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Why are you democrat or republican?


michaelskis

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There is a notable majority of liberal democrats in here and a few conservative republicans (including me sometimes) but I was wondering why everyone as decided to align them selves with that particular party?

I think that we all have much more in common, than many of us realize. More so, I am sure that many of us want similar things for the US, but just have different ways to achieve those goals.

Are there any members of the green party? What specific things about one party do you agree with? If you just don

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I'm libertarian, with a small l, registered as an Independent. I want to vote as a libertarian-Republican, but because of the religious-wingnuts, I usually abstain from most races outside the local. Personal and Economic Freedom are my priorities, with economic freedom being more important.

Both parties pander to idiots, the Republicans pander to religious extremists and bigots, and the Democrats to environmentalists, the insecure youth, and racists. The Republicans are better on tax cuts, personal responsibility, and are better on spending when there is political war with someone (The 90s were pretty good). The Democrats are fine on social liberties, but too concerned with the opinion of the irrelevant Europeans and special interest groups.

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I have been a Republican, but find myself at odds with their positions on many issues. That said, I have remained unimpressed with the business-as-usual mindset of the Democratic Party. I suppose I'd have to say I'm an Independent at this point, though I have not yet changed my registration.

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I feel labels are more harmful than beneficial - they allow others to give superficial meaning to something that they have no desire to understand in depth. I think this is especially true of our 2 party system in this country. Two people can both be Republicans (or Democrats if you'd like) and have opposing viewpoints on every single issue at hand. Obviously calling them both Republicans is a meaningless use of a label. I'd just rather know how a candidate feels on the issues, and I really wish they'd banish the party labels as they are essentially irrelevant, and allow some people to vote without using their brains at all (which I feel should be against the law).

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I am a Democrat but agree with some parts of the platforms of both parties.

I support the Democratic beliefs in medical benefits, some (only some) social programs, i believe in taxing EVERYONE equally unless they are below the poverty level even though simply being honest for the point of discussion i should not support this because i make enough money to be considered one of the better off that pay "too much taxes" (but i came from nothing so i understand the value of what i have). I support all freedoms of speech, separation of church and state, and am disgusted when religious discussion enters into any level of political discussion.

I don't have an opinion about abortion because I am gay and will never have to make that choice, therefore i don't feel i am qualified. i am also a realist, and if all aborted fetuses were alive we would be overwhelmed by our population -- and forget abstinace - people love sex -- you won't stop it no matter how much you preach about it.

I support the Republican stated stances on less goverment intrusion in our personal lives and in much of their platform on fiscal responsibility. Obviously in recent years neither of these is, in practice, a true Republican position.

I support lowering taxes, if and only if, the lost revenue is made up for without just allowing deficit spending.

The main reason, in current times, I can't support Republicans is as a gay man they have personally attacked me in the past few elections. I will forget all other positions I support when a band of jackasses uses my life and the prevention of me living it the way i choose within the law as a way to get votes from a segment of voters. Most especially since those that supposedly feel so strongly about it always end being hypocrits (Cheney the lesbian, the meth whore preacher, Jesse Helms who had a campaign manager that was openly gay, etc). My life and lifestyle have been used.

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^ Indeed. Though I'm a registered Democrat, it doesn't mean that I dislike all Republicans or that I believe whatever Ted Kennedy tells me to. In fact, I disagree with Democrats on many many issues. I think Republicans have good ideas and I think Democrats have good ideas----though I feel strongly that much of what we have in the way of social programs and graduated taxes would not have been implemented had it not been for populist progressives, who are mostly found in the Democratic Party---though I'm sure there are many who would say that is why they vote against the Democrats.

But I have nothing against Republicans; just the larger party's smear tactics and basic disregard for anyone who doesn't think like them. Of course, the Democratic Party has been guilty of that as well.

I wanted to add that I think you'll find that many people on here are Libertarians, who have probably drifted toward the Democratic Party thanks to Iraq and Pat Robertson.

