Helping a crtiter whelping a difficult litter seems like a good example of an experience that would re calibrate a person's "Disgust Scale"; but thats not an event that has notably changed people's political views.<p>"Liberal vs conservative" or "Blue vs Green"; the political divisions in a society are less about the rallying points at the political poles and far more about the way people organize and relate. Swap half the planks of a political platform with the opponent's text and see how few jump ship.