Quote:Anchorman (the user, not the movie!) got me to thinking.  I wonder how many people's political beliefs have changed.


I know mine have.  Growing up (as hard as it may be to believe for some) I was a Far Right Republican who believed everything wrong with this country could be fixed by letting Ronald Reagan run for President again.  I was pretty far to the right both socially and economically.  

Around the time I moved out and started college, my social beliefs started moving left.  My wife certainly influenced my politics some.  She always believed that everyone should be able to have healthcare.  She become a teacher because she felt the best way to do that was to help students attain the skills they needed to get a good job.  That's when I started moving to the left on social issues, and a little to the left on economic issues as well.


Now (in many ways because of my kids) I'm more aligned with the green party than anyone else.  My political views have totally evolved.. I'm about the opposite of where I was when I was growing up.  Has anyone else changed their political beliefs so much?  Or have you stayed mostly the same?


If not political ideology entirely, what about individual issues? Any issues you've turned around on?

 

I would say that the above bolded part is because the majority of college campuses and their professors/administrations are clearly on the left.

 

As for me, I'm quite the opposite (believe it or not).

 

I wouldn't say that my family is necessarily liberal, but they always voted for democrats no matter what.  It wasn't until I got a bit older that I started paying attention to politics (around voting age).  I started actually paying attention and realized that my views didn't really match up with the views of democrats.  I cast my first ever vote for President for Ronald Reagan helping to elect him to his second term.

 

My views went further to the right after serving in the military and working as a government contractor over the years.  Fairly recently, some of my views regarding social issues brought me back towards the center, though I am still clearly on the right.

 

It's interesting though.  I remember having a conversation with my parents prior to the last election, and I asked them a few simple questions.  Keep in mind, my parents have been retired for many years, and both came from very much lower income households.  They are also very devout Catholics.

 

I asked them about abortion (they are against it).  I asked them about the death penalty (again they are against it).  I asked them about marriage (they believe that marriage is between a man and a woman).  I asked them how much of every dollar that they earn should go towards taxes.  Keep in mind, my parents are not "wealthy" by any means, they are what I would term "middle class" or possibly "upper middle class", but they gave me a number.  I asked them if it was "fair" that someone that owns a small business that shows their income from their business on their personal tax return to have to pay more.  The answer was no (my parents are very good friends with many small business owners).

 

I pointed out that with the exception of the death penalty question, their points of view are more aligned with the republican party than the democrat party.

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