Why are you a Republican or Democrat?

[Crissi]

I'm pretty sure being a RINO counts as treason in some parts of the country. Make sure you don't leave the house without an impractically large gun and a hat featuring my avatar on it to avoid suspicion.

If they try to kill me, they kill a Revolutionary War descendent. That will make them the traitors!

[NineSpine]

Nothing that I said isnt true...Its in the Liberal play book to attack when they dont get their way....Just look at most post on here. Republican = Racist, Bigot, woman hating etc etc. Yet look at history. It was Republicans who voted to abolish slavery...here is a link of just a few items Libs need to look at..http://russp.us/racism.htm

In the 1960s, a Democratic President pushed through the Civil Rights Act. The response was a mass defection by the racist elements of the party. The Nixon campaign and administration constructed a strategy, called the Southern Strategy, to scoop those elements up into the Republican Party. This was very effective. They did this through dog whistles. My favorite dogwhistle they used is when Reagan decided to announce his candidacy in a seemingly random small town... except it was a random small town most notable for the most famous lynchings in the Civil Rights Era. Two different RNC leaders have apologized for this strategy.

[Theodarzna]

I do not actually have a party affiliation.

Mainly because while I could be considered some kind of Left leaning person I also believe in authority and hierarchy, and I am also not an Atheist.

While I like nationalism and favor the local and small largely self governing communities, I am too critical of the free market and capitalism to ever be considered a rightie in the modern sense.

[Healing Rain]

I voted for George W Bush in 2004 and have pretty much always agreed with the Republican platform. Democrats also turned me against the Democrat Party. The Democrat Party has become a tyrannical dictatorship that attempts to eviscerate anyone who does not support their platform. The Democrats also only see someone's demographic instead of another American or human being when they look at someone.

Opposing gay marriage means opposing equal rights for gays, which is a violation of the 14th Amendment.

Homosexuality, the antithesis to marriage, wasn't on the minds of the people who wrote the 14th Amendment. 5 justices essentially attempted to legislate and should be impeached.

[Crissi]

Entirely anecdotal, but my experience as a more conservative Republican is that when I engage "independents" in political conversation, they mostly tend to be easily identifiable leftists (in the American sense) that don't want to be labeled for xyz reasons. This is why I support Republicans not tempering arguments or pandering in favor of trying to win independents over your base in general elections.

They'll break out the wishy-washy statements and then eventually say something that places them diametrically opposed to the traditional Republican platform. Much of it has occurred in this thread.

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It's treason in every part of the country.

That's likely because being independent is not synonymous with center. You can have leftist and rightist independents. Me? I'm a centrist, which is why I'm more likely to be Clinton / Kasich than Sanders / Trump. That's not to say I won't have opinions that fall squarely left or right; I just have a various mix.

Snd being a Rino isn't treason. They're just moderate republicans. Kicking out the moderates is why I won't vote Repubs this year

[ITER]

Then tell state level GOP to stop trying undo what the SCOTUS ruling

SCOTUS upheld it, stop worrying about it. The GOP can't do shit.

more rhetoric with out facts, all generic what ifs

Look at that

https://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/cwg

I guess thats not factual. There is none for men and boys.

American is multiculturalism, there is nothing wrong with people honoring their heritage in private manors, its not your country its our country.

A nation has to have one culture to be a nation. America has an american culture. The communities did things a little different based on where they came from but they were Americans first. American is not a bunch of different cultures living together (or at least it wasn't) it was 1 culture that was a little different here or there but was still mostly the same. Multiculturalism doesn't work.

those "sharia courts" you speak of are community organizations with no legal binding power. Its like your local soft ball league passing judgment on a situation.

Yet the people who live there still see those as the law of the land. No its nothing like that because my local soft ball league doesn't demand honor killings and acid thrown into girls' faces if they refuse to be some dude's 4th wife.

That isn't a sharia court, further more can you name this "no go zone" or even one of these supposed courts or "south Florida", once again you speak in vague rhetoric.

I was referring to France and i think you know that. Before you say it doesn't have any relevance here, Hiliaey wants to invite more muslims here and thats how France became that way in the first place. South Florida has become a non american country due to invasions of cubans over the years. That is what I am referring to with immigration being hurtful to the native culture. I think you are purposely interpreting me wrong to try to discredit what I am saying by calling it rhetoric. I think you just don't have any other argument to use.