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I'm indepedent. I am so sick and tired of most parties (Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, and Green party) but Republican most because they are so ignorant beyond comprehension. Libertarains irk me because the party has too way many Republicanist stans on issues (like anti minimum wage BS because it will hurt small business :rolleyes: ). Democrats bother me because sometimes they seem to assume that they can always get the 'minority vote' due to them being Democrats.

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I'm a democrat, but I have alot of agreement with the green party. I would vote green if they had a chance of being elected. I don't ever vote green because that would be like a vote for a republican. I like the dems because they tend to be more inclusive of various groups than the republican party. My biggest issues right now would be ending the war in Iraq, equality for all Americans, including legalization of gay marriage, stricter environmental regulations to help reduce greenhouse gases, etc., much greater emphasis and access regarding mass public transportation and the legalization of some currently illegal drugs, such as marijuana. I am also concerned about the lack of access to quality health care for so many Americans. Can you see why I don't vote republican? Oh, I'm also against the death penalty.

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I'm a Democrat. There are problems with my party to be sure...not the least of which is that we have no guts. Still, the Republican party is the party of selfishness and I cannot support that. Like Waccamatt, I would vote Green more often if I felt a Green could actually win anything.

What I want in general terms...

Stricter environmental regulations and a reduction of greenhouse gasses.

A complete about face in our car dominated society. I want cities built to a more human scale with pedestrians and transit given sway over the automobile. I want more toll roads and higher automobile/fossil fuel oriented taxes.

Combining the previous two...I want alternative energy to become primary energy.

I want a higher percentage of the budget spent on developing and maintaining transit.

I want the corporation removed from the top of the food chain and their free pass revoked.

I want religion to be personal. If anything is 'against your religion'...that's your personal problem and not everyone elses. We shouldn't have to conform to your personal religious beliefs. It should never be legislated in any way. Churches should never be tax exempt.

Minimum wage should be a living wage. I'm all for small business but 'screw the employee' shouldn't be the first option toward making a profit. If you can't afford employees then you can't afford a business. Sounds harsh...but many, many small businesses choose not to screw their employees everyday and they survive fine.

Marijuana...at least...should be legalized.

I don't have a gun but I don't care if you do. Guns aren't the problem any more than video games or rap music is...hopelessness is the problem. Disillusionment is the problem. Violence is a symptom.

I am pro-choice.

I am pro gay marriage. However, I think marriage should be like being baptized, a religious ceremony that has little bearing on the legal rights of the individual involved. Most people should be getting civil unions or whatever we want to call it.

War should be a defensive option and not a way to further our 'interests'.

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I'm a Democrat. There are problems with my party to be sure...not the least of which is that we have no guts. Still, the Republican party is the party of selfishness and I cannot support that. Like Waccamatt, I would vote Green more often if I felt a Green could actually win anything.

What I want in general terms...

Stricter environmental regulations and a reduction of greenhouse gasses.

A complete about face in our car dominated society. I want cities built to a more human scale with pedestrians and transit given sway over the automobile. I want more toll roads and higher automobile/fossil fuel oriented taxes.

Combining the previous two...I want alternative energy to become primary energy.

I want a higher percentage of the budget spent on developing and maintaining transit.

I want the corporation removed from the top of the food chain and their free pass revoked.

I want religion to be personal. If anything is 'against your religion'...that's your personal problem and not everyone elses. We shouldn't have to conform to your personal religious beliefs. It should never be legislated in any way. Churches should never be tax exempt.

Minimum wage should be a living wage. I'm all for small business but 'screw the employee' shouldn't be the first option toward making a profit. If you can't afford employees then you can't afford a business. Sounds harsh...but many, many small businesses choose not to screw their employees everyday and they survive fine.

Marijuana...at least...should be legalized.

I don't have a gun but I don't care if you do. Guns aren't the problem any more than video games or rap music is...hopelessness is the problem. Disillusionment is the problem. Violence is a symptom.

I am pro-choice.

I am pro gay marriage. However, I think marriage should be like being baptized, a religious ceremony that has little bearing on the legal rights of the individual involved. Most people should be getting civil unions or whatever we want to call it.

War should be a defensive option and not a way to further our 'interests'.

