i'm serious. this is a serious thread, the known pit wacko righters please stay out. also known pit wacko lefties please be respectful.
cf3 had a comment the other day that he's only ever voted republican in his life (but open to a d) and it really got me interested what about republicans was the draw?
it's hard for me to disassociate republicans as a whole from the hate and bigotry of their (the party) social views, so it's interesting to me when non-hateful people choose to support them, though i'm sure they are actually the majority. i'm sure there's a few other closet right leaners around here (slobbs?), i'd be interested in hearing from anyone.
Reasons I choose to support them:
1. Pro-Life. We can go round and round, and I can't pretend to understand a woman in thouse circumstances, but I believe all humans are precious. This is probabaly due to my religious beliefs, but I can't pretend to separate that from how I'd vote.
2. Small gov. I generally as a rule think that government is inept at fixing problems. It is ineffective.
Reasons I haven't actually voted for a republican since 2010:
1. I think the party manipulates Christians. The party has equated things like firearm liberty, added in a touch of irrational fear (OBAMA'S COMIN' FO YO GUNS!), to things of religious conviction. I don't remember where Jesus says "You can have my sword when you take it from my cold dead hands."
2. The party is hypocritical about how it values life. I think all lives are precious and should be worked to preserve. I am against the death penalty, and wars of aggression (although I wasn't in 2004, when I would constantly argue we should be in Iraq! It was dumb.). The fear of tyranny of government as a defense of there being guns everywere is irrational. I don't however, see gun control working at this point. We're too far down the path. Maybe it would but it would take 50 or 100 years IMO.
3. They aren't TRULY a party of small government, they just want to spend ineffectively differently than democrats do.
Every election since 2010 I've voted. I either vote Libertarian, independent, or left it blank. I remember the feeling of leaving the MO senate ballot blank in 2012 when it was Todd Aikan vs. Claire McKaskil. I didn't agree with McKaskil on much, but how on earth could I cast a vote for someone who was as foolish and backwards as Aikan? I believe in voting FOR people whom I think would be good leaders. If neither candidate has convinced me they can lead, I leave it blank.
Dunno lib7, hope that helps answer. My convictions about government are less firm than ever, and honestly its a personally freeing thing.