Two things:
1. Left wing economics won't pull minorities out of poverty. It'll just push everyone else into poverty.
In what sense are you a democrat?
See above.
I support Medicare/Medicaid and am open to other government healthcare programs. I strongly support public education and think school vouchers are an awful idea.
I am a bit to the right of center on other economic issues, though I do support some environmental regs and basic consumer protection, etc. I think that competitive markets should be allowed to run (mostly) on their own, but the Republicans have spent a lot of effort making markets
uncompetitive
Socially, though, I am very much in the Democratic column. Republican social policies force me to stay 20 feet away from them at all times.
I'm also opposing any GOP policy no matter what at the moment because I don't want Trump to get a political victory.
Is this position really such a lost cause that I should just pick up and join the Republicans? Because if it is, I don't know if we have much of a chance in 2020.
I'm not at all saying that the party should bend to my values or anything. I'm just saying that it should make sure not to alienate people with similar values by constantly going on with the "Wall Street is Satan" rhetoric and using Universal Healthcare as a litmus test. You can make the argument for regulating or reforming Wall Street without acting like it's the embodiment of Lucifer on Earth and blaming every single one of America's problems on it.