Why should there be conservative Democrats or liberal Republicans?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Certain posters here seem to think this is a good thing and complain about the lack of conservative Democrats now. It makes no sense to me. There's a conservative party and a liberal party. If you're a conservative, be a Republican. If you're a liberal, be a Democrat. Sounds pretty logical to me. For what reason is there to have the opposite ideology in a party?

[elcorazon]

I think there are people who are conservative on economic policies and on defense, but who are socially liberal (gay marriage, abortion, affirmative action, etc.)  Arguably they should be liberal republicans.  Similarly there are people who are liberal on most economic issues, but who oppose gay marriage, oppose a woman's right to choose, etc. who would be conservative democrats.  I actually still think both exist, the liberal republicans have just been treated as outcasts, except when they want to play to the middle and the conservative democrats are actually quite strong in the dem party.  My question is where are ANY liberals in politics?  The country seems to be getting more and more conservative politically.

[12th Doctor]

Certain posters here seem to think this is a good thing and complain about the lack of conservative Democrats now. It makes no sense to me. There's a conservative party and a liberal party. If you're a conservative, be a Republican. If you're a liberal, be a Democrat. Sounds pretty logical to me. For what reason is there to have the opposite ideology in a party?

When I say "Conservative Democrats" I'm only refereing to people who are just Left or just Right of Center, not full blown Tom Delay types.  It is a relative term.

The problem is that there is a lack of these people and it is cause the country to polarize to the extremes more rapidly.

[Nation]

Certain posters here seem to think this is a good thing and complain about the lack of conservative Democrats now. It makes no sense to me. There's a conservative party and a liberal party. If you're a conservative, be a Republican. If you're a liberal, be a Democrat. Sounds pretty logical to me. For what reason is there to have the opposite ideology in a party?

When I say "Conservative Democrats" I'm only refereing to people who are just Left or just Right of Center, not full blown Tom Delay types.  It is a relative term.

The problem is that there is a lack of these people and it is cause the country to polarize to the extremes more rapidly.

The unwillingness for either side to compromise on a lot of issues has also contributed to the polarizations of the two sides -- not enough moderates (or at least not enough vocal ones) to balance out the full-blown partisans.

[12th Doctor]

Certain posters here seem to think this is a good thing and complain about the lack of conservative Democrats now. It makes no sense to me. There's a conservative party and a liberal party. If you're a conservative, be a Republican. If you're a liberal, be a Democrat. Sounds pretty logical to me. For what reason is there to have the opposite ideology in a party?

When I say "Conservative Democrats" I'm only refereing to people who are just Left or just Right of Center, not full blown Tom Delay types.  It is a relative term.

The problem is that there is a lack of these people and it is cause the country to polarize to the extremes more rapidly.

The unwillingness for either side to compromise on a lot of issues has also contributed to the polarizations of the two sides -- not enough moderates (or at least not enough vocal ones) to balance out the full-blown partisans.

Yes, I meant that to apply to both parties.

[Angel of Death]

Sorry, but in all honesty I think that's a stupid question to ask.

You've might have noticed how beliefs differ in different parts of the country. In order for a candidate to stand a chance of being elected (s)he has to look up the local median and then position him/herself close to it. Compare Lincoln Chafee with Zell Miller.

See now why the two-party system sucks so bad?

[bullmoose88]

Liberal Republicans who switch to the Democratic Party would easily become the Conservative Democrats you dislike. And Vica Versa...the issues would just be different.

Its all relative.

[The Dowager Mod]

I was a liberal "rockefeller"republican at one point.
then the wing nuts took over.

[bullmoose88]

I was a liberal "rockefeller"republican at one point.
then the wing nuts took over.

Unfortunately.

Lincoln and TR must be rolling over in their graves.

[The Dowager Mod]

The last republican i could have voted for was Ford.

[bullmoose88]

Bush Sr. wasn't too bad.

Too bad McCain didn't run.

[badnarikin04]

The reason there are so many of these people is because the Dems and Reps are just too damn similar.

Bush vs. Kerry is like rotten McIntosh apple vs. rotten Granny Smith apple.

It's two choices you hate for almost the same reason.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Liberal Republicans who switch to the Democratic Party would easily become the Conservative Democrats you dislike. And Vica Versa...the issues would just be different.

Its all relative.

that's not what I'm talking about.

I'm not talking about moderates, people in the center who could probably fit in either party. I'm talking about Zell Miller basically, a right wing extremist in the Democratic party. Now is there any reason for him to be a Democrat? Yet for some reason people like StatesRights say the Democrats should be conservative, which makes no sense, since we don't need two conservative parties. This has happened many times when I get in arguments about Zell Miller here, the bottom line is, what reason is there for him to be a Democrat?

[Bogart]

I think that the Zell Millers of the world are fairly rare. I would imagine that Zell would change parties if he was not at the end of his political career. By his own admission, he comes from a different time and place in the history of the Democratic Party. And, he is sticking with that moniker mainly out of nostalga rather than practicality.

[Nation]

Liberal Republicans who switch to the Democratic Party would easily become the Conservative Democrats you dislike. And Vica Versa...the issues would just be different.

Its all relative.

that's not what I'm talking about.

I'm not talking about moderates, people in the center who could probably fit in either party. I'm talking about Zell Miller basically, a right wing extremist in the Democratic party. Now is there any reason for him to be a Democrat? Yet for some reason people like StatesRights say the Democrats should be conservative, which makes no sense, since we don't need two conservative parties. This has happened many times when I get in arguments about Zell Miller here, the bottom line is, what reason is there for him to be a Democrat?

I don't know if you've ever been to Georgia or Alabama, etc, but there are a lot of pretty conservative Democrats that have been democrats for a long time, and continue to elect Democrats into the House of Representatives -- if anything, they allow the Democrats to not become crushed in numbers by the Republicans in Congress.

[raggage]

Bush Sr. wasn't too bad.

Too bad McCain didn't run.

Personally I'd like to see Snowe or Chafee run, on the Republican side, and maybe someone like Bayh run on the Democrat side.

Good to see you back bullmoose