I’ve always voted Republican. “Always” being the last two presidential elections, since I’m only 24. I think I’d have to undergo a drastic values-shift before I’d even consider voting for a liberal president.
I’m 31. That means, sometime in the next ten years, I’m supposed to slide to the right.
I was very Republican in high school. Not that I could vote or anything, but I was all for bombing Libya, I wrote in-class speeches supporting Reagan, and so on.
By the time I got to my senior year in high school, though, I had made an almost complete reversal. I don’t really remember what did it; maybe it was making friends with this flamingly out guy, maybe it was realizing that the Strategic Defense Initiative was a load of hot air, maybe I was just being contrary against my conservative parents. Dunno.
Right now, I would categorize my beliefs as a hodgepodge: generally liberal, a fair bit of libertarian (not capital-L), and a smattering of whatever-floats-yer-boat. I’m all for free market forces, but not the corporate welfare model espoused by the establishment Republican Party. On the environment, I’m teeth-gnashingly liberal. This differentiates me from “SUV liberals,” who want the environment protected so it’s clean when they visit it; I want the Arctic refuge protected such that nobody EVER goes there.
Let’s see, what else: I’m militantly pro-choice. I’m militantly pro-free-expression, to the degree that Lieberman and McCain’s attacks on Hollywood sex and violence sicken me. I think gas should be more expensive, but to offset the impact on the poor, I want more transportation alternatives. I think the ultra-rich are too rich. I think marijuana should be decriminalized yesterday. All of that puts me definitely on the left.
But…
While I take a dim view of knee-jerk military solutions (e.g. the “missile shield” snort), I can absolutely see a role for the armed forces. I think the men and women in uniform have a tough job, and I think they end up having to work against Washington’s political forces to do it. The military leadership may want to close this base or move this other one for efficiency purposes, but when some beltway fatcat refuses to let that happen in order to protect his district’s economy, the military ends up unfairly taking the brunt of the blame. I feel similarly about police officers, who have a ridiculously difficult job and end up getting shafted by ignorant politicians who don’t know what it’s like for them, day to day, on the street, but who nonetheless pass all this ridiculously unnecessary anti-crime legislation in response to that day’s news coverage. Given the stereotype of a left-winger yelling about “pigs,” I think I’m pretty far from that.
My views have been consistent for about ten years. I’ll come back and post in another ten years with an update. 
To paraphrase Olentzero and poopah chalupa, gads, I hope not. It’d be a definite sign of Altzheimers(*). Yeah, the liberal extremists are rather scary, but any extremists are scary, IMO. I have too much of a conscience to support a political philosophy that boils down to “screw everyone else, I’m looking out for ME!”
[SUB](* = Apologies in advance to Altzheimers’ victims for associating them with Republicans. It was a joke, honest…)[/SUB]
Unless you’re talking about Reagan?
I am a centrist, and really always have been. I am not even out of highschool though:). I have never really agreed with any of the parties, and probably never will.
Well, I’m 22, but ditto what Olentzero said. This last election made me so pissed off at the Democrats (my registered party since I turned 18) that I went ahead and reregistered as a Green. FTR, my dad did the same thing, and he’s 54.
Yeah, I’ve definitely gotten more conservative. I attended Communist Party meetings on campus when I was in college, wanted to overthrow the Evil Capitalist Bourbon-Swilling Hoo-Hahs, then moved on to the Punk-Anarchy Thing, etc. I had fun, and wouldn’t trade those memories for anything. Then a few years passed, I learned a little about the world and about life and about human nature; and I guess I realized my father and mother were actually right about a lot of things.
(I also realized that I had somehow become an Evil Bourbon-Swilling Capitalist Hoo-Hah. :D)
I’m 18 right now. I’ve moved a little to the right on some economic issues since high school, but I’m still very liberal on almost all social issues. I voted Nader in the last election, but I would have voted Gore if I lived in a state where it mattered. I wouldn’t consider voting Republican right now though, at least not for President or Congress. Although they might be willing to trim a few federal programs, it seems that most of the federal budget is just there to stay, and that no one from either major party is interested in tackling it.
tentatively raises hand Sort of.
As a teen, I was pretty hardcore left-wing. I believed in a socialist economy, complete world disarmament, gun control, legal abortion, socialized medicine, and a return to the days of 88% taxes on the top 1%.
Now I’m 29. I’m still to the left on most social issues (abortion, equal rights, public schools), but I’m now undecided on gun control and in favor of a strong military (but anti-ABM on technical, economic and diplomatic grounds).
