When did liberal and conservatives change identities?
816036
Yeah- I'm a Goldwater Republican.  Which, by today's standards is somewhere between a Libertarian and a Liberal.  Barry Goldwater, oddly enough, predicted that in the future his type of conservatism would be viewed as Liberal.
1043536
You can make the same argument about the Conservatives being stuck in the 50's.  Each faction (Cons and Libs) are stereotyped into a certain ideology that is compared to a way of thinking or political movement of a past era.  I consider myself a moderate Republican.  As such, I have as much in common with the far left as I do with the far right.  To me, both factions are "behing the times".  We live in a rapidly changing world and Liberals need to realize, just as Conservatives do, that their views and ideology are no longer embraced by the majority of the country. \n\nAnd just to add a comment, Conservatives want your money just as much as Liberals...the difference is that Liberals want to give it to the poor and/or less fortunate via government programs wheras Conservatives want to give it to the poor and/or less fortunate via religious institutions.  Same goal, just different ways of doing it.
214486
Veeery generaly speaking, the Left (liberal) and Right (conservative) of politics came out of the French Revolution.\n\nAt that time, the Left was more concerned with laws that protect people's rights, and the conservatives are more concerned with laws that protect property.  \n\nFrom this, the traditional Liberal and Conservatives have arisen.  No one politican or person exemplifies what the TRUE definition of the words are, but issue by issue, the sides of politics have been created by these factions.\n\nIf you ask me, the terms liberal and conservative are meaningless, because they can't capture the entire persons views, and a person who describes themselves as a dem, repub, liberal or conservative is doing an injustice to the political process.\n\nAll politicians agree that its not about sides, its about issues.  Not about teams, its about debate and progress.
900073
It started as the Federalist party versus the Democratic Republicans.  Once the federalists dwindled into nothingness, the Democratic Republicans were left as a single party and it wasn't long until the liberals and conservatives within the group caused it to splinter into what is now known as the Democrats and the Republicans.  The names are arbitrary, its the ideology behind each (Reps = Cons, Dems = Libs)
707435
1991, I believe, but it has been updated, clarified, and amended since then.\n\nGoogle the entire term for more info.
848575
10-20 years ago it was simpler...the democrats were for blue collar and more environmental...the Repupl;icans were always for big business and a bigger military budget....classic bread and butter against guns...there was a balance, both got their way once in a while....now the issue is getting clouded because the Republicans have reversed their ideology (causing the Democrats to change as well) from nothing but the economy stupid to global intervention in the name of business.  but to be fair, there are traditionalists on both sides.
446468
Many people go into news broadcasting to try to change the world to make it a better place.  By definition, liberals want change and conservatives don't.
1156143
I'm now a republican, I stopped being a democrat after what they have become. This political correctness and everything, It is disgusting.\n\nI live in Massachuestts btw.
821193
That's an interesting point. I don't know if you could say conservatives or liberals were defeated because it was all about the war. Liberals were sort of defeated last time because they got beaten so badly and now they are afraid to be liberals so they are moderates. Conservatives sort of got defeated this time and now everyone has to be more in the middle, which is kind of a good thing
1081156
What constitutes a "conservative" changes with time just as what defines a liberal, Republican, or Democrat.\n\nI think I have rather good credentials as a conservative. I list them so you can understand my current position.\n\nI was a founding member of the Conservative Party of New York State before I was old enough to vote. Even though I was only 15 years old  I was elected the Vice chairman of the Queens County Conservative Party Club (the largest in the state). I was a vice chairman of Youth for Goldwater and a chairman of Young Americans for Freedom. \n\nAfter college when I moved to Missouri I was elected a Republican committeeman, a member of the Republican State Committee, and chairman of the Republican City Central Committee.\n\nI ran (unsuccessfully) for congress at the personal request of President Ronald Reagan who campaigned for me and helped me raise campaign funding. \n\nI have managed campaigns, been a fund raiser for and a political consultant to a large number of  Republican candidates and elected officials including half a dozen United States Senators and two dozen congressman.  \n\nYet despite this history I did not vote for George Bush in either presidential election and have left the Republican Party to become a Libertarian.\n\nGeorge Bush and the current Republican leadership know as much about traditional Conservative principles as Jennifer Lopez knows about the Talmud.\n\nTraditional conservatives believe in fiscal responsibility. \n\nGeorge W. has given us a huge budget deficit. He has signed pork laden spending bills authorizing billions for absurdities like a bridge to nowhere in Alaska and a Museum to the Packard Automobile in Ohio.\n\nTraditional conservatives believe, like George Washington, in "avoiding foreign entanglements." \n\nGeorge W. has sent American troops to the other side of the globe to "nation build."\n\nTraditional conservatives believe in state's rights. \n\nGeorge W. has sought to oust the jurisdiction of Florida State courts when he didn't like the outcome of the Schivo case. He seeks a constitutional amendment concerning marriage, a traditional state prerogative. He uses Federal authority to deal with K-12 education, another local prerogative (and responsibility). \n\nTraditional conservatives believe in individual rights. \n\nGeorge W. has used the so called Patriot Act to violate those rights. He has directed the NSA to conduct covert surveillance of American citizens. He attacks the rights of homosexuals. [NB:Barry Goldwater, iconic conservative leader, once said, "You don't have to BE straight to be in the army, you have to SHOOT straight"]\n\nIt is clear that what passes for "conservatism" today is far removed from the traditional conservatism of men like Senator Barry Goldwater. It won't pass muster with me or anyone else who believes that what a real conservative seeks to conserve is, first and foremost, the Constitution.
785644
Very little. The parties originally stood for being conservative and non-conservative(liberal here) but the party leaders have become so close to one another in a mutual attempt at attracting votes from the opposite side that those original values are not so black and white anymore. The media portrays them as opposites in so many things but in reality, neither party does much about much and blames their shortfalls on the other.
714518
I do research. During the 2006 elections I went to a website called votersissue.org. Sometimes I just went and type the name of the person and a website detailing their stance on issues has been helpful. The media has pretty much mislabed politicians making one conservative where they were actually moderate. Making someone a liberal but they actually were a little to the right.
915833
Liberal - More government intervention in economics, less in social issues\n\nConservative - Less government intervention in economics, contemporary Christian Right conservatives will say more in social issues, many will say less
792300
You'll probably get a couple of different answers such as a former Dem that switched to the republican party. The definition I personally subcribe to is that a neoconservative or the "new" conservative is one that is further right-wing than Reagan, your exclusive, bible thumping, war mongering lunatics that point to what I call "pseudo-patriotism" as the guise for validating their Un-American behavior. The classic example being Bush and his criminal administrtion. So I guess it really depends on which definition you prefer.
922471
If you are in the States, I believe you mean the Democrats.  Liberal is a political standpoint, like conservative.  Republican & Democrat are actually political parties.
270902
From what I have seen, liberals are a lot more emotional than conservatives. They seem to get angry a lot easier. I also agree with what tony said. Especially the part about changing their ways when they get out on their own. It reminds me of a quote from Winston Churchill, "Any man who is under 30, and is not a liberal, has no heart; and any man who is over 30, and is not a conservative, has no brains."
527378
The problem I'm noticing lately is that you can disagree, but only if you are a liberal disagreeing with a conservative (speaking truth to power).  If you're a conservative disagreeing with a liberal you are a bigot.