Not a day goes by, it would seem, when the discussion of politics comes up in every day conversation. Of course, this topic, perhaps like no other (with the exception of religion) causes the most disagreement. "Lines in the sand" are drawn and, often, good friendships can be torn asunder by one's identification with a political party or ideology.

Conservative? Liberal? Independent? .... Anarchist? Which political ideology do you identify with? Most importantly, how did you come to hold this view? Were your parents conservative? Is that why you are now a conservative? Perhaps your parents were conservatives and, as a typical act of adolescent rebellion -- in an attempt to assert your "own" views on the world -- you chose to be liberal. You know, to be different.

Maybe you developed your views on the world because all of your friends seemed to hold a specific view on things and you just "hopped on the political bandwagon". On the other hand, did you come to develop your own view of things through your reading and/or your exposure to television or radio news.

How did you come to hold the political view that you currently espouse?

[edit on 5/3/2006 by benevolent tyrant]

[edit on 5/3/2006 by benevolent tyrant]

My political leanings have altered as I've grown older. I supported John Anderson's failed independant bid in 1980. Volunteering, all that sort of stuff, even though I couldn't at the time vote. Drove my parents absolutely berserk. Which of course, was the entire idea .

Gradually over time, I've swung between independent and that rare breed of democrat: conservative. I do trend toward the conservative in most of my views, but mostly I am a middle of the road, vote for the one that seems less likely to screw up wholesale kind of guy.

At the moment, I am praying for an independant candidate to show up who actually has a snowflakes chance. I guess time'll tell.

My views are a little, no make that a lot, to the left of my parents. A leftover of adolescent rebellion, I suppose. Especially since I've come back to the right as I've gotten older.

[edit on 3-5-2006 by seagull]

I suppose in terms of politics I take after my dad. But since I havnt seen my dad 8 years I doubt his political views were a big influence. I dont really have a place on the political spectrum.

One of my teachers once said " that is the most right wing thing you could have said. "
However Im more pro labour ( not a big fan of unions thou ) then most right wingers. I do support tax cuts , the free market and increased military spending e.t.c

As for social issues I dont have any time for pro lifes and the religious right.

[edit on 23-5-2006 by xpert11]

I am a conservative by the way i apporach political problems, but i am a nationalist. My parents were defiantly the force behind my conservatism. Basically a right-winger.

The nationalism was a seed that my grandparents planted in me that grew as i matured. Like my parents I was active in our ethinc community. I was in the scouting, dancing (got to see alot of the world through it), church, politcal/charity orginzations and god only knows what else. I was given a ethnic pagan name and always spoke a "funny language" that everyone else was trying to figure out. My grandparents would always tell stories about my families history, traditions, everything about the "old country". As a kid none of these was useful and frankly I could'ent give a flying f***.

It all changed however when i was old enough to visit the country i was from. I saw ALL of the family, when to the national sites didn't sake me up to much. It was when i went to one of my aunt's houses and she showed me a picture of my grandfather at age 9 with his three brothers riding down the streets on horse back carrying the counties flag just after it got indepndence in 1917. After looking at that picture we went to a church that my grandfather built after being orphaned by the russians and in the graveyard is my families cemetery with our family going back to the 17th century.

Needless to say on the car ride back to the capital to get to my hotel i was dead silent. When i was in the city i took a walk through this cathedral saquare and i looked up and saw this old fort which was where they raised the countries flag after it got it's freedom from the soviets in 1990 with a giant flag flying. Needless to say i had to rush into the cathedral so i didn't look like a basketcase. In that momment everything made sense. Hearing the family stories, my family being pagan lords, book smugglers to keep the language alive, fighting in the military for freedom, being partisans againsts the soviets, 30+ family members dying in siberia, coming to America and keeping their culture alive. Seeing the sacrifices that my family made to keep their identity was overpowering. In that one day i became a nationalist i finally relized where i was from and how it molded me to what i am today.

Its only now at age 29 Im even beginning to get a sense of my political feelings.
I have been watching the news increasingly since 24 and am starting to read history and such to get deeper into issues. I think im some sort of 'compassionate libertarian' . I support highly efficient government. Small but not neglecting the good that can come from improving the standard of living at the bottom. The urge to find my political philosophy comes from a true sense of universal freedom and prosperity for all. I want to utilize the free market more than socialism. I want either social liberty or social issues mostly determined by locales - not even states-more like community level. You can move to a christian community or a liberal community etc. Just increase the diversity of american communities by extending more power to the individual cells.

I asked myself the same questiom growing up! By digging deeper I found that I often try to look for canidates who seem to be in line with my personal values. Ask youself, what do you value?

Tim