Why do some older people who started out as Democrat change to Republican party?

[BatmanVSuperman]

It seems there are quite a lot of older republicans that started out under the democrat party in their younger days. Do people just get more conservative as they age?

 

[Warhammer]

Actually, yes. People tend to become more conservative as they get older. At least, that's what I've been taught all throughout school.

 

[Thundercrack85]

Arguably society is also getting more liberal.

 

[Warhammer]

Very true as well. Gay marriage is a great example. Film and television also.

 

[SV Fan]

I think it's a myth more then anything, the south has gone Republican more then people in general have. I would love to see what the stats are for more neutral states say like Ohio

 

[Bathead]

My late mother switched to Republican purely as a means of making it easier to get a job in our Republican dominated community.

 

[craigdbfan]

Socially I find myself to be fairly liberal (Universal healthcare, Gay marriage, abortion/contraceptives & Legalization of certain drugs specifically). Then I find myself to be pretty conservative in other areas like the death penalty, gun rights, and our overall foreign policy agenda (more neocon in this area to be honest).

I have a very weird blend of political/moral ideologies I suppose. That's why I can never truly support any presidential nominee from any party as none of them really fall into that bracket. I do feel that some of them have this admixture of beliefs but decide to pick either the Democrat or the Republican party just so they can increase their chances of getting into any given office.

 

[Apollo]

I have actually seen this first hand. I have seen people I know go from being less democrat/liberal to more republican/conservative. My sisters for example both went through this as they got older.
When I see friends of mine that become more democrat/liberal, they were usually either always democrat or never were into politics to begin with, my little brother for example.

 

[SV Fan]

When I see friends of mine that become more democrat/liberal, they were usually either always democrat or never were into politics to begin with, my little brother for example.

This would explain me, I was always socially liberal but I really didn't care about politics till about 2004 when I though Bush's war should have got the man fired.

I always viewed the Republicans as the side that wants to legislate my morality though(which is part of the way I view the US foreign policy) which is why I vote solely on social issues and defense(although for the sake of argument the Dems when you get higher up suck in this regard, they just the less of 2 evils)

Probably helps I am single and don't have money issues so saving 500 bucks on taxes is not a selling point to me(I would say I am fiscally moderate and could buy into some of the Republicans fiscal stances but those issues rank low on my priorities)

 

[summerteeth]

It seems there are quite a lot of older republicans that started out under the democrat party in their younger days. Do people just get more conservative as they age?

As you get older your income grows and as your income grows the more you feel the burden of taxation. Romney won those who earn $50,000-$99,000 by 6%.

 

[Flint Marko]

Socially I find myself to be fairly liberal (Universal healthcare, Gay marriage, abortion/contraceptives & Legalization of certain drugs specifically). Then I find myself to be pretty conservative in other areas like the death penalty, gun rights, and our overall foreign policy agenda (more neocon in this area to be honest).

I have a very weird blend of political/moral ideologies I suppose. That's why I can never truly support any presidential nominee from any party as none of them really fall into that bracket. I do feel that some of them have this admixture of beliefs but decide to pick either the Democrat or the Republican party just so they can increase their chances of getting into any given office.

Agreed, I'm pretty liberal when it comes to social matters but conservative on anything else. However I'm admittedly uneducated when it comes to politics, so I tend not to voice my opinion too much or get into that many debates because I really don't know enough to make a strong argument one way or the other.
My parents are very conservative, but have grown that way with time like this thread suggests. I think a lot of it, at least in their case, comes down to them not wanting the government interfering in their matters and telling them how to handle their money. When they were in their twenties they didn't have huge responsibilities or big paychecks, but now that they are older and hold a higher position at their jobs, that comes with more money and, in their eyes, more of the government dipping it's hand in their pockets.
That's what my dad has expressed to me before, but I'm sure there are numerous other factors as well. And just to be clear, they aren't crazy disgruntled fundamentalists who hate paying taxes, they just think the government has largely overstepped it's boundaries in recent years.

 

[Shikamaru]

I've always questioned to what extent this stereotype was true.

"Contrary to popular belief, people generally do not become more conservative as they age...Ongoing research fails to back up the stereotype. While there is some evidence that today's seniors may be more conservative than today's youth, that's not because older folks are more conservative than they use to be. Instead, our modern elders likely came of age at a time when the political situation favored more conservative views.