In the US 94% of terrorist attacks have been committed by none Muslims since 1980 (FBI stats) Ironically most "terrorist" attacks have been from eco terrorists. Muslims terrorist attacks have taken what 75 people? since 9/11 when we average something like 11,000 murders a year.

are you telling me its ok for a business not serve someone for being black? christian? white? brown? jew?

Please link your source so we can make sure methodology is correct. Why don't you count all the potential islamic attacks that were prevented. Islam has been trying to conquer the west since it came to be. The islamic terrorist is much more important to deal with than some eco non sense that doesn't bomb/shoot up everyday locations.

Are you telling me that you couldn't just stop giving a business your money and go somewhere else if they were known to discriminate? You think we have to make a law stopping people's rights?

[Theodarzna]

That's likely because being independent is not synonymous with center. You can have leftist and rightist independents. Me? I'm a centrist, which is why I'm more likely to be Clinton / Kasich than Sanders / Trump. That's not to say I won't have opinions that fall squarely left or right; I just have a various mix.

Snd being a Rino isn't treason. They're just moderate republicans. Kicking out the moderates is why I won't vote Repubs this year

I think the use of Right and Left are misnomers. People support X, Y, Z and oppose Q, R, and S, and we categorize them into groups to incorrectly create a Left v. Right drama.

[Crissi]

I think the use of Right and Left are misnomers. People support X, Y, Z and oppose Q, R, and S, and we categorize them into groups.

Well most everything is subjective if we wanna go full philosophy on it ( and I'm too sick to do that right now). But I speak of right and left as their already set American accepted definition. Now veeeery few people will be entirely one or the other since this is a spectrum. However there is a point where you're more one way than another on a general subject.

Unless you're me and totally weird. Like I'm cool with animals but very anti panda. Seriously, pandas suck.

[ITER]

No I spoke about the nuclear family, which includes the time period. You are discussing women's programming. It makes no sense to discuss it that way. I gave you plenty of respect. I attempted to have an actual discussion with you, however, you keep choosing to change definitions and the argument, which makes it a waste of time for me to honestly continue. All I ask is for you to stay consistent in what you are saying in terms of well terms and definitions.

You were referring to workforce, nuclear family, ww2. It is relevant to talk about that i said they are all interconnected. You said the 2 income family happened due to inflation I was saying it happened due to other things as well if not more important things other than inflation. The nuclear family predated the term which first appeared. It can be traced back to New England and Western Europe in the 17th century.

[Theodarzna]

Well most everything is subjective if we wanna go full philosophy on it ( and I'm too sick to do that right now). But I speak of right and left as their already set American accepted definition. Now veeeery few people will be entirely one or the other since this is a spectrum. However there is a point where you're more one way than another on a general subject.

Unless you're me and totally weird. Like I'm cool with animals but very anti panda. Seriously, pandas suck.

Unless its a Red Panda, that shit is awesome.

[GennGreymane]

You were referring to workforce, nuclear family, ww2. It is relevant to talk about that i said they are all interconnected. You said the 2 income family happened due to inflation I was saying it happened due to other things as well if not more important things other than inflation. The nuclear family predated the term which first appeared. It can be traced back to New England and Western Europe in the 17th century.

it didnt because the nuclear family is the woman not working, mean while prior to ww2 into the distant past women worked

also woman's programming and advertising? what?

[Crissi]

No, I understand your argument. I just don't believe there are near as many people out there that identify as "independent" that would actually vote Republican or contribute meaningfully to our party. Kasich is an archetypal RINO and his inexplicable actions torpedoed our party's chances of having an actual conservative headlining the ticket this election cycle. There is a reason Democrats favor Kasich, he is actually a confused Democrat. He's only running around with an -R behind his name because it has worked for him up until this point.

I personally think that as long as the true conservatives advocate for enforcing a strict social policy often based on theology, I don't think y'all will come back. When demographics change, it's important to adjust, and I just don't see many young people embracing that level of conservatism. Cruz legitimately scared me more than Trump.

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Pandas are overrated and I am kind of annoyed by people who play at being environmentalists by supporting "SAVE ALL THE CUTE AND FLUFFY ANIMALS."

I'm more like save the Sharks! Sharks are awesome and more environmentally necessary! As and that's where some more rabid animal people throw rocks at me lol

Also I'll accept Red Pandas Theo.

[Theodarzna]

I personally think that as long as the true conservatives advocate for enforcing a strict social policy often based on theology, I don't think y'all will come back. When demographics change, it's important to adjust, and I just don't see many young people embracing that level of conservatism. Cruz legitimately scared me more than Trump.

