I can remember 2 very clear incidents. The first was generic--not party related.

1. My mom used to take me to vote with her, after work when she picked me up from school. I remember her greeting the sign holders (she knew some of them). I remember her showing me how to vote. It gelled for me that community involvement was the right thing to do, and voting was an important responsibility to the community. And I understood how to do it--not scary. I got trained.

2. My dad was talking to me about the teachers' and firefighters' contracts being argued about at the city council meeting (that he always attended). He said that it was absolutely crucial that the people at the core of our community get paid good wages and have safe jobs. They should be able to afford houses in the communities they live in. Huge respect for the working people. I'm a Democrat forever now.

Sent by Mary M | 2:12 PM ET | 03-27-2008

My defining political moment was when I started hanging out with my Dominican co-workers at their homes. Guys who get paid half in cash and half on the books by my bleeding heart boss so they can keep their section 8 and food stamps. When I realized that they had nicer homes than me (their manager), and they had all the latest cool gadgets and they pay 1/5 what I pay for rent and get free medical care, I knew that there was something wrong with the liberal politics that had been forced down my throat by my family and educators.

Sent by Sam McGrath | 2:14 PM ET | 03-27-2008

My mom, now in her early 70s, was a stay-at-home Republican mom. One day (probably while she was ironing) she saw Carol Burnett on a daytime talk show speaking in favor of the Equal Rights Amendment. Mom wrote down every word (I don't remember how long it was, but it was short), read it to us at dinner with great passion and asked, "So what's the problem with that?" As a teenager, I had never seen my mom so fired up over a political issue. I don't think my mom considers herself a feminist, but she definitely raised me to be one!

Sent by Barbara Stith | 2:14 PM ET | 03-27-2008

I was a senior in high school, in Idaho, the reddest state in the world.the viet nam war was raging in 1969 and my senator, My senator, Frank Church, was sponsoring legislation to end it. it had an everlasting affect on me, and it helped shape my view of the nation, politics and my state. I will always remember my late senator and how gracious and thoughtful he was. He bucked the system both in Washington and in his state

Sent by Bill Sargent | 2:14 PM ET | 03-27-2008

My moment came when I was about 12 years old. I was sitting with my grandmother, and politicians were talking on the television. I asked her, "What is the difference between a Democrat and a Republican?" She answered matter-of-factly, "The Republican is for the rich man, and the Democrat is for the working man."

Right then, I thought, well, everyone works... so who wouldn't be a Democrat?

Sent by Cara Carpenter | 2:14 PM ET | 03-27-2008

I was raised very Republican and was a Barry Goldwater supporter in high school. But I was in summer school at Texas A&M U when Robert Kennedy was shot. I remember getting up and hearing the news on the radio. I immediately went to the student center and listened for hours to the coverage and listened for the first time to what Robert Kennedy had said and by the end of the day I was a Democrat. I suddenly understood that his values were what I believed in.

Sent by Kathryn Thompson | 2:18 PM ET | 03-27-2008

One day I came home from school and turned on the Tv to watch my favorite afternoon cartoons. What I saw was a large crowd of black people attacked by police dogs, sprayed by hoses, and a large angry white man shouting through a bull horn. I was only 9 years old, but I knew this wasn't right. As I reached puberty, I developed even more "liberal" veiws, partly in response to my Alabaman born and bred George Wallace supporting father, and partly in response to the events of the late 60's. The Vietnam protests, the assasinations of MLK and Robert Kennedy, the women's movement, all instilled in me a sense that we must strive to make America a place of equality and justice. I still believe it, and despite the Reagan revolution and the sorry excuse for political pundits we have today (Rush and his ilk), I will not be dissauded that my very early political conclusions are still right. I will always be a political product of the 1960's.

Sent by linda armstrong | 2:19 PM ET | 03-27-2008

I grew up with a Republican father, and Democratic mother, both of who were very politically active. I grew up thinking everyone had semi-heated discussions of the politics of the day at the dinner table. This shaped my own person politics in two ways, first, I'm not happy being fit into any one political slot and I like to make up my own mind about things, and second and more important I know that someone can disagree with me politically and not be the absolute embodiment of evil, something that seems to be completely missing from the political landscape in America today

Sent by Mary Fitzpatrick | 2:20 PM ET | 03-27-2008

One defining moment was when I switched parties. I grew up in a Republican household and always voted that way because that was just what you did. But as I got older and didn't always agree with the party I began to discover tha other party. I switched parties in 2000 and suddenly I became passionate about so many issues. My vote became more important because now it meant something to me personally. I remember the day clearly that I went to my local board of elections and changed my party affiliation.

