Why are you a Democrat or Republican?

[bishir]

As of late, a lot of political discussions have come down to the character of the men running for office. Personally, I find myself and I see others defending a person the probably have never spoken to in their life just because that person is the head of whatever party they support. For instance I'm a pretty stanch Republican despite being an employee of a public school. I've had many teachers ask me why I would vote the way I do knowing the political stance of the different parties regardings schools and the answer to me is simple. I do not think you can solve the problems of education by throwing money at it. Yes, I think teachers should be paid more. ie starting salary in my area is ~25k a year, but that isn't the reason schools are bad. The reason is a break down in the social structure and morals of society. Unless we can change viewpoints about what is important, education will continue to fail. Most of the kids I teach view BET and MTV in much higher regard than good grades, and sadly so do their parents.

It is said that most Americans choose their canidate based on one issue alone. While I don't have just one issue that I would base my vote solely on, there are a few issues that are important to me personally. I was just wondering what those are to you. I have a few and most of them fall in the catagory of personal freedom and morality, but it's not that easy when the two subjects cross.

For instance, morality and personal freedom become blurred when the subject of abortion is brought up. I vote Republican because I do not feel terminating the life of a fetus is a right thing to do. I listened to the heart beat of my son in the womb at 1 month old, and saw his Ultrasound at 5.5 months. I saw arms, feet, and they were moving. The little guy was even sucking his thumb. only later did I find out the you can have a abortion in this town up until 7 months. I won't even get into gay marrage I think that has been covered already.

Another issue I have is taxes and welfare. I have heard and seen people take advantage of the system. I have children that have said they don't care if they get a job because momma and daddy don't work and they still have a house and a car. My wife on the other hand makes a very good living doing what she does, yet almost half of what she makes goes toward taxes. This isn't just a national issue, but a more local one as well. Imagine how many taxes have been paid on a car that is 17 or 34 years old. My 69 Mustang I just sold must have paid for itself over and over again through taxes. It went through probably 10 different owners that had to pay sales tax every time they bought it. Then again, we all know taxes won't end.

The other big issue with me is anything that has to do with my hobby of automobiles. I don't know of one Republican that I can recall that has stood up against something that doesn't allow me to drive the type of car I want to drive. If I want to drive a car that is older I don't want it to have to pass modern emissions. I also think car manufactures should be allowed to make limited production cars that don't count toward the CAFE standards. If the dems raise CAFE standards to 40+mpg say hello to small bubble cars, and goodbye to the new breed of muscle cars.

Thanks for reading this far. Overall, I'm curious as to what makes you vote the way you do. It has been reported that some people vote on just how the canadate looks If that's true we all know Kerry is going to lose bad. Overall, I'd like to see more discussion over the issues and less personal attacks against someone that doesn't agree with your beliefs. When it really comes down to it, your local lawmakers do more that affect your life anyways.

 

[Lee_Burough]

Neither

I've been voting since 1970. Never registered as anything but an Independant.

I think making a decision on the facts at hand is the reasonable thing to do (regardless of what my friend Rush Limbaugh says about "moderates" ). Make a decision on the facts, not the partisanship of those who propose a solution to the issue.

To me, registering as a Democrat or Republican means that you checked your cognitive skills at the door and mindlessly follow the person behind the microphone.

I vote conservatively 98% of the time, but, I don't want anybody automatically thinking they speak for me when they make their stump speeches.

I'll vote for principled, honest leaders, but not because they are Democrat or Republican. Zell Miller comes to mind as a principled leader. Others follow the direction of the wind....And, the wind changes constantly.



Oh yes, I know there is a principled, honest leader running for President. A person who does not follow the wind, or recent polls to make his decisions. I'll vote for him....You all know who he is

 

[GNSCOTT]

For the first time in my life I am on the fence. I have always voted republican, but Bush has been pissing me off lately. My first reason for voting on a president and the only thing keeping me on the Republican side this time around is the safety of the country. Without it we have no economy to bitch about, no obortion to argue over, etc. I still think Bush would be the strongest candidate on this, but it just pisses me off how he keeps saying he will lead us to victory when he was leading his buddies in beer chugging contests during the Vietnam war and STILL insisting that he served his country. I still can't beleive that Clinton was elected twice with his record. To me, this is a major character flaw in a presidential candidate.

On all the other issues....It seems that republicans are trying to take as many freedoms away as they can. In a free society people should be allowed to do what they want. You don't have to like it, or agree with it, but it is America, and it should be tolerated. I for one would never agree to one of my children being aborted, but I also beleive there are too many kids running around today in homes where they are not brought up too well and they grow up to be bad people. I also do not think I should be able to tell a woman that she must produce a child, again, JMHO.