Well, Ted Cruz was the true Zodiac Killer, so yeah, he is naturally terrifying.

[ITER]

it didnt because the nuclear family is the woman not working, mean while prior to ww2 into the distant past women worked

also woman's programming and advertising? what?

Of course women work but when they got married they focused on their family and raising children (after they were gone, some women choose/had to go back into the workforce) They put their family and child rearing duties first. A nuclear family doesn't mean the women never works it is that she focuses/stays at home while the children are young while the man brings how the money. I assumed that was a straight forward understanding of that.

[GennGreymane]

Of course women work but when they got married they focused on their family and raising children (after they were gone, some women choose/had to go back into the workforce) They put their family and child rearing duties first. A nuclear family doesn't mean the women never works it is that she focuses/stays at home while the children are young while the man brings how the money. I assumed that was a straight forward understanding of that.

No, women in the 1800s and early 1900s worked in factories and on the farms even after they married. Prior the industrial age women worked in the farm fields even if they were married.

[Blobfish]

Republican Fan..(only because of Trump though)
cannot vote Im Australian


Globalisation and technology, they argue, have undercut the earnings and job security of blue-collar America.
But the pathologies they suffer from go much deeper than economics.
Since the 1980s, divorce, crime, suicide and drug-use rates have risen dramatically among the white lower class.

The upshot is that although widening socio-economic inequality is opening ever more opportunities for the youth of the affluent,
it's making it ever harder for the youth of those left behind.

And although capitalism has improved living standards immeasurably across the world, it has also created losers: their numbers are growing in the US and their leaders must find ways to ameliorate their legitimate concerns.

Trumpy is this groups Messiah. The White Lower American class. Whom being a white middle income Australian, I support.

[Theodarzna]

Of course women work but when they got married they focused on their family and raising children (after they were gone, some women choose/had to go back into the workforce) They put their family and child rearing duties first. A nuclear family doesn't mean the women never works it is that she focuses/stays at home while the children are young while the man brings how the money. I assumed that was a straight forward understanding of that.

That is historically inaccurate.

Grandparents did the majority of child rearing, mothers nursed kids but for the most part the able bodied did farm work all day, with men doing slightly more back breaking labour.

A Nuclear family structure is relatively recent and new and may have just been a transitory phase between mans inherent tribal nature or clan nature and this atomized society of individuals.

[Berengil]

I've voted a straight up-and-down the ballot Democratic ticket since I was 18. Why?

lgbt rights, too many religious fundies in the GOP, progressive taxation policies, climate change denial makes we want to punch something.... I could go on.

Mainly, the GOP represents a a resistance to social change. They are controlled in large part by religious fundamentalists. Though I'm a believer (as anyone who looked at my profile could see), I agree with the late Christopher Reeve: " When it comes to formulating public policy, religion doesn't deserve a place at the table.

I'm fine with religious freedom to the extent that people can worship at the church/mosque/temple/ etc of their choice, that they can write and read books about religion, found and run religious charities, and so on. Where I draw the line is people trying to have their unprovable beliefs passed into law and therefore forced into the realm of reality.

[Crissi]

While young people turn into old people, I did notice that the social values didn't tend to change. Only the economic values. I also think insulting an entire demographic is really stupid since diversity of ideas keep us from stagnating. It be like disregarding all the old farts because " they've lived long enough and benefitted enough. Need to concentrate on the next group who will benefit for decades".

Appealing to your base is fine if it's large enough, but if your base is an aging and dying demographic, what future is there?

[Theodarzna]

Young people don't traditionally embrace conservatism. Not too worried about an idealistic snot-nosed brat's opinion on things. The Republican party has done more damage to itself by being on the defensive and trying to win independents in key elections than a perceived population shift over the next 50+ years ever will. While the Democrats are on the attack both in the media and the academy demanding that Republicans shift their ideology to theirs, Republicans either do nothing or capitulate. THIS is the current problem in conservatism. This is why people who traditionally wouldn't have supported Trump are throwing everything they have behind him now. He may be partially incompatible with our overall views, but he is doing a damn fine job of meeting or exceeding all of the typical Democrat attacks. An attack dog is exactly what we needed, and I hope it frightens certain parties. We'll sort out the rest when the time comes.

Conservatism shot itself in the foot when it full throatedly endorsed free market capitalism and Neo-Liberalism as an ideological component. It essentially lost its conservative character in the West anyway. Once they embraced the values of the Self-Actualizing Individual, they cast Conservatism and Tradition to the wayside and have not defended its core positions in a long time.