In fact, studies show that people may actually get more liberal over time when it comes to certain kinds of beliefs. That suggests that we are not pre-determined to get stodgy, set in our ways or otherwise more inflexible in our retirement years.

http://news.discovery.com/human/psychology/voter-conservative-aging-liberal-120119.htm

I think in some ways people do get more "Conservative", but not in the way most people would assume.

"Today's liberal is tomorrow's conservative" is true in the sense that the word "Conservative" refers to being in favor of the status quo. However, what's considered the status quo today isn't necessarily the same status quo as in the past or the future. Today's Republican/Conservative is very different from the Republicans of 50 years ago (for better or worse), and the Republicans we'll see 50 years from now will be very different from the Republicans we see today (for better or worse).

In other words, the definition of "Conservative" varies relative to each generation. Each generation has their own values and problems to deal with depending on the environment they grew up in. Russia's "Conservatives", for example, are more left wing and seek to reestablish the values of the Soviet Union.

So while it's true that today's youth may consider themselves "Conservative" in the future, chances are the word will be more associated with the status quo they grew up in at the current moment (again, for better or worse).

 

[chamber-music]

Socially I find myself to be fairly liberal (Universal healthcare, Gay marriage, abortion/contraceptives & Legalization of certain drugs specifically). Then I find myself to be pretty conservative in other areas like the death penalty, gun rights, and our overall foreign policy agenda (more neocon in this area to be honest).

I have a very weird blend of political/moral ideologies I suppose. That's why I can never truly support any presidential nominee from any party as none of them really fall into that bracket. I do feel that some of them have this admixture of beliefs but decide to pick either the Democrat or the Republican party just so they can increase their chances of getting into any given office.

I actually think that is more common.

I'm more about the individual issues and policies than subscribing to any particular political tribe.

 

[Decepticonus]

I've always questioned to what extent this stereotype was true.


http://news.discovery.com/human/psychology/voter-conservative-aging-liberal-120119.htm

I think in some ways people do get more "Conservative", but not in the way most people would assume.

"Today's liberal is tomorrow's conservative" is true in the sense that the word "Conservative" refers to being in favor of the status quo. However, what's considered the status quo today isn't necessarily the same status quo as in the past or the future. Today's Republican/Conservative is very different from the Republicans of 50 years ago (for better or worse), and the Republicans we'll see 50 years from now will be very different from the Republicans we see today (for better or worse).

In other words, the definition of "Conservative" varies relative to each generation. Each generation has their own values and problems to deal with depending on the environment they grew up in. Russia's "Conservatives", for example, are more left wing and seek to reestablish the values of the Soviet Union.

So while it's true that today's youth may consider themselves "Conservative" in the future, chances are the word will be more associated with the status quo they grew up in at the current moment (again, for better or worse).

Yeah I cannot stress the environment as well. Whenever your in Europe if an American says they're conservative the European will go oh you're liberal then.

There are certainly cases of people becoming more conservative as they age. Regan was once a New Deal Democrat. Jon Voight was at one point a 60's liberal type. Thomas Sowell was a communist turned libertarian.

I would argue I'm the opposite. I started out kinda conservative-ish leaning towards libertarian but that all changed.

 

[Shikamaru]

Yeah I cannot stress the environment as well. Whenever your in Europe if an American says they're conservative the European will go oh you're liberal then.

There are certainly cases of people becoming more conservative as they age. Regan was once a New Deal Democrat. Jon Voight was at one point a 60's liberal type. Thomas Sowell was a communist turned libertarian.

I would argue I'm the opposite. I started out kinda conservative-ish leaning towards libertarian but that all changed.

I find political labels to be meaningless for that very reason. "Conservative" and "liberal" vary in definition from person to person, even in the same country. Furthermore, you'll never find 2 (intellectual) people who agree on absolutely everything. Both are umbrella statements that cover a variety of different beliefs.

I started out very libertarian up till about the end of high school, then became predominantly very liberal, then not too long after I started to notice more and more stances on the left that I couldn't agree with. Now I identify as a left-leaning moderate, meaning I would still technically be considered more left than right, but I wouldn't consider myself "super" left wing or very devoted to the left wing. But overall though, I have shifted more left since childhood.

