Has anyone here been a liberal but turned into a conservative?

Question

I'm just curious what made you switch. Maybe you could give me 1) one or two or three (the more the better) issues that did it, and
2) also if there are any issues that you stayed with on the liberal side.

I'm not attacking, insulting or mocking; I'm just curious. Thanks.

No need to answer if you're still a liberal. :)

Answer 1

I used to be liberal when I was younger...but honestly, I was very naive about the ways of the world. I'm not saying this is true about all liberals....but it was for me. I grew up in an upper middle class home, never knew poverty, or hunger...I was in college....I listened to the Beatles...it just went with the terrority. But as I grew older, and learned about the world...I became a realist. You have to do what you have to do, and sometimes, its very ugly. But, when your survival depends on it....
I am not a war mongor, and I don't want to bomb everyone to hell and back....but I think that taking the necessary precautions to protect our country, and to protect our values is the right thing to do...
I guess I'm still (slightly) socially liberal...and I still listen to the Beatles. :)

Answer 2

An honest question? Since I am dead. (recognize that face?) this will be more of a historical review.

I'm still the icon the classic target of liberalism that has been falsely turned into the anti-idealogy by extremist radicals whose rhetoric is written by a very fearful conservative movement of 35 years. A liberal today has been made into a statement akin to Satanic worship or worse. These are the products of fantasy infested conservative hypocrisy that only a sick mind could imagine. It use to mean that by becoming conservative was simply the act of becoming 'settled' in older years of a persons life. That is the only natural and common means toward 'becoming conservative' as your question asks.
What I believe is 'unnatural' is the sence of mebership in a cult of conservativism that many young and naive simply associate as being on the 'correct' side of a false 'culture war' debate raging amongst Conservatives who lost out because they chose not to set out to venture into the huge set of opportunities that were explorable. Because of fearing the unknown, the most vocal Conservatives on Talk Radio never took advantage of they promote a 'stay at home' generation of people. By discouraging youth to explore, they offer little hope without much personal experience or involvements to reflect upon by age 18.

You're only Young once in your life and many Conservative advocates lost out on their chances. Perhaps why so many seek answers in the text of religion.

Answer 3

I used to be a flaming liberal. I'm not a "conservative" now, but I get accused of being one because I make fun of the Democrats. To make matters worse, I'm GAY, and GOD FORBID a gay man should NOT be a Democrat.

I "switched" probably because I grew up a bit. I also realized that the Democrats and "liberals" weren't as "nice" as they claimed to be. I remember when I was about 29 years old, when the Republicans won congress. I had a roomate at the time who MADE me listen to Rush Limbaugh. I had never heard of the guy before (well I'd heard his name, but knew nothing about him), and I was utterly SHOCKED to hear him making fun of Democrats and civil rights leaders (like Mandela, and Jesse Jacskon), and animal rights people, and environmentalists, etc.

I realized then that I had always taken for GRANTED that these kind of people were all good, and well-intentioned, and had no ulterior motives. At that moment, I questioned my beliefs, and realized that these "liberal" types were just as slimy and self-promoting as anyone else. So, thank you, Rush.

(I still don't listen to Limbaugh, I admire his success, but I really don't like talk radio. I DO tune into NPR News for a laugh, though - those guys are hilarious, and don't even know how funny they sound...).

Love, Jack.

Answer 4

Yes, I have (did).

The saying I heard that describes the process is this: "If you aren't a liberal when you are young, you don't have a heart. If you aren't a conservative when you are older, you don't have a brain."

I was a member of the SDS in the late '60s /early 70s and was very ultraistic in my thinking to a point I alienated family members (grandfather) for a while.

Life experience (including being homeless for a time) and education changed my views.

I still believe in a woman's right to choose and several other "Democratic" issues, but for the most part, I'm Republican.

Answer 5

I used to be more on the democratic/liberal side of things, but since moving to California, I have changed my views (for the most part). I admit to getting so disgusted on how things are here that I changed my voter registration form to Conservative. I am basically an open minded person, but when things are so out of whack and everybody is sooo worried of offending everybody else if they have an opinion that doesn't follow the liberal view, I couldn't take it anymore.

Answer 6

I have never switched affiliation, but I am reminded of the old reporter for 20/20, John Stossel (sp?). He was a typical liberal member of the press and then one day "saw the light" and became completely conservative and started to out many of the people he used to support.

Interesting story.

Answer 7

lead them to artwork for a twelve months and then hand 'em a W-2. a chum of mine mentioned he watched his son "develop right into a conservative in front of his very eyes" while he won his first genuine W-2 interior the mail.

Answer 8

Well, I voted for JFK, and have spent the last half a century trying to figure out why. Think I was just young and didn't know much at the time.

Answer 9

No, I stayed away from drugs. I'm still a liberal.

Answer 10

I actually did the opposite... con to lib (for the most part)