If the Republicans didn't cave in to religously insane people,...

[Walt Starr]

I'd probably have been a Republican.

Seriously, I agree with Republicans on lots of issues, but religious insanity on the part of their party, and the pandering to raadical clerics, pushed me to the point where I could never vote for a Republican in any election at any level. I go so far as to determine political party affiliation of candidates in so-called "non-partisan" elections.

I support the Death Penalty. Some criminals just need to be put down like a rabid dog. It may sound cruel, but it's a fact. The two men who recently kidnapped, raped, and murdered little girls are good examples of people who no longer conduct themselves in any semblance of a manner resembling human beings and are more comparable to rabid dogs, hence you put them down.

I support the second amendment just as fervently as I support all of the constitution. It's there for a reason and if four years of the Bushevviks in power isn;t enough to convince you that you might just need to have arms in order to protect yourself should society and government completley break down, I guess no argument will convince you.

I support fiscal responsibility. Yes, it would be great if we could help out every poor family and homeless person in the nation. That is not a realistic goal, especially given a finite amount of cash reserves.

Of course I hold a lot of views most Republicans would detest. I believe that some things are more properly handled by being socialized. Healthcare is one. Military protection is another (and apparely current Repulican doctrine holds with the privatization of defense).

I chose to be a Democrat when I watched how Reagan and the rest of the Republicans pandered to the religiously insane. There was no way I was going to be a part of that.

[tjdee]

1. That was the first step....but I don't agree on anything with them.

I figured out when I was a little kid that there were middle aged/old white men in one party, and white/brown/black/yellow/every color of people of all ages in the other.

Then I realized most of the kooky crazies I came into contact with were in love with Reagan/Bush I.

When I actually got to the age where I had to seriously evaluate which of the two major parties I supported, it was pretty easy. I agree with Democrats on most major policy issues. I didn't find the Republicans to jibe with my personal policies in any way.

[Bake]

2. If you support fiscal responsibility

then logically you CAN'T be a modern Repube.

Bake

[quinnox]

3. I disagree with those

I don't support the death penalty, and I would support vast restrictions on firearms.

I don't agree with the republicans on much, and the Democrats are now the party of fiscal responsibility!

[Erika]

4. We also own guns/rifles

The GOP no longer exists as it once was. Beginning with Reagan, they did away with fiscal responsibility and the Golden Rule.

They believe in a form of corrupted capitalism which produces extreme income disparity between the classes. They believe in deficit spending to include acts of military imperialism.

If we were paid fairly and taxed fairly, and minded our own business militarily, we could take care of our own needy in every aspect.

[elehhhhna]

5. Hubs & I advocate gun-ownership since the Reaps took over...

seriously. They scare us.

[TheModernTerrorist]

6. many dems believe in those things as well

it really all depends on how you break it down philosophically. Dems typically are more socialist and use the govt to better the lives of those at the bottom through use of social programs (healthcare, social security, etc). Republicans typically align with the libertarian view, that basically tried to limit how much money the govt takes from you, thereby letting you keep most of your money, and leaving any public service up to charity. But now you have to realize (and I know you know this) but the Republican party isn't what it used to stand for anymore (not that the Dem party is either) but you may have some conservative views on govt, as do many of us. I would just slightly alter your statement by changing "Republican" to "conservative", but other than that I see what you are saying :-)

[Az]

7. But those issues have been twisted

Lets look at them.

The death penalty: I don't know that there are many people that could tolerate some of the hateful crimes some individuals have done. But the state does not have the right to kill people and the law exists first to protect the innocent. It is far far better that 10 guilty people go free than for 1 innocent person to suffer at the hands of the state. And when the death penalty is in play there is no way to say we are sorry.

The second ammendment: I get the feeling that more and more Dems are litening up on this issue. ProRegulation but no longer is there a unified demand for elimination of all guns. And just to throw it out there its not a second ammendment issue. Its a property rights issue. Guns are not protected by the second ammendment. No gun rights case has ever been defended by the supreme court. It is consistantly a property rights issue.

Fiscal responsibility: Dems support fiscal responsibility. The problem is that right hates the idea that someone somewhere is getting something for free. Thus they fight the progressive attempts to build up society. Thus Dems become trapped in a holding position on any progressive action they get through. Whether it is effective or not. Thus bad bills build up. Lots of social programs would benefit from be retuned or reworked. But any suggestion that they are not working as originally planned will be met with cries of destruction from the right. And the battle will be joined again.

[jdj]

8. well your post certainly belies republican strategy.

they convinced the xtians that there truly was a party tailor made for them in every way. They lied, and the TS thing is making it obvious. In fact their whole MO is to keep the fact that they lied underwraps as much as possible.

Out here in the real world, most of us know that there is no political party we will agree with on everything %100. Alot of the time we have to choose the lesser of the evil. Up until Bush that seemed like a sorry alternative to me, until I got to see what happened when a significant number of people choose *the evil* instead.

Good post. I don't agree with "fiscal responsibility" meaning people have to do without. They just don't especially in the richest country in the world, except for those people on a self-destructive path of addiction or some other compulsion who won't allow themselves to be helped. But I'm not threatened by disagreements...in fact this week we've seen alot of how it looks when people agree absolutely on everything. It's kind of scary.

[Inland]

9. Some of those are what repubs USED to believe in

like fiscal responsibility.

I don't think you can find a repub around who really thinks that deficit spending is worse than either spending cuts or tax hikes.

[Bluzmann57]

10. This isn't your fathers republican party

and I agree with you on some things. Here in this state, it is just not a good idea to oppose guns, and having hunted for sport in my life, don't. The death penalty is barbaric and should not exist. Yes, there are some of the dirtiest, rottenest bastards you'll ever see out there, but life without parole, and in some cases, no contact with the outside world at all should be enough. As far as fiscal responsibility, of course I support it, as every middle class and poor family in America should. Quite simply, there are some things one just has to say no to. Sure I wish I could buy my kids stuff that they wanted, but sometimes it just wasn't possible. Too bad the republicans in power can't seem to understand that. The hijacking of religiopn is bad enough, but the elimination of the "American Dream" for some people is worse in my opinion.

[Biology]

11. moderates are actually in the majority

Moderate democrats and republicans tend to get along pretty well and get a lot of things done politically. Unfortunately, over the last 25 years, there has been a movement within the republican party to remove moderate members and replace them with fundamentalists. They are especially good at doing this in states without primary elections, where popular moderates are ousted at caucus and replaced with extremists. This is being seen not only at the national level, but also with members of Boards of Education, Attorney Generals, and state senetors and representatives. Moderate republicans need to fight back to excise the cancer from their party.

[LiberalFighter]

12. They didn't cave in to religously insane people...

They ARE the religiously insane people or just insane

[More Than A Feeling]

13. yeah, back when the Rockefeller Republicans were viable

who knows, maybe me too. but the longer Bush is in office, the more liberal I become

I have taken the political compass test, and I am pretty conservative compared to most people on this board, it seems like, but slowly moving out there.