them as semi-literale, murderous gangs((.'rs. This is se<:1l in blockbuster movies like "The Godfuther" and "Good Fe1las" or TV hits such as "The Sopranos." The reality is very ditTerent. All of the Italian-A mericans that I knew were pn:domiu<1ll tly skilled, blue-collar wo rkers, who toiled exceptionally hard, saved their money and sent their children to college with the hopes rim the}' would cmer th(· professional class. T heir model was - and is - someone like Supreme Coun Justice Amonin Scalia, nOl ' Ion}, Soprano. I sought a party that embraced dl('se val lies of work, opportunity an d family. The GOP was a naTUral choice. Morool'l'r, as a Democrat I was frusHatcd a\ having to renlain a closet ChriSllan . I also o p posed the penchant to view everyone as a victim despite their actions, and grew weary of a seenlingly incessa nt criticism by many liberals of Ame rican policies - both at home a nd abroad. This especially p:lined me for I was taught to love America and to be grateful for the opportunity it had provided for my fumily. I had personally seen the great p romise of America fulfilled aud lhe immigram's dream made reality. Consequentl y, I left the Democm[ic Parry, :tnd found a new home with the GOI~ As a proud American of Italian ancestry, I feel especially comforl"able in the evcrgrowing Republican " Big lcnt. ~ AldlOUgh I still have lIlany Democruts who are my friends and colleagues, I recognize that their pany IS Ilot my party. Despite my rigll1-le:ming views, professionally [ consider myself fortuna te 10 work "''''"",'. riponsoc.org
As a proud American of Italian ancestry, I teel especiall, comfortable in tile ever-growing Republican "Big Tent. n with c1ec!(-d offici:lls on both sides of the aisle. MOTl. .over. [ am convinced there are Olher moderates like myself OUI [here, who during the 1990s left the Democt:lIS to join t he Republicans. These voters are simibr to the so-called Reagan Democrats of [he 1980s. Perhaps politicJI historians will recognize this tr~nd and coin a name for us. \Vle are everywhere and we :trc in good com pany. People like U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman , Minneso[a Re pu blican , have shown that Jews from Brooklyn, JUS! like Italian-Americans from New Jc rsq, can follow their IK'3.rts 10 a pany that tflily rep resems the ir values. ~
- Johll Marino is r/Jr m(//Mgillg dirrctor of govermnrl/t relnriollS lind public policy tll I"r Natiol/III !talim/ AmrJ"i({1/I FOUl/dillion, 1111 illdrprlldrll/. I/OIJ-pfrrtiJlIll lind non-profit
jiJ//IIdlllioJ/. 7lJis artic/r does not rrprrS(//f t"r vil!l/JJ ofth, foundlltion.
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