 

[Decepticonus]

I find political labels to be meaningless for that very reason. "Conservative" and "liberal" vary in definition from person to person, even in the same country. Furthermore, you'll never find 2 (intellectual) people who agree on absolutely everything. Both are umbrella statements that cover a variety of different beliefs.

Exactly, especially when republican A says republican B is not conservative enough or that republican isn't a real conservative. These labels promote a sorta hive mind. No one really thinks like this, you may have someone who's conservative to everything but then say OH I don't mind national health care, but everything else must be conservative.
The terms don't hurt to give a very general understanding you can say Oh you'll like this person they are liberal. But it doesn't give them much justice to their views and beliefs.

Me personally, I'm quite fascistic.

 

[summerteeth]

I find political labels to be meaningless for that very reason. "Conservative" and "liberal" vary in definition from person to person, even in the same country. Furthermore, you'll never find 2 (intellectual) people who agree on absolutely everything. Both are umbrella statements that cover a variety of different beliefs.

I started out very libertarian up till about the end of high school, then became predominantly very liberal, then not too long after I started to notice more and more stances on the left that I couldn't agree with. Now I identify as a left-leaning moderate, meaning I would still technically be considered more left than right, but I wouldn't consider myself "super" left wing or very devoted to the left wing. But overall though, I have shifted more left since childhood.

I don't think we are talking about childhood though.
A. Children can't vote
B. Children are usually, not always, influenced by whatever political leanings their parents are.

I think we are more looking at what happens from someone 18-30 that makes them more conservative when they are in their 40s and more so in their 60s+

 

[Apollo]

I also have a cousin who was a pretty big liberal. Then she joined the military. And now comes off as a pretty dedicated republican. All within a span of 5 or so years. I didn't see this coming. I think she had a big falling out with some of her close friends which might have played a role with her switching teams. I recall her friends being extremely mean about her choosing to join and actually showed anti-American sentiment because of it.

 

[SuperFerret]

Simple answer to the question and to the opposite: People change.

 

[BatmanVSuperman]

People do change, but it seems less likely for a republican to turn democrat as they age than in reverse.

 

[Chance Jackson]

I started off as A religious and social conservative jingo but since becoming an Atheist I have become more and more liberal to the point where I am SUPER Left Wing my positions on almost everything has changed

 

[Warhammer]

I also have a cousin who was a pretty big liberal. Then she joined the military. And now comes off as a pretty dedicated republican. All within a span of 5 or so years. I didn't see this coming. I think she had a big falling out with some of her close friends which might have played a role with her switching teams. I recall her friends being extremely mean about her choosing to join and actually showed anti-American sentiment because of it.

That's the military for you. It will change a person. Some people are more molded/conformed than others.

 

[terry78]

How many staunch liberals join the military though? I know it varies, as I have family members that are pretty liberal that joined up.

 

[DeadPresident]

The fact that the dichotomy exists and that people are seen to be "switching teams" is part of the problem. Anybody that makes up their minds about a particular issue before hearing all of the facts is a moron. If being conservative fiscally but liberal socially makes the most sense for as many people's wellbeing as possible, that's good. It makes zero sense for people to plant themselves in a camp and even when logically they should be for something, just because it contradicts their party doctrine, they'll staunchly oppose it?

 

[Hellion]

Socially I find myself to be fairly liberal (Universal healthcare, Gay marriage, abortion/contraceptives & Legalization of certain drugs specifically). Then I find myself to be pretty conservative in other areas like the death penalty, gun rights, and our overall foreign policy agenda (more neocon in this area to be honest).

I have a very weird blend of political/moral ideologies I suppose. That's why I can never truly support any presidential nominee from any party as none of them really fall into that bracket. I do feel that some of them have this admixture of beliefs but decide to pick either the Democrat or the Republican party just so they can increase their chances of getting into any given office.

This defines me as well, thanks for putting it together so well while I try stringing words together with a headache.

The only issue I've run into with some friends is...you know, this issue is bigger than this issue...you must be this...you know, you can never be in between, you have to be one or the other...