10 things that turned me from a hardcore conservative republican to left-leaning independent:

1. The Bush administration's disgusting mismanagement of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
2. The Iraq War and my intrinsic opposition to its every facet.
3.The music of John Mayer.
4. Getting married.
5. Becoming a college student.
6. The music of Steve Earle.
7. The music of John Lennon.
8. The documentary The Party's over, and footage of the '68 and 2000 DNC and '99 WTO protests (When I see American police officers opening fire on crowds of unarmed U.S. citizens engaged in their first amendment right to protest, it makes me want to cry.)
9. The fact that 45 million people in America can't afford access to basic medical care, even hard-working citizens like my wife and me.
10. Eight years of the Bush administration. Period.