The government now wants to tell me I can't listen to shock jocks on the radio because its too indecent for me. I don't need government telling me what I can hear or see. My children will hear 4 letter words thousands of time in life and i'm sure will not turn them into bad people. Its scary how the government can put pressure on radio companies to make them comply with what the government wants on TV or radio. You don't do what they say, and they will make it real hard for you to buy more stations, or merge w/ other companies.

Like I said before, every day this is becoming the most un-free, free country in the world, in the name of decency. Ironically decency is the same thing the Taliban used when making their laws.

 

[GN One Day...]

I try to vote for a person, not a party. I do happen to have voted more for one party in national elections but another in state/local elections, but it's just how it worked out. I will say that I'm a LOT more conservative than I used to be.

It does get on my nerves when people blindly defend whatever candidate happens to fall in their party at election time. They seem to support that person due to party, and THEN come up with reasons to back up that choice. Kind of backwards. What's really funny is when that candidate jumps parties after they get in office, like happened a few times a year or two ago.

I wish there would be a way to run an election without any party allegiance being disclosed, or party propaganda. There's no way that could work, even it we tried though.

 

[KillrV6]

i hate to hug the leg of one particular party.

i just cant believe so many people defend bush so blindly.
it seems like some ignore fact for simple biased data that is not a true representation of how economic analists look at things. things are not as easy to understand as they seem.

i just wait and watch. i see where everything is leading, and i dont like it. its funny how even some of the most right wing republicans are now disagreeing with the way bush does things.

from what ive just said, you probably figure me a dem.

honestly i spend my time on the TV and radio switching from station to station to shovel through the BS being slung by both sides.

 

[Red Regal T]

I simply see Bush as a compassionate man who says what he means and does what he says. Quite a strange concept to liberals. I see the left as not having any integrity. I don't like people who don't have integrity. I could never vote for a democrat unless the party comes back from the far left. Probably won't happen soon. This democrat campaign has been about nothing but damning Bush with false allegations. Issues are of no importance and issues of no importance such as the rediculous outcry of Bush landing on the carrier, (made me feel good), to this bull about the ads. Now ya' got yourself Mr. Flip-Flop Lurch. Well, you deserve him.

 

[KillrV6]

"It does get on my nerves when people blindly defend whatever candidate happens to fall in their party at election time. They seem to support that person due to party, and THEN come up with reasons to back up that choice. Kind of backwards."

nuff said

 

[matt87]

i too am against a wall as some have said, i dont believe i can trust politicians. i dont like the way grown men have to take stabs at one another to get their agendas across. i dont know much about Kerry other than he remindes me sorta of JFK, i know hes a family friend of the Kennedys. I did vote for Bush the first time around. i like the fact hes a god faring man. i dont care much about his past, but what hes doing now is where it counts. i also know as a man of god he must be a bit sickened by the moral disfunction this country has fallen into to. i stand by him on issues of gay marriage, abortion. i dont believe hes doing his best to help the enviroment, hes an oil tycoon and isnt doing squat to help save forests. so i'm in a dilema as many of you probally are too. vote wisely , and KNOW your canidate!

 

[Silver 6]

It is truely sad that the Democratic party has brought so many people to look down on service in the National Guard. I did my 20 active, but I knew a lot of people who didn't. President Bush's service was very much like several people I grew up with. They missed meetings and they made them up. Now this is not considered service?? When I pulled Duty Officer one night in Panama the guy doing security of the front gate of FT Clayton was a cop from Chicago..National Guard. I had a couple beers this Monday night with a guy going to Honduras for two weeks...Air Guard. They're building medical clinics.

What freedoms have the Republicans taken from anyone on this board? We have an AG that enforces the laws on the books. If you don't like the laws, look to the people who passed them and ask for a change. He has a deep belief in God. How sad that has come to be a bad thing.

I believe the Senate still writes the laws for this country (current judges excluded). Why aren't you mad at them?

Go for yourself to the ACLU and ask them of all the accounts where the Patriot Act has been used to abuse ANYONE'S rights. ZIP.

How sad also that we no longer even consider that people should be responsible for their own actions. Women should have all the sex they want, when they want, with who they want, and if they make a baby, they can kill it anytime they want.......it might be a bad kid or it might just be difficult right now. And where does the man fit in? Donor. No choice in if it lives or dies. Because there is no need to get married just because they made a baby. Its expendable.

"In a free society people should be allowed to do what they want." What ever happened to the part...except when it affects other people? The unending selfishness of personal freedoms does not lead to freedom for us all. It leads to anarchy. That kid in the theater, he can talk as long and loud as he wants. Those boys at the mall, they can tell your wife what a cute ass she has an just how good they can make her feel.

