There's a famous quote that is sometimes attributed to Churchill, though I'm not sure he's the real author. It is "if you're not a liberal when you're 20, you've no heart. If you're not a conservative when you're 50, you've no brain."

So how have your Political views changed over time. Mine have gone from very conservative to middle left. 

I grew up conservative, voted for GW in 2004 and McCain in 2008 but I really didn't pay attention or put much thought into politics. It was shortly after that I found Ron Paul and went down the rabbit hole to libertarianism.

I currently consider myself a philosophical anarchist, but will vote for libertarians and against all levies that increase taxes. If there isn't a candidate worth voting for, or a levy worth voting against, I don't vote.

I've gone from left of center to right, to just short of anarchist. I loathe government.

posted by queencitybuckeye

I've gone from left of center to right, to just short of anarchist. I loathe government.

posted by Dr Winston O'Boogie

There's a famous quote that is sometimes attributed to Churchill, though I'm not sure he's the real author. It is "if you're not a liberal when you're 20, you've no heart. If you're not a conservative when you're 50, you've no brain."

 

So how have your Political views changed over time. Mine have gone from very conservative to middle left. 

*John Adams

I don't think my views have changed.  15-20 years ago I realized that my views actually aligned with Libertarian, except I'm very moderate in that I believe some regulation and govt is necessary.

I have evolved to be much more jaded.  "Journalism" is circling the toilet, and the DC politicos are all about themselves.

And FFS, how many people are just trying to vote for the winner?  Not that they're even capable of actually making a good choice if they tried.

When I was younger I didnt understand government enough to know how to vote.  I voted for Clinton once.  When I got out of college I started to understand that my social beliefs weren't as important as financial feelings about government.  

I could care less what you think about abortion, gay rights, civil rights.....etc. 

Just leave my $ alone and dont intrude into my home.

I was always rightish, went super right end of high school and in college, as a parent now I’m still right but understand the nuances of both, especially the social issues. My career was accounting and now finance, and I’ve hated the government as a whole pretty much the whole time. Give me the most of my money and get outta my way and I’m cool. 

posted by Spock

 

 

I could care less what you think about abortion, gay rights, civil rights.....etc. 

 

And just how much could you care less?

I cast my very first vote for McGovern in 1972 when I was 19. (to my parents chagrin)
 

A few years later, I switched to the Republicans for the next 40 years. 

During my teaching career, there were a handful of my buddies who were Republicans and we were always complaining about our Union’s Democrat leadership. 
 

In 2012, I became disillusioned with the GOP, declared myself an independent, and actually voted for Obama. I felt that he brought dignity to the office. And I liked that.

In 2016, I voted for Clinton on a clothespin vote. 

Trump brings little dignity to the office. Biden will bring a little more.  So I will get my clothespin ready.  
 

I lean left. Never really cared a ton either way. But the things I feel strongly about are mostly social and definitely left. I also feel strongly that healthcare shouldn’t be for profit which I’m pretty sure in the only one on here who does lol. 

Been fiscally conservative all my life. Believe that the smaller the government, the better.

Socially , much more moderate as I get older.

posted by Verbal Kint

*John Adams

Really?  I never knew it's true orgin. I've heard it attributed to Churchill and others, but knew those weren't true. I would never have guessed John Adams. 

Was more liberal when I was younger and I'd say I probably lean toward the middle/conservative now. All I ask from my POTUS is 1) don't tax the shit out of me and 2) keep our country safe (this includes no "open borders"). Don't care about abortion, religion (unless it's super lib's trying to say people SHOULDN'T be religious and pushing Muslim faith down our throats...I'm not religious, BTW). legalized marijuana, gay/lesbian rights (love each other all you want), etc. Do care about freeloaders coming into this country and sucking off the teet of people who bust their asses, day in and day out.

posted by justincredible

I grew up conservative, voted for GW in 2004 and McCain in 2008 but I really didn't pay attention or put much thought into politics. It was shortly after that I found Ron Paul and went down the rabbit hole to libertarianism.

I currently consider myself a philosophical anarchist, but will vote for libertarians and against all levies that increase taxes. If there isn't a candidate worth voting for, or a levy worth voting against, I don't vote.

