A liberal is a conservative who hasn't been mugged yet

6/14/2010 | jaysin1234

[Jaysin]

There is a famous expression that "A liberal is a conservative who hasn't been mugged yet"

I would like to ask my fellow Freepers if they know of any REAL accounts of people (liberals) who turned to the right after being mugged.

I don't specifically mean "mugged" physically, but someone who perhaps lost a job because of "diversity", or someone who screamed about homeless rights until a low-income housing project was built a 1/4 mile from their house etc....

I just want to hear some good stories of liberals getting smacked in the face with reality.

On the flip side, I wouldn't mind hearing stories of a conservative that flipped to the liberal side because of something.

[2banana]

Any college student who is all for every socialist program that comes down the pike and loves obama. Then they can't understand why their first real paycheck is so small...

[GonzoGOP]

Heck I didn't make it out of sixth grade. A teacher balked on a promise and when confronted basically went with the “what are you going to do about it attitude”. I realized that people in authority lie. And that any promise that I could not enforce by my own means was without value. Living in Chicago the transition from personal life to politics was obvious and simple. Once you are no longer willing to trade what you have now, for promise of a utopia later, liberalism has no appeal.

[Huck]

I would say that 9-11 was, not to diminish the nature of that event in any way, a sort of national mugging that turned quite a few liberals towards the right.

I think GWB's adventure in Iraq may have nullified some of that original reaction, though.

[KarlInOhio]

I don't know him personally, but 9/11 seemed to give Dennis Miller a major smack upside the head.

[murron]

Yes. I worked with a woman who was a flaming liberal Democrat. Definitely against the death penalty. One day, tragically, her daughter-in-law was murdered while working in a restaurant. Guess what? She was suddenly FOR the death penalty.

[revtown]

Gov’t oversight of the Oil industry. BP had already had 30 people die before the latest incident when 11 more died. BP’s refineries had 50X the safety violations (97% of the total) over the last 5 years (OSHA). BP had 750ish violations violations vs all the other oil companies having single digits (MMS).

One of many sources: http://abcnews.go.com/WN/bps-dismal-safety-record/story?id=10763042&page=1

This blowout is BP’s fault, but our Gov’t oversight was severely lacking on enforcement. BP should of been banned from US territory.

[A_perfect_lady]

I’m a public school teacher, and a lot of teachers start out liberal and slowly drift to the right. It’s a gradual process and many of them never consciously realize that they are now Republicans, but when you talk to them, their dismay over the demonization of whites, the birth rate of illiterate illegals, the declining work ethic and sense of entitlement of the poor, and their fear for where this country is going is tangible.

[CPT Clay]

Bingo

[goseminoles]

Where should we drill there hotshot?

[CPT Clay]

My nephew had his identity stolen, changed him from a lib to a conservative overnight. An illegal alien had his id.

[Melas]

I wish I could remember who, but we have a FReeper here who’s always said that a conservative is a liberal that’s been mugged, and a liberal is a conservative who’s been indicted.

[ratzoe]

I don't know him personally, but 9/11 seemed to give Dennis Miller a major smack upside the head.

Dennis Miller has leaned to the right for years prior to 9/11.

[happyathome]

My sister is an East Coast liberal who complained loudly about everything Bush did. Then she got mugged twice within a year (in New York). Interestingly, she’s a conservative on law and order and illegal immigration, but still a brainless Obamabot on everything else. I think she was adopted (just kidding).

[TankerKC]

would say that 9-11 was, not to diminish the nature of that event in any way, a sort of national mugging that turned quite a few liberals towards the right.

Good point.

[revtown]

Chevron, Shell, Conoco other companies that have proven safety records can drill where ever. BP has issues.

[Jaysin]

stories like this (unfortunate, as they are) are what I’m looking for on this thread!

[vanilla swirl]

“It’s a gradual process and many of them never consciously realize that they are now Republicans, but when you talk to them,”

Had a conversation with someone I work with. He has been a flaming liberal as far as his talk goes yet he claims to be a Christian. I sat him down and carefully went through the different issues such as abortion, pay, taxes, etc. I told him “you’re a conservative”! His response was, “don’t tell anybody!”

[killermosquito]

Do you remember all of the BP ads that claimed that they were the most responsible, most green oil company? What a bunch of lies.

[Lakeshark]

I was a lib by default coming out of college. I didn't realize there was a choice at that point, the whole world was filled with only liberal choices from what they were teaching.

Getting into my own business cured me of that idea fairly quickly. A short series of muggings by reality.