Have you ever changed your political stance? What changed your mind? What would

1. 66

   ThompsonPenposted 12 years ago

   Have you ever changed your political stance? What changed your mind? What would change your mind?
   
   I find that usually people are stuck to the political side they have chosen. Is it possible to change sides? What might be inspiring to one to go from republican to libertarian? Extreme left to the extreme right?

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   S Leretsehposted 12 years ago

   I voted for Obama, tho I'm a staunch conservative. It was more of a protest vote against the Bush Admin. and his (and Cheney, Chertnoff)  9-11 attack (killing 3000 people and launching two wars in the middle east).

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      lone77starposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I supported Obama, too, because of his silver-tongued rhetoric. But found him to be more of the same and accelerating toward nightmarish debt and destruction of America and Constitutional liberties.

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      Garifaliaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I believe the US presidents dance to the tune of those in real power. They seem to have had their hands tied for many years now. As the prime ministers of EU contries to those in power here.

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   tmbridgelandposted 12 years ago

   I have always been generally libertarian. Living in Illinois and watching politics in action here, I have over the years become more and more negative towards Democrats. Unfortunately, Republicans are usually just useless, and too often almost as bad. I have not changed my political orientation, but have changed my mind on a few specific issues, abortion and immigration for example.

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   An AYMposted 12 years ago

   I go towards Democratic since only 1 of those two parties wins.  The most important issue for me in regards to politics is the enviroment.  If Republicans came out saying they cared less about industry-uber-alles and more about the environment than I would hop on board immediately.

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      lone77starposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I used to lean Democratic, but now I'm Libertarian, because environment was getting screwed by Demopublicans and Republicrats alike -- both branches of the Corporate Party.
      
      Thrive
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEV5AFFcZ-s

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      An AYMposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      At present I don't believe someone outside the 2 party system will win unfortunately, so I cast my vote for the lesser of two evils.

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   d.williamposted 12 years ago

   My whole family has always been registered Republican.  When the Republican party was taken over by the extremists, (especially the likes of Palin, Ryan and Bachman to name just a few); then abandoned the common citizen in favor of Corporate America;  and when "conservative" views became religious idiocy, we had no choice but to switch parties.

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      ChristinSposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I'm in the same boat with you - this sounds exactly like our story.

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   secularist10posted 12 years ago

   I was originally libertarian more or less, but over time as I studied economics and other topics gave that up because I realized that libertarian (and much of modern conservative thinking) is unrealistic and idealistic. It is just as pie-in-the-sky in its assumptions and beliefs as hard left and socialist thinking.
   
   So now I mostly fall on the left side of issues, but without being a straight-ticket liberal. I do recognize many good ideas on the right.
   
   I would change my mind again if, like my first conversion, I found evidence in favor of the other side.

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   Ericdierkerposted 12 years ago

   We are a happy lot. Socially Liberally and fiscally conservative. A bent to far in any direction causes us to look elsewhere. I can dig party line folks, they have more of a celebration and less of a cerebralation. But our notion is the state of Flux. Adjust, adapt, celebrate, move forward. One thing I learned a 16 year old: I owe no party my allegience I owe my country common sense.

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   Mom Katposted 12 years ago

   I'm neither Democrat or Republican.  I think the whole 2 party thing should be done away with.  It's out-dated & causes a near civil war come election time every 4 years...
   
   I have my views & opinions just like everyone else.  I listen to what both sides have to say, how they act, how consistent they are, and what their track records look like.  I weigh the pro's and con's of what each candidate is saying & factor in how much is just election propaganda. 
   
   I have made my choice for this year & I'm sticking by that choice because I've done my homework.  I won't, however, voice that choice in a public Q&A section, in forum, or in a hub; because I believe everyone has the right to choose for themselves.
   I don't want people to look down on me for having a different opinion or NOT reading my useful hubs because they now know I'm on a "different side" as them.  I've seen too much slander in forum to go inviting that upon myself.
   
   So what would make me change my mind or my views?  Talking about stuff that makes sense.  More than just the pretty words.  I want to see data to back it up and I want to see the initiative for positive action & change.

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      lone77starposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      "Both sides?" Demopublicans = Republicrats (both wings of the Corporate Party). A more open debate happens October 23, 8pm CDT
      
      www.freeandequal.org/live

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   Old Empresarioposted 12 years ago

   I was on the extreme right until after college when I gradually started moving closer to the center. The most dramatic change in my political philosophy occurred around 2007 when I went from being a diehard authoritarian nationalist to being an anti-military libertarian. I became an atheist around that time. What changed me were three things: 1) I developed an understanding of politics and imperialism by reading books and essays from Noam Chomsky, Gore Vidal, and Howard Zinn. This led me to reading more and seeing the world through a different lens. 2) As an army officer, I was part of a unit that suffered over 25% casualties in Iraq with no strategic gain. I came to loathe the army leadership's incompetence, self-serving vanity, and obsession with cover-up and public relations. 3) As a defense contractor, I came to loathe the corruption and collaboration between top-ranking military professionals and the defense industry to keep these wars going on permanently. I read War is a Racket by Marine Gen Smedley Butler and felt exactly how he had back in the 1920s when he wrote it. That was the final nail in the coffin for me. I voted for Obama in 2012 and then saw that he was no different from Bush. Now I don't vote.

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      An AYMposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      War is a Racket is a good book.

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      peanutroasterposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Not voting is giving up on your country. IMO.  There are more races than the Presidential race.  People need to hold their government accountable.

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    peanutroasterposted 12 years ago

    Before being pushed to the extreme right by the religious nuts and tea baggers, there were some moderate republicans who might have gotten my vote but now they just seem bent on bringing government to the brink of disaster.
    