Sent by Sandra Simpson | 2:22 PM ET | 03-27-2008

You asked about an epiphany? I was 20. My parents were staunch Republicans - my father a Deputy US Marshal. He and I were watching the Democratic convention on tv. All he saw was kids disrespecting cops. All I saw was cops beating the crap out of kids, I have been a Liberal activist for the rest of my life.
We never spoke of politics again until Nixon resigned.

Sent by Lynn Gifford in Fargo, ND | 2:24 PM ET | 03-27-2008

I went to parochial school in New York City and then went to school in Spain during the late 50's and early 60's. In parochial school, we learned about the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and had a very basic understanding of the the structure of the US government.
I was astonished when I went to school in Spain at the complete ignorance of the students and teachers about their government. Most of the "civics" taught consisted of reading and pondering Spanish Facist writings, which did not compare in any way to the Constitution, Federalist Papers.
I felt very fortunate in being born in the US.

Sent by M.A. Rodriguez | 2:25 PM ET | 03-27-2008

My earliest political memory: It's Berkeley in the fall of 1972. I am 8 years old. My mom and I walk out of the Co-op, and when we get to our station wagon, we find two hippie guys approvingly reading the anti-Nixon stuff my mom had taped up on the side windows of the car. (I think it was mostly quotes from Nixon's own speeches.) I was shocked when Nixon was re-elected, because all the adults I knew hated him.

So I started left and have pretty much stayed that way, though both I and the political landscape have gone through several transformations over the years. I've become frustrated by the self-dramatization and identity politics within the left, but it hasn't really soured me -- I often feel exasperated, but in the way one feels when someone you love does something stupid.

Sent by jl | 2:26 PM ET | 03-27-2008

I became politically conscious during the anti-war movement when it gradually dawned on me that most of the people I knew and most others in the movement that I did not know were talking radical change and keeping both eyes are their career goals. This was not a sudden event, but a gradual process. The result of this is I have become someone who remains highly interested in politics, social issues and current events, but I have an enormous mistrust of "anti-establishment" movements of any stripe, especially those who seem to be playing the white knights up against the evil authorities.

Sent by William | 2:26 PM ET | 03-27-2008

Ten years ago, in my mid-twenties, I returned to college to get my teaching certification. Prior to that, I was not that involved with politics, and usually voted conservative, believing in what I thought of as "personal responsiblity." After working as a teacher in an urban setting, almost immediately I saw that not everyone comes into the world with the advantages and education that I had. I quickly changed my viewpoints, and have since become a politically active Democrat. I believe that I was extremely naive and uninformed in my early 20's and did not think deeply about social issues, as I now do.

Sent by Kristen Struzik | 2:28 PM ET | 03-27-2008

It is ironic to hear your guest concentrate on how the ah-ha moments she catatogues are people moving right-ward, since I had precisely the opposite experience. I remember distinctly sitting at home on my couch watching the 1992 Republican National Convention, and listening to Pat Buchanan define large swaths of the American public out of his vision for the future of the country. I vowed at that moment to not only to no longer sit idly by in the political arena, but to also do all I could to keep from power a party that would give such nativist arrogance a prime time soap box.

Sent by John Rogers, Charlotte, NC | 2:28 PM ET | 03-27-2008

My political beliefs began as a boy during the Great Depression in Mississippi. We lived on a small farm with no electricity. FDR came on the radio and told us we would get electricity through the Rural Electrifiation Assn. (REA). Soon afterward, we did! I still remember vividly pulling the chain on the first light which was a single, unshaded light bulb handing from the ceiling. I have registered as a Democrat ever since.

Sent by Richard W. Hatch | 2:32 PM ET | 03-27-2008

I am the "Conservative" to "Liberal" Convert your current guest claims does not exist. I grew up in a Reagan-believing household with libertarian leanings - I believed in the individual above all: that those who work hardest deserve to get more than others, and that "handouts" from the government encourage laziness and weaken society. My aha moment came, when as an adult I moved from a small homogenous town into an area with a larger income disparity, and I realized how education, living environment, race, everything was stacked against the poor.

Sent by Josie Ziegler | 2:32 PM ET | 03-27-2008

I grew up a conservative, even a leader of the College Republicans, but that conservatives would prohibit me from getting an abortion caused me to realize that I am not a conservative, in fact I am quite liberal.

Conservatives complain about liberals thinking they are better than others where actually it is conservatives who think they are better than others. I see a lot of hypocracy in most conservatives.

Sent by Deborah Gillson | 2:33 PM ET | 03-27-2008

A crystallizing moment for me came a couple years ago when I read Lester Brown's first page of Eco-Economy.

I grew up learning that communism was evil, thus capitalism was virtue. But I was and am a scientist and engineer, so I am absolutely convinced by the argument of environmentalists. I also was heavily influenced by Milton Friedman's columns in Newsweek and by his book on the US Monetary History.

