Yes I admit it. I was once a closet liberal. Government is good; corporations are bad. Entitlements are just that and excessive taxes are as patriotic as Mom and apple pie.

Democrats are for the people and Republicans are for the rich. Not much has changed in the past 30 years. Those were the overused talking points.

Looking back it does give me a perspective on how people can be attracted to the liberal mentality. So what turned it around for me?

What was the trigger that made me see the light? Talk radio of course.

Liberal vs. Conservative Talk Radio

I had my own marketing company in San Diego and was going from client to client and being in the car I liked talk radio over Metallica and AC/DC.

But when I started listening to talk radio it was all liberal talk radio. And I would drive along nodding my head up and down to all the liberal things that government and I should be doing to help better society.

Then one-day things changed. The afternoon host who had been on championing all the feel good things government should be doing left.

Suddenly I was exposed to a new host. A horrible right wing host. Not a syndicated national host but a local radio guy.

How could anyone think as he did? Where was his brain I thought.

He had the nerve to put the responsibility for all those things I thought government should help with and he dumped them squarely on my shoulders.

It was a wake up call to say the least.

As I continued to listen I heard all my previous liberal arguments kicked to the curb by curiously rational thinking.

As I mentioned earlier this was not a national guy with talking points this was a local guy espousing his personal point of view and making a lot of sense doing it.

The other thing I thought was really cool about him is — he was accessible. He rented a boat and took listeners for a free spin around the bay. Not to talk politics but just to have a good time.

No speech, no signs, no handouts, no political message other than beer. And slowly I began to see the light as to the difference between liberal and conservative without party talking points and party lines.

Some Final Thoughts

One thing both liberals and conservatives have in common is both want to help people. I know some of you are going to deny that is even possible of the other party based on your party affiliation.

The thought of helping is there — the methods however are vastly different in how the help is delivered. And there — as they say — is the rub.

Thanks to social media political factions are further apart than ever.

Before you just accept a point of view out of hand because that’s been your family’s point of view for years — why not explore opposing viewpoints?

The thinnest pancake has two sides. Why not learn what those who think differently from you are thinking and why?

My position changed not because of party but because of evidence and arguments that made sense. Give it a shot. Comments below.

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