I had a similar path. Conservative to libertarian...I am not quite to anarchist as some form of limited government is needed.

However, is it impossible to argue that libertarianism ISN'T the closest to what the original Constitution called for (federal government wise). 

Always conservative and care less and less each year.

Other than when I voted for Perot, wanted to see a businessman run the country...

posted by BRF

And just how much could you care less?

Hey, he only has to teach dodgeball, not grammar. Leave him alone :).

posted by justincredible

I currently consider myself a philosophical anarchist, but will vote for libertarians and against all levies that increase taxes. If there isn't a candidate worth voting for, or a levy worth voting against, I don't vote.

I thought that I was decently libertarian, but I will vote for levies on: local fire/police, rec dept, MDRR facilities, and road repair.

posted by Verbal Kint

I thought that I was decently libertarian, but I will vote for levies on: local fire/police, rec dept, MDRR facilities, and road repair.

If it doesn't raise taxes overall, I won't vote for or against it. If it raises them, I vote against. You got enough of my money, budget better.

I've stayed pretty down the middle most of my life. On social issues, I am pretty liberal. Foreign policy I am a moderate hawk.

Domestic policy, I have drifted to the right. I'm not a small government conservative, but understand we cannot spend our way out of problems. 

It's all relative really. On here I am a liberal, but to me friend group, I am the conservative guy. 

posted by ptown_trojans_1

I've stayed pretty down the middle most of my life. On social issues, I am pretty liberal. Foreign policy I am a moderate hawk.

Domestic policy, I have drifted to the right. I'm not a small government conservative, but understand we cannot spend our way out of problems. 

It's all relative really. On here I am a liberal, but to me friend group, I am the conservative guy. 

That's because you are a liberal...  This site is much closer to having your politcal bent figured out vs DC/DMV. The DMV just has a very distorted view on the political spectrum and it keeps getting worse.  

My wife and I are the "crazy" ones in our friend group here in Cincinnati. Everyone else is pretty much a raging leftist.

posted by like_that

That's because you are a liberal...  This site is much closer to having your politcal bent figured out vs DC/DMV. The DMV just has a very distorted view on the political spectrum and it keeps getting worse.  

LOL. Sure. I'll take this small sample size of this site as a representation of my own views. 

I do see your point. But, I will add, I loathe Montgomery County MD and the liberal swing it has taken the last few years. It was one of the many reasons why the wife and I moved up to Frederick, MD which is actually a good mix of R and D folks. Central and Western Maryland is not the typical liberal DMV. 

posted by ptown_trojans_1

LOL. Sure. I'll take this small sample size of this site as a representation of my own views. 

I do see your point. But, I will add, I loathe Montgomery County MD and the liberal swing it has taken the last few years. It was one of the many reasons why the wife and I moved up to Frederick, MD which is actually a good mix of R and D folks. Central and Western Maryland is not the typical liberal DMV. 

You're a liberal man.  You voted Obama twice and still will defend him to your grave.  Overall it's impossible to call yourself conservative.  This site might be a small sample size, but overall most of us seem to be pretty moderate left or moderate right.  There are a few left/right outliers on this site (some don't post anymore), but nobody here is looking at your posts and saying "yeah that dude is definitely a conservative."  This isn't an attack on you though.  I think you are a reasonably moderate liberal.  Very hard to find these days.  I know they are out there, but they are pretty silent.

Say what you want about conservatives, but I do appreciate how conservatives have dissent within conservatism.  Liberals these days don't have much room for dissent.  It's either get in line or gtfo. 

As for my political bent, I pretty much followed the same path as justin, but I wouldn't consider myself an anarchist lol.  I do loathe the Government though, and think it should be de-scoped immensely.  I would say I am right moderate conservative. I haven't gone full blown libertarian, because they advocate for some shit I can't get behind (i.e. open borders).

