Quote:I'm kind of the same way.   My political beliefs have changed, mostly as a result of being repelled more than being attracted.   When I went off to college, I was very left wing, but as I went through college, and was exposed to a lot of left wingers, professors, university policies on affirmative action, etc, I became much less liberal and more conservative.   Then when the religious right came along, I was repelled by them and became much more liberal and less conservative.  

 

Although I would add, a lot of people like myself cannot be put into a left or right pigeonhole.   For a lot of people, myself included, political beliefs are all over the map.   I don't think you can predict my opinion on one particular issue based on my opinion on another particular issue.   For example,are you for more regulation or less regulation?   I am not for more or less regulation; I am for the right amount of regulation.   A little more here, a little less there.

 

A lot of people just choose left or right rather than thinking independently about each issue.  People who say they are conservative or they are liberal are taking a mental shortcut.   It's the lazy way to set up your political positions: follow someone else's lead.  

This is pretty much how I feel. Even though some test says I'm Libertarian I find that not to be entirely accurate on all things. There are things I am more conservative on and others I'm more liberal and some I'm in the middle or don't have enough information to make an informed decision even though I may have an opinion about it.

 

I've always called myself a policy voter, I'd vote for whoever had the most policies in line with my thought process at the time. Some have called me wishy washy or say I don't have a backbone. Not true. Some beliefs never ever change for sure, but the way you look at things can and does. Plus, your ideas of things change when you enter your career, get married, have kids, etc. I have a friend who has never really had an opinion of things relating to kids because she thought she'd never have one, out of choice. Then she did a year ago, and in her mid-30's at that, and now her perspective has done a 180. 

 

I kind of agree that people who put themselves in a box regarding right and left are being lazy, because no matter the issues or how bad the candidate, they will always vote that way. But there are some that are true republicans and true democrats to the core. The crazy thing is my father-in-law is super conservative in his daily life and his beliefs, but he votes democrat every single time because, and this is a true quote, "the rich man has never done anything for me." My husband has tried to let him in on the not-so-little secret that democrats are rich, too. And my mother-in-law votes for exactly the same people as her husband. Drives me nuts. My mom does the same though as she votes for the same candidates my step-dad does. My husband and I are almost polar opposites on most issues but do agree on some.

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