Political evolution poll

[Edouard]

Just for curiosity

[vcczar]

I don't think I've really changed ideologically at all since about 2005. 

I was more or less non-political but with more conservative leanings (because born in Texas with a very religious dad) when I first voted in 2000 (first time eligible). Even then I had no strong convictions on any issue. 

By 2004, I definitely was a lot more informed. I was reading about politics regularly and talking about them to people from a range of views. I was probably actually at my left-wing peak in c. 2003-2006. I was probably left of Bernie Sanders at this point. 

By about 2007, I pretty much settled to where I am now. Somewhere between Sanders and Elizabeth Warren but with some tolerance on RW things (I don't like guns but I can understand some logic gun users make. I believe in States Rights under certain conditions. etc.). 

There's been nothing in current events or in my life to create any further shift at the moment. It's likely due to the GOP not being a viable alternative and a growing anti-intellectual, anti-humane, etc. wing in their party. I don't think I can ever be convince to move to the right socially. I am flexible on economics, so long as it doesn't interfere on the social scale. 

[ShortKing]

There's more nuance than just not changing, but since I was like in seventh grade, I was basically center to right of center on most issues. 

[Edouard]

Interesting replies !

For myself I have barely changed since 2013, I just went to the right on economic issues and a bit more to the left on society, but like vcczar I was mostly also influenced by parental influence my parents being far left.

I have witnessed some people around me moving from far left to mainstream left and some others moving for extreme right wing in economy to mainstream economic conservatism.

I called myself a left-wing person in 2017 but now I consider myself a centrist.

Edited February 13, 2023 by Edouard

[Pringles]

In 2015 I was a mess. I remember telling a teacher I wanted Bernie Sanders or Ted Cruz to win. 
 

Overall my trajectory is more socially liberal while more economically conservative. 
 

If anything I have become more and more establishmentarian, and more of a globalist though. That’s the real change. I used to be on populist/anti establishment gang for the most part, now I’ve despised about all of that for 4-5 years. 
 

I’ve also become way more of a hawk, though on a traditional level, perhaps I always was a hawk but I was just too young to have any political identity thought before 2014 really. 
 

In 2015 I hated Neo Cons, the globalists, allowing Syrian refugees to come here, and I hated Obama.

Now I’d tell you I am a Neo Con, I like immigration, and I like spreading and protecting freedom. And I’m proud of it. 😛 

My views have changed some things in the last 2 years, on small things but I don’t see myself changing drastically anymore… like many I’d imagine you solidify the older/more of an adult you become.

That doesn’t mean one shouldn’t think about political issues or related things of course when they are an adult… because to improve is to change. To perfect is to change often. 😛 

[Cenzonico]

Really this would be since 2016 because I didn't get into politics until then, but my political journey was radically volatile until about 13, 14 (I am 16 currently) when I finally settled on Libertarianism and since then I've just built on that.

[Rezi]

Well, I've had a real journey since 2015. That's when I first really got into it through watching Bernie videos on YouTube, which has pretty much shaped my politics since. So 2015-2016 I was a pretty basic Bernie bro. Then I jumped way too far left until 2019 when I start to moderate a bit, and I'd say now I'm more economically center than I ever have been (still center-left though).

 

On specific views that have changed a lot, I've become much more of an interventionist thanks to the War in Ukraine, much more skeptical of a federal minimum wage, more pro-free trade, etc. Also I have at least some understanding of basic economics now.

[lm1145]

Hmm.. well I guess I would say my economic outlook has stayed pretty consistent and socially I have became more liberal. I'm hard to put in a box. On some issues, you'd think I was a Trump supporter, on other issues Bernie Sanders would say I'm a little too far left. I basically identify as a nationalist/populist that is left wing and right wing at the same time. I'm against the oligarchy in America, I'm against intervention in foreigh conflicts for the most part, against globalism, a protectionist. Tulsi Gabbard is the modern politician of choice for me.

Edited February 13, 2023 by lm1145
Had another thought

[vcczar]

I'd say I went from centrist at age 18 and 19 to Far-Left by age 24 or 25. Then settled at about Left at 27 or 28. Really, somewhere between Left and Far-Left. My politics is totally social. I'm only interested in economics and foreign policy in so much as it impacts social policy. I'll always support the nominee for president that is both 1) most socially liberal , and 2) has at least a 1% chance at getting 270 EVs, which rules out every 3rd party. 

In theory, I don't care if someone is socially conservative or a foreign policy interventionist, so long as:

• Don't commit war crimes. 
• The majority of the populous where we are intervening supports our intervention or that population is under an authoritarian regime that is actively and obviously seeking to kill Americans or our allies.  
• Supports abolishing student loan debt or making it easier to pay back.
• Supports an increase in the minimum wage
• Generally supports preserving and expanding welfare
• Works towards more affordable university, medicine & healthcare, transportation, etc. 
• More or less strongly supports FDR's proposed 2nd Bill of Rights, obviously updated for the 21st century.
• Is not anti-intellectual and is not anti-humanitarian, both domestically and abroad. 

