By BOB KECSKEMETY

I have a confession to make: I was a Republican up to six years ago.

You may be asking yourself, why would any gay person become a member of the Republican Party? That’s a very valid question however; I’ve always considered myself an American first, not a gay-American. I registered Republican back in 1972 because I was against a needless and endless war in Vietnam and I supported President Richard Nixon’s efforts to get us out of that war.

Now, I admit, Richard Nixon might not have been the most honest president this country had, but, it was the Democratic Party that got us into Vietnam in the first place, plus, I couldn’t imagine myself voting for a person named “Hubert Horatio Humphrey.” Also, some other things that Nixon was in favor of were a national healthcare program and equal rights for women. To this day, I can’t figure out how that crazy liberal ever got elected.

I’m referred to by pollsters as a “likely voter” meaning that I’m more apt to vote in any election whether it be large or small. Also, I always end up splitting the ticket and never voted straight party-line.

Anyway, I voted for Richard Nixon and I voted for Gerald Ford (1976) and I voted for Ronald Reagan — twice (1980 and 1984). After 1984, it wasn’t so easy for me anymore and, though I would vote in the other races in the general elections, I didn’t vote for President. I didn’t like George H. W. Bush and didn’t vote for him (1988) nor could I find myself voting for the Democrat, Michael Dukakis. I didn’t like Bill Clinton or his two Republican opponents, GB1 for reelection (1992) and Robert Dole (1996) so again, I didn’t vote for President. Finally, like father, like son, I didn’t vote for GB2 in 2000, didn’t care much for Al Gore either.

This was the election where Florida was the pivotal state on who would win or loose and we were introduced to “hanging chads” and “butterfly ballots.” Finally, after weeks of indecision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled GW to be the winner. Six of one, half a dozen of the other, I figured so it didn’t bother me much. But I did learn one important thing from that election, it doesn’t take millions of votes, even in a presidential election, to determine a winner or looser, it just took a few votes to make a difference and I could have been one of those few. Had I voted, I would have voted for Gore.

At first, GB2 didn’t seem so bad. He stayed out of the way and chopped wood on his ranch in Texas. Then came September 11, 2001 and he showed me, and the rest of the nation the he could hold the country together in times of national tragedy. I supported his actions immediately after the towers had fallen and I supported his move into Afghanistan. But then he turned his attention towards Iraq and I started to wonder what the hell was he doing? As it turned out, he got the U.S. into a war with no purpose except expansion of the U.S. ideology and oil. I started to see more tax breaks for the wealthy at the expense of the middle class which was rapidly shrinking.

By 2004, I had had enough. The Republican Party I knew was no longer the Republican Party that existed and I switched my registration to Democrat. I did not leave the G.O.P., the G.O.P. left me. Towards the end of that year, I held my nose and voted for John Kerry, my first Democrat for President. Then, in 2008, I enthusiastically voted for Barack Obama, my first enthusiastic vote for President since 1984 — 24 years.

Many gay activists are upset now because Obama has not done as much for the gay community as he promised in his campaign. “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is still formally in effect and samesex marriage appears to still be in a standstill. I’m more disappointed that there is no national healthcare program that provides me with medical attention I need and I’ve resigned myself to the fact that I’m going to be one of many people that die each year because they don’t have health insurance. I was so looking forward to expansion of Medicare, but that proposal is long gone now.

But we have another election coming up on November 2 of this year and the Democratic Party is concerned that there is an “enthusiasm-gap” — people don’t care as much about voting — and that Democratic voters won’t turn out in the numbers they had two years ago supporting their party.

This mid-term election is the scariest thing I’ve ever seen. Some of the nutjobs that are running on the G.O.tea- Party ticket would cause Reagan to switch parties as the Tea Party makes him look like a loony liberal. And, to be honest, if they dug up the bones of Ronald Reagan stuck them upright in a chair and put his name on the ballot, I would vote for him again.

But these are the mid-term elections, meaning we have the chance to vote for a full House of Representatives, onethird of the Senate and many state and local elections but not for President and the results of this election rely on you and your vote. We learned in 2000 that it doesn’t take many votes to sway an election one way or the other, but it will take you to make your decision and vote.

The elections are just one month away. Find out who the candidates are and what they stand for. Find out who would be best to represent you and your needs whether those needs are those of a homosexual individual or an American. Vote as if your future depends on it because it does. If you don’t vote and things get any worse than they are now, you have no one to blame but yourself.

On a final note: I wish my good friend, Norm Kent, a speedy recovery