Hi Peter,

The shift in my politics happened over quite a long period of time but I did have an “ah ha” moment. I’ll get to that.

I’ll often hear people say that nobody’s mind is ever changed in political discussions — that they’re pointless. That’s probably a true statement in regards to the vast majority but not in my case. I suppose I’m an outlier.

What helped to shape my thinking more than anything was this forum and the people here who were patiently planting seeds in my head through our discussions. All the while I was pushing back against many of you here, I was still heeding what you were saying and not simply discounting it because it didn’t support my preconceived thoughts about the way I felt things should be. But there was so much in the wiring of my brain that made it difficult for me to accept the point of view I was getting from many on this forum and in other areas of my life. Abortion was the one issue I could always run to for cover if need be. It was my safe place. As long as someone was in favor of abortion, I could dismiss everything else they said. And conversely, if someone was anti-abortion I was more inclined to give them a pass on other unrelated issues. I know, it’s really fucked up thinking.

I can recall one discussion in particular that I’d had with Dewester. He owned me in a most embarrassing way and it caused me to reconsider the sources I’d been using (conservative media by and large). I became more diligent about researching things rather than simply running with the half-baked conservative talking points I’d been relying on. And the only way to do that was to get outside the bubble of conservative media. What a breath of fresh air. I started seeing so many holes in the things said by Limbaugh or Hannity and the like. Once I began hearing their words with a questioning mind rather than an accepting one, so much of what they were saying no longer rang true. I questioned everything at that point and was suspicious of all they were saying.

This all happened around the mid to late 2000s. We were going through a contract dispute at work (FAA) with management who were being pressured by the Bush administration to use heavy-handed tactics with our union. A 5-year pay freeze was imposed on the workforce while management and staff continued to receive raises. I began to also question the administration I’d supported up to that time and couldn’t understand the mean-spiritedness they came with to the negotiating table. What is this administration doing to help the average Joe? Does trickle-down really work? There’s no evidence for it. Our entire workforce was in a state of disarray as the administration drove a wedge between labor and management unlike any we’d ever had. Why? And if they could take a smooth running agency like the FAA and throw it into total chaos (and it was), what does that tell me about the way they were waging war in Iraq? My eyes were fully opened at this point.

But my “ah ha” moment came when Colin Powell appeared on Meet the Press with Tim Russert in the run- up to the 2008 election, where he endorsed Senator Obama. I watched that segment, riveted to the tv, then I went out for a ride to process what I’d just witnessed. I can take you to the exact point in the road just east of Lydia where I made up my mind to leave the party and where I decided I’d be voting for Obama. It’s a moment I’ll never forget. And I’ve never looked back.

In the months and years that followed, I’ve only become more certain that I made the right decision. I was a Republican all those years previously because it’s what felt comfortable to me. I even voted for Nixon in ’68 in my 5th-grade class mock election. In all those years since that election I never really challenged so much of what the Republican Party said, I just accepted it. I’m embarrassed that it took me so many years of being intellectually lazy before wising up.

My wife also left the party and is disgusted by it today.

We’ve since become regulars at marches and supporting grassroots campaigns in our community. I was treasurer for a year for a woman running for a Minnesota House seat in the coming election. I’ve also been out door-knocking for Angie Craig who’s running for Congress in Minnesota’s 2nd district. And I’m no longer the pro-life guy. While I’m still troubled by abortion, I’ve come to realize that it’s not my place to say what someone does or doesn’t do with their body. It’s about the most personal decision a woman will ever make. I realize that now in a way I never tried to before.

I also have to credit my blog with helping me to find my way out of the conservative forest. It’s a place where I’d go (and still do) to sort out my thoughts. I own the words I write there so it’s important that I’m honest with them.

I try not to be obnoxious about my views online but I know I’ve lost some friends along the way. I was recently unfriended on Facebook by a pastor at my former church because I pointed out to her that the photo of a buff Trump* carrying kittens through the flood waters of a recent hurricane was actually a Photoshopped picture of some other person from 10 years earlier from a flood in Iowa. It’s my hope to help lead others out of the wilderness so it’s disappointing when that sort of thing happens, but such is life.

I no longer speak with my sister. It’s been 2 years since we’ve spoken. She’s an ardent Trump* supporter and I’m the enemy it seems. That’s really unfortunate but as long as she’s caught up in the conservative bubble I have no chance of speaking any sense to her. I’ve tried but she always returns to the voices who encourage her fear and hate. I’m no match for them.

Thank you to everyone here who played a role in helping me see another perspective. It's very much appreciated. Here’s a link to my blog where you can see my transformation over the years.

https://onekgguy.blogspot.com

Kevin g