So, the conflict for the past 30 years has been between the contrary implications of neoclassical economic theory and science and by extension, environmentalism.

The root of the conflict was revealed by Brown's statement comparing economists to Ptolemaic astronomer:
The latter saw the universe revolving around the earth, while the economists sees the environment being a resource to be exploited by the capitalist.

To those who have bought into capitalism, the idea that the capitalist is constrained by and at the mercy of their ecology is as difficult to accept, as the idea that man was but a small speck in the vast universe.

This is, in my view, the basis for irreconcilable conflict between the economists and ecologists.

Sent by michael pettengill | 2:34 PM ET | 03-27-2008

Simply put: Liberalism is for those courageous enough to think for themselves, and accept the consequences of liberty as well as generous enough to take care of their fellow citizens. Conservatism is for those who prefer not to think for themselves, who will trade liberty for the perception of security, and who put their own narrow interests before the common good.

Sent by Roger Thornhill | 2:34 PM ET | 03-27-2008

My consciously political life began in high school gym volleyball. I had been playing competitively for years, investing wholeheartedly in a volleyball career that has me currently coaching high school women's volleyball. Still, back then, class after class, week after week, the boys insisted they were better at the sport than I and could beat me at my own game simply by virtue of their gender.
They were wrong. I was livid and needing to express my fury in some way other than bloody noses and volleyballs, I developed a feminist consciousness.

Sent by Alana Jones | 2:38 PM ET | 03-27-2008

Years ago, I was in Panama as a Catholic Lay Missionary. We were motivated by charity and the greatest of these is charity says the Bible. One day in Panama City, I saw engraved on a wall in one of the plazas a phrase that I recall as "No pedimos limosnas, queremos la justicia" "We don't ask for charity, we want justice." And I was startled, but then I thought, "Oh yes, justice; that would be better, more dignified, and charity would be less needed!" That was the beginning of my political awakening.
At the time I was fairly conservative, but didn't find much interest on the political right for issues such as distributive justice; thus my politics moved slowly to the left. Today, particularly seeing the impoverishment of masses of people under the excesses of capitalism, I consider myself a democratic socialist.

Sent by Sheila Brady | 2:38 PM ET | 03-27-2008

During the Reagan years my aunt lost her small business, my father was laid off from his job and started drinking with other men in similar situations, and my mother had to have back surgery and was uninsured. One night, after drinking heavily, my father molested me. I know that jobs are lost in all administrations but the very cold and obvious tax cuts for the rich and light sentences for white collar crime are all indicators that the working poor in our country must be extremely careful that the impact of unfair policies does not destroy them and their families.

Sent by luci | 2:39 PM ET | 03-27-2008

My epiphany came in the past few months. I am 31 and I have been a Democrat my whole life. My parents were both Republicans, but politics rarely entered into family discussions. I recently purchased several box sets of the 80's TV show "Famly Ties." Watching these episodes recently, I realized that Steven and Elyse Keaton, the show's parents, provided a political narrative that was absent in my young life. Their liberal ideologies on nuclear weapons, the 2nd amendment and the like, wound up shaping me into the left-leaning adult I am today.

Sent by Tom | 2:41 PM ET | 03-27-2008

Let's not rewrite history. The Tet Offensive was a US military victory in numbers only. The reality that North Vietnam and the VC could launch countrywide attacks and inflict widespread harm on American troops demonstrated repeated government lies that "there was light at the end of the tunnel." As to people "turning right" please remember that in the South in the 1950s and 1960s, the Republican Party was built on a foundation of hate and racism -- nothing more.

Sent by Stephan Lesher | 2:44 PM ET | 03-27-2008

Regarding your conservative / liberal conversation, I always agreed with and enjoyed this quote:
Show me a young Conservative and I'll show you someone with no heart. Show me an old Liberal and I'll show you someone with no brains. - Winston Churchill

Sent by Douglas Hatch | 2:44 PM ET | 03-27-2008

I'm a 60's child,reaching maturity in the 70's and Reverned Wright's comments are reflective of an oppressive,institutional racism to us, as oppossed to any black racism. As evidenced by the bloggs and these talks shows, white america sees things quite differently.

Sent by Stanley Turner | 2:47 PM ET | 03-27-2008

My political views came from family who decided to live in the south side of Chicago as the only white family from the 50's through the 90's. We were told and witnessed our parents walk side by side with both rich and poor for justice. I am still amazed and puzzled by the failure of individuals and groups to treat each other with respect and value independent of their class, race, ethnicity, religion, gender. Also, the women speaking on this show is NOT listening to Lakoff's analysis at all.
I wonder if she has some cognitive impairment and is simply unaware that she is not listening to the substance of his remarks.

