What draws you to the left side of things?

I could go on forever but here’s the quick and dirty story:

I actually used to be conservative/libertarian but then the GOP’s total abandonment of it’s traditional principles and even basic decency under Trump pushed me to the Left.

I also read the science behind climate change and started to really understand the dangers it poses: only the Democrats care.

I’ve also undergone an evolution on race, and realize how hard persons of color still have it in our society and want to help.

Finally, growing up and getting a job that pays decently well makes me not scared of paying a bit higher taxes so others can have a better shot.

technically i'm left-leaning, but i don't call myself a liberal because it feels a little tribalist today

Interesting!

I feel like "liberal" used to kind of be a slur back in the 90's and 00's, and a label people avoided. But these days "liberal" feels like a more mainstream alternative to the labels "progressive" and "socialist" that many on the left are increasingly adopting.

I also feel like "Leftist" has become the Right's go-to insult, while "liberal" has fallen by the wayside as a slur.

Bottom-line, the word "Liberal" to me has lost its bite and now feels like the most neutral way to start a conversation about left-of-center views.

"Democrat" wouldn't have been right either, since I realize not all left-of-center people feel at home in the Democratic Party -- not even Bernie Sanders, arguably the most influential left-leaning American politician of the 2010's decade, right up next to Obama.

If you go by the definition of liberal, I could be properly called a liberal. I'm not sure I'd be left of center though.

However the left became less liberal over time and kept calling themselves liberal for a while. Progressive has also moved away from progressiveness while keeping the name. I wouldn't be surprised if they became less leftist and kept calling themselves the left.

I am politically agnostic. Liberals and Conservatives in office are nothing like they used to be. I wish they were, but I just can’t see myself supporting a politically glorified Crips vs Bloods feud.

i'm not a liberal. comic books taught me to fight evil ( :

Empathy.

Because we have a moral obligation to care for each other.

I’m liberal because it’s only logical for everyone to be given by the government the same amount of money so that no one starves. Equal opportunities is the definition of a successful economy.

Good points. I’m probably less of a redistributionist than you are, but our modern consumer-oriented economy relies on people buying things.

Shocker: if people don’t have money, they can’t buy things!

A fan fact is that liberalism is actually a "rightist" political philosophy and one strongly opposed even to the left ones such a socialism/communism. But in the end nothing is less important in politics than such futile terms. The prime task every politician has, no matter if they work on local level, state level, federal level or even world level, no matter it be for the US, Canada, a European nation, Asian, you name it, so to govern in a responsible way, analyse the problems at hand and come with a solution that is in the best interest of the area their responsibilities reach to. There is not much room for political ideologies there, and voters do not always have full understanding what is really at stake, and how could they? Nothing is more complex than politics, especially when it comes to international politics, and trying to keep those satisfied who do not understand what is going on (the voters) can sometimes lead to terrible situations or stagnation. This is the achilles heel of democracy. At the same time, democracy allows us to make sure politicians do not do anything drastic and can be punished when they get corrupt (in that sense the impeachment procedure against Trump is not an attack on democracy like his groupies say, but rather a big reminder the president cannot get away by just doing what he wants). Conservatism, liberalism, socialism, all of these have their pros, but as a perfect system cannot exist, they also all have their cons. Improve what is not good enough, preserve what is good enough and has no need to improvement and keep your mind open to the world around your backyard. Do not believe everything people say, but do some thinking yourself, but don't consider everything people say a lie either. In the end the answer never lies in conservatism, liberalism, socialism or whateverism... And especially not in "who is not fore us is against us"-ism.

The terms only form a basis from where you can start your own view, but in the end every problem has its own cause and own solution. Sometimes on the right side and sometimes on the left side.

The Republicans need the Democrats to stay alert, to realize that not everything they do is perfect and that different views on matters are needed. And the Democrats need the Republicans for the same reason. Just bashing each other down like what's happening now can only lead to the downfall of the USA, sooner or later.

Oh well...