My grandparents called themselves democrats because FDR was President for almost 16 years during their childhood and young adult life and most people credit him with saving the US from the Great Depression. I doubt either of them would recognize that party today if they were alive. They claimed the dems represented the poor working class, and to an extent they were correct but certainly in the present it comes from a position of condescension, their only concern now is power. One way to look at yourself isn't so much as Democrat or Republican based on political issues like abortion or gun rights, but as conservative or liberal, in the original sense. Today, many if not most liberals call themselves Democrats and many if not most Republicans consider themselves conservative. As I see these two terms, they pertain to the interpretation of the Constitution. Republicans (conservatives) generally look at that document and read it in it's strictest sense.

The 1st Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

I look at that and say if churches were forced to shut during lock-downs, then that is unconstitutional. If Congress cannot pass a law prohibiting the free exercise of religion, then how can a Governor issue a mandate. That's why I see myself as a conservative. Liberals will look at the constitution, or just about anything, and say, "well it says this, but it really means this". And so on and so forth until we don't know what laws mean anymore. They have ways around freedom of speech, too. It's called shaming.

This is only my opinion, and there a more ways to look at how you see yourself politically that just Dem. or Rep. But for election purposes, it's one or the other, so I just say vote your conscience. Good luck.

Liberalism is probably the more natural place for Americans to be located on the contemporary political spectrum. I qualify that with the adjective "classical". The right has always been conservative or for the preservation of the Status quo. It is very wary of change. Obviously then the left is open to all manner of new ideologies or ideas on social engineering or government growth. You might wonder then why national socialism was pegged on the extreme right. I don't believe it was a mistake, as odd as it seems. The left looks at conservatism as being rather rigid and perhaps to the point of being militaristic and that may be why it is placed there. As the national socialism movement was militaristically authoritarian. And the conservatism of earlier times tended to be authoritarian in its support of monarchies and the conservation of the established status quo.
Unfortunately, national socialism became something that the left could hang conservatives with when in actual fact national socialism is not about the preservation of the old heirarchy but a move to a new social structure altogether. Something conservatism wouldn't tolerate normally.

The progressive/socialist movement has pushed the classical liberal into the right so classical liberals are now interested in conserving the established socio/political structure. The classical liberal was not for big government anyway and were more libertarian in ideology.

Conservatism isn't really an ideology in itself other than the protection of the status quo. There are conservative communists, in which case, leftist communists would be the moderates or liberals and the staunch hardcore communist is the conservative. The word itself is all that it is in essence.
In the end, some things are worth conserving but change has to be accommodated. The founding principles of a nation, its constitution, should be conserved unless one wants a different country. The form of government could, and I think should be conserved, Society however does have to have room to evolve. What needs to change is the political spectrum so it is more comprehensible.The public certainly can't comprehend politics to the amusement of erudite political scientists. Who conservatively defend their positions. PJ O'Rourke, the conservative writer, said, "There is nothing more conservative than a liberal institution."
Most people in the last century throughout their lives probably moved across the political spectrum without even knowing or changing any of their views. You could have gone from a liberal to a conservative without wavering in your position an iota.

If I ever believed a democrat, I would probably vote democrat. But since they are lying just to get votes, I'd rather vote Republican.

Conservatives have been making that "taxpayer" argument since Reconstruction.