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I'm independent, but probably lean more toward libertarian than anything else. My voting history is probably 65-35 favoring the GOP, but I've voted GOP in every presidential election since 1984, although I came close to voting for Clinton in 1996. I also voted for Lieberman in the 2004 primary.

My politics are all over the place, generally because I think the government should intrude on my life as little as possible, and should spend my money (taxes) in a batter fashion than they do.

I think the two party system has really screwed us over in ways never imagined. I wish there were viable 3rd or 4th parties, but the political system is dominated by the two behomths.

I believe that 45% of the voters will pull the D lever no matter what and 45% will pull the red lever. The fight is for the remaining 10%. As a result, if Satan himself ran for President, he'd lose by at most 55-45.

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For me the majority of what I believe is in line with the Republican Platform:

I believe in personal responsibility and that people should be held accountable for their own choices without the government repeatedly bailing them out.

I think that the Government should stay out of my wallet as much as possible. While I realize some taxes are needed to operate the government, we send way too much to Washington.

I think that Social Security was a great plan when it started as a way to help the disabled. However I don

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Overall I wish social issues or religious issues were not part of our national political debate. Keep the government doing the job of running the country, building and maintaining infrastructure, and protecting us.

Let churches debate amongst themselves how to live and find salvation (see the constant debates between divided lines in the Southern Baptist Convetion, Episcapalians, etc).

Let gays live together or get hitched if they choose to, let interracial marriage move forward (oh, thats right, that happened even though 30 years ago it was a big deal), let us live our lives without the government micro-managing or simply using social issues to further their actual other agendas.

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I read some of the posts after mine and would like to rip some ideals off from my fellow Planeteers...

I am pro stem cell research.

I am in favor of not only returning arts and music to the public school curriculum...but increasing it's prominence in the budget.

I love the idea of greater personal finance education included in the econmics curriculum in public schools. I'm still paying for crap I bought when I was eighteen. Crap I don't even own anymore.

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I agree that they need to teach more about personal finance in schools. My mom is a bill collecter,and you would not beleive how busy it is at her work. People going bankrupt everyday!

Anyway, i guess im a democrat, but i have some different views on issues.

I dont really care about gay marriage, homosexuals should be able to do what they want. And this sort of think shouldve never been brought up in the gov't in the first place.

The iraq war has pretty much turned me against republicans for good.

Im just tired of it, i guess. Im tired of the debt the war has created. Im going to be the one stuck paying for Bush's BS in the future.

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I have a hard time calling myself either a Republican or a Democrat, as a lot of that depends on where you live and their definition of either. I am a California Republican and a Texas Democrat, all without changing my views significantly.

Here's what I like about the parties:

Republican - fiscal conservatism. The Republican congress of late has not been so fiscally conservative, which I don't like, but they would not raise taxes which would be a much more immediate concern than the spending, which takes its toll over time.

- Lower taxes, lower spending, heavier auditing of what is spent (a pipe dream; we are talking about government, after all).

- Illegal immigration.

- Regulation of business

- Regulation as a whole (including, but not limited to, seat belt, smoking, and helment laws, which I am all against)

- Spending more on infrastructure to keep business going rather than bleeding heart ventures

- Terrorism

EDIT: I am also against gun control

Democrat - less moralistic.

- Not legislating morals

- Tend to be more accepting of different cultures, races, lifestyles

- Pro-gay rights

- Pro-choice

- Potentially less harsh on certain types of crimes/offenses (petty first time crime stuff and the like)

- More concentration on education system effectiveness

I'm also ambivalent on the death penalty, so I can't side with either party there.

As you can see, it's hard for me to pick a side and run with it. I'm fiscally conservative, morally and socially center-left, and libertarian as far as regulation, safety, and other such legislation goes. Go ahead and try to peg me.

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I find that I agree with michaelskis on a majority of issues, but not all of them. I am a Republican because I think that their approach to government and the economy makes the most sense. It is oriented towards financial responsibility and less goverment influnce on our daily lives. I should point out that the current bunch in congress does NOT uphold the true ideals of Republicans and conservatives. This neo-conservative and religious right movement is scary to me. I am here on UrbanPlanet because I agree with the concepts that are discussed here in terms of the urban environment, and I think that they uphold to Republican prinicples even though many Republicans do not express this in Congress.

