What is a moderate Republican?

[Person Man]

I'd say Murkowski, Collins, Kirk, Sandoval, Huntsman would qualify as moderates. Most others run the gamut from conservative (ex: Christie, Martinez) to very conservative (ex: Boehner, McConnell) to far-right (Cruz, Lee) to clinically insane (ex: Bachmann, Gohmert)

This-ish. Everyone is anywhere left of center is a Democrat now. According to the CNN US exit poll in 2012 33% of Mitt Romney voters said that they wanted abortion to be legal all or most of the time. Only 18% of Obama '12 voters said the opposite.

[Del Tachi]

Why most moderate Republicans be "conservative on fiscal issues but liberal on social ones"? 

What about those who are conservative on social issues yet liberal on fiscal ones? 

Traditionally, libertarians have always leaned towards Republicans and Communitarians have always leaned towards Democrats because America places more emphasis on economics.

So Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum belong in the Democratic party?

[PJ]

Why most moderate Republicans be "conservative on fiscal issues but liberal on social ones"? 

What about those who are conservative on social issues yet liberal on fiscal ones? 

Traditionally, libertarians have always leaned towards Republicans and Communitarians have always leaned towards Democrats because America places more emphasis on economics.

Those aren't real political ideologies.

Yeah okay.

Why most moderate Republicans be "conservative on fiscal issues but liberal on social ones"? 

What about those who are conservative on social issues yet liberal on fiscal ones? 

Traditionally, libertarians have always leaned towards Republicans and Communitarians have always leaned towards Democrats because America places more emphasis on economics.

How far back do "always" & "traditionally" stretch?

Thanks for pointing that out, I used those terms relatively loosely. I would say around the mid-20th century, when the two major parties began to cement themselves as liberal and conservative.

Why most moderate Republicans be "conservative on fiscal issues but liberal on social ones"? 

What about those who are conservative on social issues yet liberal on fiscal ones? 

Traditionally, libertarians have always leaned towards Republicans and Communitarians have always leaned towards Democrats because America places more emphasis on economics.

So Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum belong in the Democratic party?

I wouldn't say they're economic moderates.

[morgieb]

An oxymoron.

[ElectionsGuy]

Why most moderate Republicans be "conservative on fiscal issues but liberal on social ones"? 

What about those who are conservative on social issues yet liberal on fiscal ones? 

Traditionally, libertarians have always leaned towards Republicans and Communitarians have always leaned towards Democrats because America places more emphasis on economics.

So Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum belong in the Democratic party?

I don't think they could be considered "economic liberals".

[Wolverines34]

in my opinion moderate republicans are those who are moderate on social issues but conservative on economic ones (excluding environmental issues mostly).

examples of moderate republicans would include in my view

rudy giuliani
john mccain
olympia snow
susan collins
pat mccroy
jon hunstman jr
scott brown

some of the top of my head.

[Cassius]

A moderate Republican is whatever the person in question thinks they are. So, to the left, a moderate Republican is basically a Democrat. To the Tea Party a moderate Republican is any member of the so-called 'establishment'. To a self-described 'moderate', a moderate Republican is a Republican in their own image, whatever that happens to be. Like most political terms, its meaning is entirely subjective to a person's own point of view.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Some mix of the following qualities:

-Moderate on some social issues: pro-Choice, pro-gay marriage, not a fundamentalist Christian
-Believes in the basic government economic programs of Medicare and Social security
-Not racist (Not a birther, not afraid of Muslims, supports immigration reform).
-Not a tool of industry lobbyists particularly oil/gas, insurance/medicine and banking.

In my opinion, there are arguably zero moderate Republican members of Congress or in statewide elected office.

What in the world? Where do you think they got their support back in the day like Rocky and the boys? Wall Street primarily.

[⛄]

Joe Manchin.... Oops!

Huntsman, Susan Collins, Olympia Snowe, that's it!

Really? No Lisa Murkowski?

[SWE]

A Democrat.

[courts]

as far as i can tell, a particular sub-species of unicorn

[henster]

Andrew Cuomo.