My biggest change came in economics. I now support free-market capitalism and I want lower taxes, particularly on capital gains. Why? Greed, plain and simple (NOTE: I am speaking for myself and only for myself here). I have stuff now, I’m working so I’ll have more stuff in the future, and I don’t want anyone taking away my stuff. I realize this isn’t a particularly noble outlook, but it’s how I honestly feel.
I still don’t vote Republican, but I’m not automatically going to vote for someone just because s/he’s a Democrat.
–sublight.
P.S. Guin, you’re 22? Strange, I thought you were older than me. I think I keep getting you confused in my mind with wring.
shoots self in head as pre-emptive strike
I don’t want to live like that! Legalize euthenasia for everyone at 30!
— G. Raven
I, on the other hand, am over 40. With apologies to all those 20-somethings who responded, I’m putting parameters around “older” that don’t include 22.
To me the key factors are capital and assets. After you’ve earned some money and paid some taxes, bought and sold a few homes and stocks, the fiscal arguments of the Republicans start to sound darn freindly. As you get older you are more protective of your hard earned money. And you naturally feel less secure about your ability to replace it. Tax reduction? I’m all for it! Eliminate the “death tax”? You bet! Smaller government? Go for it!
But really, I’m with many of you on the other issues. I am very opposed to the Republican creed when it comes to the environment, corporate welfare, social programs, etc. So, where does that leave me?
Personally, I find enough fault with the 2 party system that I registered Reform party and voted Nader just to protest. But that is another debate for another time.
Actually I started out Republican, then moved much more to the left when I was right out of high school. Somewhere along the way I woke up and returned to the Republican side. Recently I realized I had fallen asleep again, got disillusioned with both major parties, and became a Libertarian. Personally, I prefer the government to stay out of my life and to not pay for services I don’t use.
Thirty-one, two kids, and movin’ steadily left. I’m not sure I’m even on the American political spectrum any more, which of course makes me slightly left of center in most of the rest of the world.
Again, depends on the individual. I’ve paid lots of taxes over the past 20 years, owned property and stock since I was 28 or so, have two kids, blah de blah de blah.
During political campaigns, my wife and I often point out in desultory fashion that we are JUST the sort of voter that the Republicans are after. (If we were richer, we’d be even more perfect.) If we were singlemindedly concerned with our own personal well-being, that is, and ready to go live in a gated community, and depend entirely on the teevee set for entertainment and give up garlic.
A very interesting question. My parents were born and grew up during the Great Depression. They’ve been life-long Democrats because of the role they believe gov’t has in protecting and helping those that often can’t protect and help themselves. They’re now at the age and income bracket where you would expect them to be more conservative, but such isn’t the case at all. My mother gets more and more liberal as she ages. I think that the “live and let live,” mind-you-own-business doctrine favored by Democrats makes much more sense when you’ve lived a bit.
I first started getting interested in politics and public affairs during the mid-70s. The first really charismatic politician I was aware of was Reagan, but I could see through that “Morning in America” bullshit as hype. It just got worse. What was it that Gary Trudeau called the Gulf War in Doonesbury - “Operation Frequent Manhood?” And now we’ve got Bush the Younger. No one’s particularly suprised that gas is going to be pushing $2.50 a gallon are they? Dick Cheney’s got 35 million reasons why he’s pushing a consumptive energy policy that’s been developed completely behind closed doors.
Me more conservative as I age? Me a Republican? Never.
(And for the record, I’m a white male, 37 years old, one daughter, making $65,000 a year, with a house, stock, mutual funds, and a taste for very dry martinis and good scotch. If anyone should be solidly in the Republican camp its me. Instead, as far as I’m concerned they can all go to hell and good riddance to them).
Thanks for replying, everyone.
Reading this thread has made me realize that my uneasiness comes not from realizing I might be a Republican, but from the realization that I don’t have a party label anymore.
I mean, c’mon, aside from the left-of-center beliefs I espoused in the OP, I’m also extremely pro-environment and, something I realized in a conversation with a conservative friend, still very anti-Big Tobacco. (Tangent: “It’s a legal product” they say. Well, I don’t care. That doesn’t mean they have the right to lie to everyone for years and then when their product is exposed as being bad they decide to go after the one marketing segment that doesn’t know any better: kids. End tangent.) And SDI? Talk about your government waste.
I guess, in a way, my views have become more libertarian, but not enough to where I could capitalize that “L.” And I don’t think they ever will become that way. For one thing, I love PBS and the NEA way too much for that to happen.
I’m not sure why I changed, though I’m sure being immersed in the messy innards of American politics has something to do with it.