I agree with smaller federal government but I also want that in exchange for more state local government.

I believe strongly in personal responsibility for ones life, actions, finances, etc. etc. It is not the goverment's responsibility to provide these things. HOWEVER- the government must provide a helping hand to those those are willing to work for it. Some people are in a bad situation in life, and I am not opposed to giving these people a hand via public funds like welfare, housing, etc. Doing these types of things fits in well with a real republican's beliefs, as these people will ultimately contribute more to the economy as long as they are being productive.

I also believe in government responsibility. The government is responsible for my money and using it wisely there should be more oversight comittees and review boards and private watchdog groups to ensure that my money is being spent wisely and not being wasted on indoor rain forests, and people who only want handouts. Both parties are guilty of financial irresponsibility. Lets not forget that it was a Republican Congress that created the budget that payed back some of the debt under Clinton. Lets also not forget that the government under GW Bush has had one of the worst spending records in many years. (For this I am glad that the Democrats are now back in power in the House).

The media likes to point out the personal debt is rising, and how this is a major problem. I agree. But I also think that the government is not leading by example. I am for lower taxes and a simpler tax structure, expecially on small and medium sized businesses. However, this should not at the expense of financial irresponsibility. Don't spend money without a way to pay it back, its just common sense. The national debt is a major problem, and it should come before any other issue.

Fun Fact: Britain just made their last payment to us from our WW2 reconstruction loans.

I don't understand why there is a debate over illegal immigration. Who in their right mind (of left!) is FOR it? This is not a left vs right issue. Any economy that exists because of it is a false one and should be eliminated. Build the fence and set up "Ellis Islands" on the border. Wake up to the fact that Mexicans are coming here in droves, and make the immigration process for those that want to be a part of our country more efficient.

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I find that I agree with michaelskis on a majority of issues, but not all of them. I am a Republican because I think that their approach to government and the economy makes the most sense. It is oriented towards financial responsibility and less goverment influnce on our daily lives. I should point out that the current bunch in congress does NOT uphold the true ideals of Republicans and conservatives. This neo-conservative and religious right movement is scary to me. I am here on UrbanPlanet because I agree with the concepts that are discussed here in terms of the urban environment, and I think that they uphold to Republican prinicples even though many Republicans do not express this in Congress.

I agree with smaller federal government but I also want that in exchange for more state local government.

I believe strongly in personal responsibility for ones life, actions, finances, etc. etc. It is not the goverment's responsibility to provide these things. HOWEVER- the government must provide a helping hand to those those are willing to work for it. Some people are in a bad situation in life, and I am not opposed to giving these people a hand via public funds like welfare, housing, etc. Doing these types of things fits in well with a real republican's beliefs, as these people will ultimately contribute more to the economy as long as they are being productive.

I also believe in government responsibility. The government is responsible for my money and using it wisely there should be more oversight comittees and review boards and private watchdog groups to ensure that my money is being spent wisely and not being wasted on indoor rain forests, and people who only want handouts. Both parties are guilty of financial irresponsibility. Lets not forget that it was a Republican Congress that created the budget that payed back some of the debt under Clinton. Lets also not forget that the government under GW Bush has had one of the worst spending records in many years. (For this I am glad that the Democrats are now back in power in the House).

The media likes to point out the personal debt is rising, and how this is a major problem. I agree. But I also think that the government is not leading by example. I am for lower taxes and a simpler tax structure, expecially on small and medium sized businesses. However, this should not at the expense of financial irresponsibility. Don't spend money without a way to pay it back, its just common sense. The national debt is a major problem, and it should come before any other issue.

Fun Fact: Britain just made their last payment to us from our WW2 reconstruction loans.

I don't understand why there is a debate over illegal immigration. Who in their right mind (of left!) is FOR it? This is not a left vs right issue. Any economy that exists because of it is a false one and should be eliminated. Build the fence and set up "Ellis Islands" on the border. Wake up to the fact that Mexicans are coming here in droves, and make the immigration process for those that want to be a part of our country more efficient.

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