Sent by Linnea Larson | 2:47 PM ET | 03-27-2008

My father. While raising nine children and running a company, he also worked for fair housing in the 60's and was a draft counselor in the 70's. He and my mother both worked for the Urban Suburan Gateways camp which brought together children from the inner city of Chicago and children from DuPage Couny Illinois for a day camp. He was asked by the Democratic party run for Congress, but my mother said she would not support him and they realized he would vote his conscience and not what they wanted so that was dropped. He taught me that no matter what your situation, it is our job to give back and help others.

Sent by Mindy Allwardt | 2:53 PM ET | 03-27-2008

One of the guests talked about an "a-ha" moment that involved an abortion debate on her campus with a minister that was shouted down.

I had three such moments that built on each other. First, there was a rally in Philadelphia in 1992 in the wake of Planned Parenthood v Casey. I was unquestioningly pro-choice. The crowd started large, near Independence Mall somewhere, with families in attendance. I stood next to a mom and dad, and dad had a child on his shoulders, listening to the speakers. One speaker said she couldn't imagine not having the right to abort, because she would never allow her life to be ruined by children. Mom and dad next to me asked "Did she just say what I think she said?" They left, as did over half the crowd as speaker after speaker used foul and rude language. Rally chant: "They say don't f*&k, we say f*&k you!" Charming. A bunch of idiotic young people had no clue they had just chased away most of their onetime sympathetic audience. The remaining stragglers walked to a Delaware River bridge (B Franklin?) and sat on the bridge blocking traffic. No arrests were made, and after a little while, the last few people just got up and left. I'm ashamed today that I didn't leave earlier.
Later, as an expectant father, I sat with my wife and had my hand on her belly. And I suddenly thought, we could get in the car, drive to NYC, and legally abort this late 2nd trimester child, whom I could feel moving around. One more moment - doing research on thalidomide, and learning about the early development of the central nervous system in a fetus. I had no idea that so much was alive in a fetus so long before "viability." That iced it. I once thought all pro-life people were religious fanatics who wanted to control everybody's lives. I've learned differently. I worship no god, and I'm not concerned about a few cells in a petrie dish. But anything recognizably human should be treated as such. We discard too easily.

Sent by Bob Koelle | 3:06 PM ET | 03-27-2008

1st point: I am always baffled by conservatives who claim to reflect "Christian" values, yet act and speak in ways that are diametrically opposed to the person of Jesus in the Bible. If one is to believe in the Bible and in Jesus, as they say they do (I just believe he was an enlightened and progressive teacher), then how could they not see very plainly that he was a radical, anti-establishment progressive. He was all about helping the poor and lifting up the most oppressed and disenfranchised in society. The entire Bush administration, staff of Fox news, and the like, would have been excoriated by him as Pharisees.
2nd point: When the conservative woman on the program started to talk about "societal noise" and protecting our children from immorality, I felt very defensive. Me and all of my liberal-progressive friends could not be more protective of what our children are exposed to. It is not a conservative value to know what can be harmful to the development and psyches of young children. Every liberal I know is very concerned about how culture affects children, but we also understand that exposing them to rabid consumerism and the greed of much of corporate life is just as damaging as foul language they might hear on the streets of major city. Also, the socially conservative people I know seem to allow their children to watch much more offensive and shallow TV than I would ever let my children watch. Moreover, Obama has been the only candidate I have heard in speeches admonishing parents to turn off their TV's and read to or otherwise spend quality time with their children.

Sent by Emily | 3:10 PM ET | 03-27-2008

My politics come from the Constitution of the United States of America. I swore an oath, when I was in the military to defend the Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic. My view is that all of the politicians have trampled on the Constitution. I am conservative in the true sense of the word,limited government, low taxes, family values, and staying out foreign entanglements, which the Founding Fathers warned us against. These are some the principles of the writers of the Constitution and actually they were considered liberals in their time.

Sent by jim barbero | 3:14 PM ET | 03-27-2008

I was raised in an authoritarian home with conservative beliefs on ideas such as abortion (my mother always said that if someone needed something as simple as one cup of water to about a child, she would deny it). I have a strong basic belief in fundamental interpretation of the Bible. My political moment came when I realized that most of the people who believed these things were the people who also believed that I was less of a person simply because my skin was black. During the 60s I realized that "liberal" was synonymous for tolerance, thus "conservative" became synonymous with racist by default, and most Republicans are most proud of their "conservative" label. As an adult, I know that this is not true, but I must constantly fight this tendency to see them that way.

Sent by Elizabeth | 3:40 PM ET | 03-27-2008

Hi guys! These stories are great - why not post them over on Get My Vote? I'm going to close down these comments, all future commenters please go on over to Get My Vote!

Sent by Sarah Handel | 3:46 PM ET | 03-27-2008