    The Democrats get my vote for looking out for the little guys, taking care of the environment, fresh ideas, looking towards the future and not the past, staying out of people's bedrooms, keeping religion out of politics, equal rights men, women, straight, gay, women's issues and having foreign policy based on communication first instead of the GOP's shoot first type of war mongering.

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       lone77starposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       I used to lean toward Democrats for "looking out for the little guys," but then I found that, in practice, it ends up hurting the little guys and more. Compassion never comes from the group -- the collective. Just look at Communist Russia

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       peanutroasterposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       lone77star - You've used up your allotted comments.  Let someone else express their opinion without your added comments.

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    Ghost32posted 12 years ago

    Not a bad question.  For many years, I registered Independent but am today a registered Republican and a Tea Party activist.
    
    Think I'll go write a Hub about that.  Thanks for the inspiraton!

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    MelissaVsWorldposted 12 years ago

    I am very non-partisan until time to cast my vote.  Though in this election I am siding more with the Libertarian party than any other, mostly because Gary Johnson has many of the same views as Ron Paul, who was my choice for the Republican nomination, if the other candidates running had similar views I would vote for them.  I tend to decide based upon the following:  1)  Whose views on the issues most closely match my own  2)  Whose political history and voting record (if they have ever held office before) show that they actually do vote the way they claim to while trying to garner votes  3)  Who has the educational, professional, and life experience to do the job the best  4)  Do they concentrate on the matters at hand, or do they get involved in the name-calling and bashing that most politicians engage in.

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    flacoinohioposted 12 years ago

    When I first started voting I did what my father told me to do which was to vote republican.  I was ignorant to what was going on for the most part the first two, maybe three times I voted.   My first informed vote was when Clinton was running for office.  His political positions towards reducing military spending directly impacted me as Imwas active duty Army at the time.  He elimated bonuses for three years of enlistment, he reduced the cost of living increase from 4% to 2.7%, and reduced the yearly uniform allotment creating a need for out of pocket spending for new uniforms, boots, and other articles of clothing needed to maintain our uniform dress code. 
    
    Since then I have actually not voted at all as I feel that voting for the lesser of two evils is not a good way to use my vote.  When Barack Obama was chosen to be the Democratic candidate, I was actually excited to go and vote.  He is the second Democratic candidate that I have voted for, Jessie Jackson was the other.  I think I voted for Ross Perriot in the 90's, as silly as he was he made the most sense, that and he was hilarious.  As a more responsible adult who is better informed, I still feel that President Obama can still do some good for this country.  Yes he has made mistakes and may continue to do so, but he is still making decisions that impact the people of this country that can barely provide for them selves.  I do not believe in giving a free ride or handouts to those who are not willing to contribute to our society, but those who have a legitimate need should receive the help they need.  There are a few decisions that irk me such as wasting money on college education for people who are living on college loan money until they reach their maximum loan limits, I also think that the cuts to Medicare are wrong and reducing payments to care providers will ultimately hurt people rather than control costs.
    
    Who knows if a better candidate comes up for the next election I may vote for that person even though I am not a regular supporter of that particular party.

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    lone77starposted 12 years ago

    The Corporate Party media and their Masters (the Rockefellers and their ilk) like to spin labels and pigeonhole people. The more I learn, the more the labels I learned in my youth start to unravel.
    
    I used to think of myself more as a liberal -- "compassionate," wanting to help people. But legislated compassion is just another way for bureaucrats and the Power Elite to steal wealth and power. Real compassion comes from individuals, not governments.
    
    Now, I consider myself more "conservative," but even that label has problems.
    
    The Corporate Party likes to mix in bad ideas with the labels so that some people will find the other side "evil," no matter what that "other side" is.
    
    Okay, so forget the labels manufactured by the Power Elite and their Corporate Party propaganda machine.
    
    I believe in freedom of the individual. I believe in the ability of an individual to build their own prosperity without limit. I see nothing wrong with someone building a multi-quadrillion dollar wealth, so long as they do it by creativity rather than theft, lies and destruction.
    
    Both the Republicans and Democrats have become essentially the same party -- the Corporate Party. The apparent differences are cosmetic, only. Everything important to the Power Elite for destroying America and creating their New World Order -- one-world government devoid of national sovereignties -- is being pushed forward by both the Republicrats and Demopublicans.
    
    The "right" and "left" paradigms have only been the Corporate Party's ploy to divide us so that we're easier to conquer. If we're distracted by false divisions, then we'll be too busy to notice the real bad guys.
    
    Real change comes from a lack of attachment -- to ideas, ideologies, identities and the like. Real change comes from the fearlessness to face the Truth and to follow it wherever it leads.
    
    Here's a beautiful video I discovered late last week that gives incredible hope:
    
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEV5AFFcZ-s
    
    Both parties lead to evil, death and destruction of the Constitution of the United States.
    
    Why would anyone vote for that? Ignorance!
    
    Just like Germany 80 years ago!

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       Radical Rogposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       It doesn't matter who you vote for, you always end up with some damn politician.

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    Garifaliaposted 12 years ago

    Yes, I was a Texas Republican. Since moving to Greece 30 years ago, I've gotten a different view of the world. Now I'm more center left, because one look at the world through the eyes of the world and not the States (it truly is different) gives you a different perspective.

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       ThompsonPenposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       It's amazing how moving to a new country can change one's view of the world. I found the same when I lived in Wales for several years.

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    Radical Rogposted 12 years ago

    The only voter that has any power is the one willing to change. Those that vote the same way because their parents voted that way, or simply because that's the way they vote, are like sheep just following the leader.
    Personally, I will never vote FOR any lying, scheming, self serving politician. I vote against the one I think is the worst. As far as politics go, I'm an extremist moderate.

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