Politics: People Can Change Their Minds

At 17, Jonathan Krohn certainly has an effect on people. He has gotten the ire of a lot of conservatives since announcing that he changed his political stance from 2009 when he wrote “Defining Conservatism.” The book drew praise from Newt Gingrich and many others.

On Tuesday, Jonathan appeared on MSNBC’s “Hardball.” He explained to guest host Michael Smerconish why he has moved away from being a conservative. [Click the MSNBC link to see the interview or see the attached video.]

Wherever you stand on Jonathan’s view of politics, the Gwinnett teenager, who will not be old enough to vote in the November election, inspires many questions.

Will folks ever be able to respect each other’s differences without judgment and attack?

Whether Democrat, Republican or Moderate, does a person with opposite views have to be “the enemy” as Hank Williams, Jr. would say?

If so, then a friendship featured in a story on CNN.com in June is indeed all too rare. The story featured the 20-year friendship between New Jersey Mayor, Corey Booker, Rabbi Schmuley Boteach, a Republican running for Congress, and Michael Benson, a Mormon University President. Through the friendship, they developed an understanding of each other’s spiritual faith while enhancing their own belief systems, the story said.

During the "Hardball" interview, Jonathan Krohn said his discontent with conservatism went beyond political ideology to what he described as a "restrictive bubble." Through his studies, which included philosophy, he started to think about some political and social issues differently. In short, he changed his mind.

Is that against the rules in politics? What do you think? Tell us the comments below-