What makes you Dem/Repub/Indep?

[JohnG]

I am an independent, because my views fall someplace in between libertarians and Republicans.  Like both parties, I am economically, extremely conservative.  But my social views fall some place in between the Republican the Libertarian party.  In fact, I would consider myself a libertarian except for two issues.  The first is drug legalization.  I'm not completely convinced it's a good idea, but more importantly, I know that is a horrible idea.  Until we and the cradle to grave welfare that is available to some people America.  This second in the most important issue to me is foreign-policy.  I believe in a much stronger and more aggressive foreign-policy and the libertarians do.

I was raised in a Republican household and registered Republican for many years. I was thrilled in 1994, when Republicans began their rise in Congress and again in 1996 when they increased their standing in Congress, and again in 98, and in 2000 2002 and now in 2004.  I believed in the contract with America.  I thought the Republicans were truly going to make a smaller US government.  That they were truly going to get the government out of the places in our lives it doesn't long.  But they didn't do that.  In fact most didn't even fulfill their pledge of a three terms limit.  So while I fully support President Bush.  I cannot count myself a Republican until they show that they truly are for smaller government.

As for my reasons for not being a libertarian, I’ll leave the drug issue alone for the time being and focus on the foreign-policy aspect.  America must have a strong military and our military must be present throughout the world in order to help ensure our safety and the safety of the free world.  Today no country in the world has the ability to stand at United States militarily.  But if we were to simply walk away, if we were to not be the major military presence throughout the world, it would invite terrorists and dictators to start consolidating their power and slowly grow.  So that one day 20, 30, 40 years from now they would have the power to take on American.  And it would be too late for us to do anything about it.  Also, the only way to defeat terrorism is by spreading democracy and freedom throughout the world.  Many people will say, oh democracy won't work in the Middle East.  They don't want.  I say, that's ridiculous.  Democracies have worked in every region of the world's been tried.  It worked in far Asia with Japan and South Korea.  Its work in Europe, it's worked in the Middle East with Israel and Turkey.  Its worth and worked in North America, South America, and Africa.  There's no reason why Iraq or Afghanistan or Saudi Arabia or any country in the Middle East, could not be a democracy.