I used to be very libertarian and a part of the Republican Party.
For libertarianism, what changed was that I started to understand that private businesses and privatization itself doesn't necessarily lead to success or that it can create a disconnect between those who have it all verses those who don't. In the end, I accepted that government is a necessary function in society but only if it serves the interest of its people as demonstrated in Western Europe and how U.S. States invest in themselves or not at all. Oddly enough, I never read Ayn Rand's books but I've always watched Stossel or Penn and Teller.
As for the Republican Party, I campaigned for a republican candidate and hated every minute of it. I felt conflicted since that although I would agree with her stances on economic issues at the time, I could never abide to her more conservative viewpoints on social issues. In fact, I began to question why a libertarian would join the Republican Party since they don't abide to the same principles on social and, most of the times, economic issues. But it did show me that the people who I was working with had varying opinions and viewpoints on certain issues. Made me realize that it wasn't black-and-white but rather that Republicans and Democrats can hold different viewpoints outside the norms of their party, dictated by their philosophy in life, even if it is flawed.
I consider myself a liberal now.
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