[Edouard]

For those that it interest, here is how americans define themselves at large

Liberal is less of a dirty word than it used to be, more people seem to switch toward the word "liberal" than they used to several decades ago when there were Moderates and Conservatives and where liberal was considered as an extreme bad word.

That's also because the real term to call left-wing, progressive, is starting to appear

It's interesting how despite a stable economic evolution, the society is becoming more progressive, this poll tells a lot about societal dynamics when you compare the 2 questions and how we responded.

It's 50-50 about economic issues but not about society. And I of course know that in the case of Wv it's a switch on some key issues like drugs not everything about society.

[vcczar]

I should also add that while I'm Left-to-Far Left, i'd say there is nothing about me that's Populist, in the ideological sense, as I don't arrive to my opinions based on populist reasoning. I think nationalism is stupid, so that probably impacts my foreign policy rationale. If the leftwing party became the nationalist party, I might start having some issues.  While I oppose both nationalism and populism, I also oppose elitism and contrived hierarchies, but I do strongly support meritocracy and democracy.

 

[Edouard]

This poll suggests me this idea @vcczar

There is a trend to more societal liberalism in every countries but particulary in western ones.

The old political division between economic and social left-wing parties and economic and social conservatism (in the old way to say it) has boomed. Right-wing parties have become more liberal on the society in countries like Canada and the UK but probably also in others countries. Conservative parties in those countries are no longer societally conservative but still are economically conservatives.

Countries where the big right-wing party of power has not modernized on society like in France with the french Republicans, the consequence has been the political collapse. When the right-wing party tries to remain fully conservative it opens the door for third way parties like the one of Emmanuel Macron.

In France in 2010 you had one major party which was both economically and societally left-wing (Socialists) and one party which was both economically and societally right-wing (UMP then called Republicans). It was not possible to imagine that 10 years later you would have a party of government who would push for a later retirement age and medical assisted reproduction for lesbians in the same platform. It is the political platform of the current government of France.

This poll really suggests me that we are at a time where there is a national shift on society while economic political divisions remain the same as they were.

[DakotaHale]

I have certainly become more left-wing on economic issues, supporting things like universal healthcare, labor unions, progressive taxation and etc. Still lean right overall on economics however. I think both US parties since 2000 have totally mismanaged economic policy.

Regarding social issues I consider myself a libertarian, with the exception of the abortion issue in which I am unequivocally pro-life.

[WVProgressive]

My poll responses might be a bit inaccurate to be honest. In 2015 I was a stock-standard Bernie Bro Left-Populist, over the years I bounced between extreme leftist ideologies, mainly out of a desire to be a part of something bigger than myself, and a want to simplify a complex world rather than out of any actual political philosophy. I was miserable, but thankfully one day I woke up to myself, and decided to change myself. After a while I learned how to actually form an identity for myself, instead of using heterodox political ideologies as a replacement for actually living life, and being a person.

With this self discovery, my political opinions, and my expressions of those opinions have changed quite drastically. As I’m sure some of our longer standing forum members remember, when I was an extremist I was aggressive, argumentative, and overly pessimistic. These days I like to think I’m much more willing to accept, and actually discuss contrasting viewpoints. Still working on that third point though.

I could go on, and on about how my personal growth has affected my political beliefs, but this post is already longer than it needs to be. I’ll end with this: I consider myself a radical centrist because I take views from eclectic sources of every persuasion from far-right to far-left. That’s why I consider myself to have moved ‘to the right’ over the years, even if that isn’t exactly accurate. Idk, this is probably rambley, and way too personal but I just thought I’d put it out there.

[vcczar]

31 minutes ago, WVProgressive said:

My poll responses might be a bit inaccurate to be honest. In 2015 I was a stock-standard Bernie Bro Left-Populist, over the years I bounced between extreme leftist ideologies, mainly out of a desire to be a part of something bigger than myself, and a want to simplify a complex world rather than out of any actual political philosophy. I was miserable, but thankfully one day I woke up to myself, and decided to change myself. After a while I learned how to actually form an identity for myself, instead of using heterodox political ideologies as a replacement for actually living life, and being a person.

With this self discovery, my political opinions, and my expressions of those opinions have changed quite drastically. As I’m sure some of our longer standing forum members remember, when I was an extremist I was aggressive, argumentative, and overly pessimistic. These days I like to think I’m much more willing to accept, and actually discuss contrasting viewpoints. Still working on that third point though.

I could go on, and on about how my personal growth has affected my political beliefs, but this post is already longer than it needs to be. I’ll end with this: I consider myself a radical centrist because I take views from eclectic sources of every persuasion from far-right to far-left. That’s why I consider myself to have moved ‘to the right’ over the years, even if that isn’t exactly accurate. Idk, this is probably rambley, and way too personal but I just thought I’d put it out there.

I think being from West Virginia probably puts you in a unique place in American politics too. No other state is quite like it. 

[MrPotatoTed]

I was a hard core Republican in 2000, became a moderate Republican in 2004, became an independent moderate in 2008, became a moderate Democrat in 2012.

Since 2016, I've been a hard core Democrat -- but my views didn't actually change after 2012.  The Republican party did, to the point that there is no room for moderation anymore.