They got rights.

 

[Silver 6]

OK, that was the rant. Here is a part of why I am a Republican.

I grew up in a state where Tommy Thompson and my Dad ran for their first elected offices together. Tommy went on to become Governor and one of the things he did was be a leader of welfare reform. He made every person on welfare report to someone and together they worked on that person getting back to work. Just filling out a form and getting endless checks was over. It worked so well it changed the way federal programs worked.

President Regan said America was the "Crystal City" on the hill that the rest of the world looks to for example. He believed a strong America was important for the world. Only by being strong could we say "Tear down this wall." And it came down. The people of the USSR are free because we were strong. The people of Afghanistan, the people of Iraq. Look at the millions who died when we were weak in SouthEast Asia. Another group of Mong refugies (maybe 30,000) will soon be coming to Minnesota. They are still suffering our loss 30 years later. Freedom isn't free.

We have the best health care in the world. My Dad drove a truck and when my Mom had cancer she went to the same hospital as the King of Jordan.

We have the best education in the world. People from around the world come to our schools. And many stay. We need to find a way to see that value for ourselves.

A poor black child in Virginia can grow up to be its Governor and even give a shot at running for President. A share cropper's daughter from the South can grow up to be on the appelate court in California all the way accross the country. A body builder from Austria can become Governor in California.

I believe flying the flag on the front of my house is patriotic, not a political statement. I believe there are some good people who hold elected office. I have known some.

 

[GoldT]

I am a registered Republican because:

I agree with about 90% of what Republican politicians stand for.
I agree with about 1% of what Democrats stand for.
The Green party and Libertarians(sp) confuse the hell out of me.

A modern day Ronald Reagan(but with LESS SPENDING) would be an ideal candidate.

By the way(since I'm using percentages), I agree with GW about 70% of the time.

 

[buickman69]

Originally posted by GoldT
I am a registered Republican because:

I agree with about 90% of what Republican politicians stand for.
I agree with about 1% of what Democrats stand for.
The Green party and Libertarians(sp) confuse the hell out of me.

A modern day Ronald Reagan(but with LESS SPENDING) would be an ideal candidate.

By the way(since I'm using percentages), I agree with GW about 70% of the time.

aaahhhh....hhhmmmm, what he said, yeah!

 

[TurboTer]

Personally, I'm a registered Republican, although I think the party and Bush has gotten to far to the left as of late and need to not be afraid to offend some people who won't be voting for them anyway. I am on the far-right anti-government wing of the right. I vote mainly on hot-button issues like:

I want to outlaw all abortions, even those for rape. If you wanna execute someone, execute the rapist.

I support the death penalty, and support expanding it to rapists.

I oppose gay marriage, gay adoption, and gay rights in general. It's a dangerous mental disorder, not an alternate lifestyle choice.

I want to end legal immigration now, and build a wall along the Mexican border to stop/reduce illegals. Those isiots on the left who say "we were all immigrants once" and "the same was said about immigrants who came here 100-150 years ago", I say they were different. They all shared superior European cultures and Christian backgrounds. They did not get a handout like today's immigrants.

I don't believe in gun-control. This country was started by brave men with guns. The government wants to extend the ban on "assault weapons" because those are exactly the kinds of weapons we'll need to overthow and abusive dictatorship government gone out of control.

I don't support the Patriot Act, spot checks, or random searches. A police state is n't what we need. Thomas Jefferson once said "Those who give up freedom for liberty deserve neither." Remember that.

This is a majority Christian nation and prayer in school is not a bad thing. Removing "In God We Trust" from currency and "One Nation Under God" from the Pledge will not and should not be done without a fight.

I support a Constitutional Amendment forever outlawing flag burning.

I oppose affirmative action, quotas, and multi-culturalism. Our kids in public schools are told you should be proud to be black, but you are a racist or a Nazi if you are proud to be white. You don't have to be a Klansmen to realize that South Africa was a safer, richer country 10 years ago. It's a fact.

I'm for heavily reducing foreign aid. Let's invest the money right here at home.

We have to stop taking sides in the Middle East. There are terrorist nations on both sides there. If we weren't so blatently pro-Israeli, we'd still have out twin towers today.

 

[matt87]

wow i couldnt have said it any better TurboTER! everything you said is whats wrong with this country, all the moral fibers this country was built on are disintergrating. "do what makes you feel good" is how our young generation acts. it doesnt work that way. dam you shoulda seen all the negetavive flak some Roger Williams College students received when they made a white only scholarship. all the minority groups were yelling racist fouls. the students point was not to be racist, but to show that scolarships should be for those who need it, not by the color of your skin. sad days we live in.