My first election I voted in was 2008 for McCain.  When I moved to DC in 2012 I started to follow politics more.  I slowly started to realize the Republican party was not the party I thought it was (fiscal conservatism, constitutional originalists, etc).  I considered voting for Gary Johnson in 2012, but I ended up voting for Romney.  I regret that vote more and more.  Same with McCain.  Both were/are too busy worrying about the left liking them than actually pushing to legislate with conservative values.  I haven't voted for a republican since 2012, but it doesn't mean I wouldn't vote for one again.  Give me a libertarian leaning republican and I would vote for him/her any day of the week.  Massie, Paul, etc.  I'd also vote for a republican no matter what in scenario where we have to choose between socialism vs capitalism.  For example, I would vote for Trump in a heartbeat if his opponent was Sanders.  Easy decision for me, and I would openly defend it.  As it stands now, I can't see any circumstance where I could vote for a democrat.  The 2A, property rights, fiscal responsibility, and de-scoping the Government is very important for me and they have never been close to promoting any of that.  They especially dgaf about property rights, which is extremely dangerous.  The Republicans still have some (key word is some) politicians that hold a good chunk of my values.

The libertarian party to me is trash right now.  They kinda remind me of McCain/Romney.  They are too busy trying to signal to the left than actually promoting libertarianism.  I know it has turned off a lot of people who would like to support the party. It's now 2020 and most people still can't tell you what libertarinism is, because the party can't even define it.  I can't tell you how many times I've heard responses such as "so you're conservative, but socially liberal," "so you don't believe in education, "so you don't believe in infrastructure (muh roads)," "YoU ShOulD MoVe tO SoMaLiA" etc... 

Libertarianism is about having a social and governmental order that is minimally invasive, but can still protect property and bodily autonomy. It's not that tough of a message, but the LP does a terrible job promoting it.  At this point they just need to focus on infiltrating the GOP.  Just like the socialists have infiltrated the DNC.

Since the first general election I was old enough to vote in (I was 20 at the time), I've been a libertarian.  Started out talking to a good friend of mine in whom I confided that I really didn't care if someone wanted to marry someone with the same plumbing, do drugs, consume a lot of transfat, or own a battleship.  I had started to see "small government" as being something neither major party did well, and to me, staying out of my bedroom and body was on equal footing as staying out of my bank account.  It's all my property, after all, isn't it?  Why should it be treated differently?  So that became the summation of my views: "Treat my body, my bedroom, and my billfold the same way. They're all my property, and they're none of your business."

Over the years, I've progressed more and more toward a belief in a total absence of government.  A couple years ago, I came to realize that I was functionally a full-blown Anarcho-Capitalist.  I believe in property rights, but I don't believe in the philosophical legitimacy of enforced authority.

As such, a lot of my friends see my views as being all over the map, while I see them as being the most ideologically consistent, because to me, "stay out of my shit unless I give you permission" across the board requires the fewest legislative earmarks.

Having said all that, I'm a big advocate in the value of social and cultural pressure and the benefits it can bring.  In fact, I think it's one of the better ways that a society can be ordered and devoid of chaos.  If there's no law against being an asshole, but people turn you into a villain and refuse to work with you if you're an asshole, you still have incentive to not be an asshole, but it still gives you the ultimate freedom of choice.  So long as the social pressure doesn't violate the Non-Aggression Principle, I'm cool with it.

So, my views are pretty easily summed up.  The minute your political view is such that you're trying to prohibit someone from doing something, we're going to disagree.  Doesn't matter if that "something" is doing business with a Chinese company, shooting heroin, owning a decommissioned scud missile (or a bump stock), crossing an invisible line, touching your peen to someone else's, or keeping 100% of a paycheck.  If you oppose someone doing it, I disagree.
 

posted by Spock

When I was younger I didnt understand government enough to know how to vote.  I voted for Clinton once.  When I got out of college I started to understand that my social beliefs weren't as important as financial feelings about government.  

 

I could care less what you think about abortion, gay rights, civil rights.....etc. 

Just leave my $ alone and dont intrude into my home.

Sounds an awful lot like anarchism.  I'm guessing there's more to it than that.
 

posted by justincredible

You got enough of my money, budget better.

Oh, I'm using this at some point.
 

posted by justincredible

My wife and I are the "crazy" ones in our friend group here in Cincinnati. Everyone else is pretty much a raging leftist.

The fun part is, my wife isn't NEARLY as libertarian as I am, so I'm sort of on an island even in my own house.  As a result, we don't talk politics much.

All my friends and family are pretty much the same way.  Either they're devout Democrats or they're resolute Republicans.  I'm that guy who they're not sure if they agree with or not on a given issue.