I used to be quite the libertarian myself - still am on most issues that relate to the Federal government. Believe it or not, I was an intern and then a researcher in the con law department of the Cato Institute. I was polishing my resume with the intention of going to George Mason to study civil rights law. Long story short, after working for two extremely talented civil liberties litigators, I realized I wasn't smart enough or quick enough to do it well so I went to grad school instead of law school.... and the rest is history. (18th century American history, as it happens.) Over the years, I've dropped the libertarian label as the party and movement have moved farther to the right - first after 9/11 and then with the rise of the Tea Party. I now vote Democratic for congressional and Presidential races - they are a little closer to my views on the federal issues I care most about: war, human migration, drug policy, marriage equality, reproductive freedom and the balance between national security and liberty.