What makes you Dem/Repub/Indep?

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

htmldon: You are a moderate, and yet you are a staunch Republican.  Why?

I believe in the fundamental conservative philosophy of the primacy and independence of the individual, economic libertarianism, and American exceptionalism.  The Democrat Party used to believe in the latter concept, but has now decided to look out for the national security interests of France instead.  The leadership in the Republican Party also used to support all of these ideas, but it is now looking out for the gender insecurity needs of the "Christian" Right instead.

The biggest mistake that self-identified moderates make is to deny themselves the opportunity to get involved in and bring their ideas into the political parties.  While moderates are individually powerful as "swing voters", they are not as able to develop moderate leaders and a moderate power base without having a political party to move them forward.

Therefore, moderates should not see themselves as mere hangers-on to political parties, but they should rise up and demand respect for their views, values, and ideas.  For too long, we have allowed the far-right to call us "RINOs" when it is they that lack a connection with the principles that the Republican Party were founded upon.  We must summon the courage to stand up and fight fire with fire.   

Moderates must fight for the heart and soul of the Republican Party.  There are plenty of moderates and moderate-conservatives in the Party who want to do the right thing.  The problem is that moderates, like Arlen Specter, do not show the loyalty necessary to gain credibility among folks that do want to set the Party on a new path.  We must realize that we are the true heirs of Abraham Lincoln and we should start acting like it. 

We are flanked on our left and our right with enemies, but we are emboldened by the support that the American people continue to give our cause in just about every poll there is.

I think that there is too much violence in the media and popular culture, and I am a big fan of Tipper Gore. 

I think there is too little violence and sex in the media and popular culture.  Let the market decide what people want. Tipper Gore needs to get a vibrator, and a life.

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

In America, Your symbol would be an (I), for irrelevant.   Being an independent is like abstaining from the political process.  It's "independents" (typically moderates) that by their silence allow extremists to take over political parties for their own evil devices.

I could never be in a party with far right or far left people, so i'm an independent.

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

Many independents are just like Hugh and have very strong opinions that just don't fit into the extremes of either party.  If Independents made themselves relevant, Kirk Humphreys and David Beasley would now be Senators, and John McCain would be about to start his second term in the White House.  These good men lost in primaries because the irrelevant independents weren't there when their country needed them.

In America, Your symbol would be an (I), for irrelevant.   Being an independent is like abstaining from the political process.

I certainly wouldn't call 1/3rd of the voting population irrelevant.  Independents are often the uninformed, easily swayed segment of the population, but I don't think that one should have to definitively choose one party or the other.  If being independent or unaffiliated floats your boat, so be it.

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

I should also answer the question by telling you why I am NOT a Democrat.

While I have the utmost respect for good people who tough it out in that Party, I have zero respect for the basic tenant of the Democrat Party - gaining power at all costs.

The Democrat Party panders to what they think minorities want, rather than what minorities need to suceed.   There are a lot of Democrats on this forum who oppose race-based Affirmative Action... but you guys need to tell your Party that because your leaders are still running around calling all of us racists who don't support it.

They actually filed a complaint with the state AG trying to get poll watchers banned from polling locations because they were worried that Republicans might see and report their shenanigans.  Come to find out that this was a part of a national strategy that the DNC proposed.  They actually called it a "pre-emptive strike" in their literature and told local organizers to call minority papers and say that Republicans were trying to take their votes away.  Absolutely unbelievable.

The Democrat Party has not yet let go of the corrupt days of the Daley/Mob machine and Tammany Hall.  I have great difficulty understanding how any person of moral principle and fundamental ethics could associate themselves with that.

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

EXACTLY!  Bono understands American politics better than a lot of "independent" (or even more irrelevant "Libertarian") Americans.

The republican Party is the only possible way of election libertarians to office. T'is why.