My father is a registered Democrat in Macon County, North Carolina. My father is a retired union steward from Detroit. A man that defines “SCAB” much differently than those protesting at airports today. A man that believed his Democratic party supported the working man; those without a voice; those trying to live the American dream; the middle class; his family. This is a man that walked picket lines in Detroit. This is a man that served in the Air Force. This is man that loves his country! This is a man that voted for Barack Obama twice! 

And this is a man proudly wearing his Make America Great Again hat today!

I was raised by this man. I was raised to believe that the Democratic Party was the party of the people and that Republicans were rich old white men. I was raised to believe that voting was a privilege, but you had better know what you are voting for before you walk into that booth. I drove two hours in a blizzard to cast my first ballot — straight ticket Democrat. 

As a college student, I protested with the Black Caucus at Michigan State University. As the co-president of my senior class, I planned to skip my graduation because of the Republican Governor speaking. When my father dropped me off at Michigan State, his advice was simply, “Do not get arrested at a protest.”

So how did this father come to vote for Donald Trump? How did this daughter come to be a dyed-in-the-wool Republican? 

Simply put, this is not my father’s Democratic party. This is not the party of the people. This is the party of the elite. This is not the party for the marginalized; rather, the party that oppresses our cities and minorities. This is not the party of those trying to live the American Dream. This is the party that keeps making the government bigger and more burdensome and the people smaller and weaker. The more people Democrats make dependent on the government, the more votes they secure. This is not the party of the middle class, but the party that expects the middle class to pay for those that live off the government. 

There are many voters like my father who never considered a Republican. I think he may have voted for Ronald Reagan, but even hardcore Democrats could not bring themselves to vote for Carter. 

Why did Donald Trump win over my father? Your father? Because he is giving the voiceless a voice. Why did lifelong Democrats vote for Trump? Why did they put aside the “yellow dog” during this election? Simply put, this Democratic Party is unrecognizable to those upon whose backs it was built!

Why did Democrats still win in urban areas like Detroit, Chicago and even Fayetteville? Is the devil you know really better than the devil you don’t? On the campaign trail, then-candidate Trump asked urban voters, “What do you have to lose?” As a recovering Democrat, I ask: Has your party served you and your family? Are you better off today than eight years ago? Are your communities safer? Cleaner? Are your schools better?

While we may not agree with how President Trump gets things done, we all know he will get things done. We elect our government officials to serve us! We don’t serve government! Isn’t it refreshing to see someone finally working in Washington?

Michele Woodhouse is a successful medical sales representative and a conservative activist. She lives in Raleigh, North Carolina.