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I associate Lyndon Johnson with Viet Nam and that's not good. I was a Republican in college when everybody else was a hippie dippy Democrat. I'm a Law & Order person. I think the whole War on Women thing is THE stupidest thing I have ever heard of as an issue for a Presidential election. I don't go for these pick and choose what laws you are going to enforce types, either. I actually loved Nixon when I was 18. Now I blame him for the Run Amoks at the EPA. I'm not as sweet on Reagan as my fellow Republicans are. I blame him for the Illegal Immigration original amnesty which is now one big mess and I think Nancy Reagan is just as bad a first lady as Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton except she wasn't as pushy of an unelected Miss Bossy Pants as the other two. I thought Jimmy Carter was incompetent plus the Department of Education has made education worse not better. I think Barack Obama is even more incompetent. George W Bush spent too much money and didn't veto enough things that crossed his desk but I liked him as a person and at least he was decisive. I still like him. I like his wife, too. Bill Clinton made a good impression when he passed welfare reform. I know, the Republicans in Congress got him to do it. Still he did it. I don't think Hillary is anything like him and will be a bad President. George HW Bush lied about "No new taxes"...and I like broccoli.
My presidential candidate choices in all of the elections lose in the primaries. So the brain/heart thing and the age thing - eh. I'm an INTJ. I don't vote based on touchy-feely issues and I never have. Also, experience, not promises are 90% of my vote. If my real candidate choices would have been President I'd like to think things would be different. So, the first Presidential candidate that says they will pass a rotational state primary voting order plus has decent managerial type experience is going to get my vote but they won't because they are all afraid Iowa and New Hampshire will take it out on them. Wusses.
I was a conservative till I realized I wouldn't have been successful without the social safety nets or the generosity and support of friends and family. I don't want big government, I don't want small government, I want smart and efficient government.
That paragraph makes no sense whatsoever. You say that you "were" a conservative, until you espoused all the things that conservatives champion. That makes no sense.
Perhaps you're confusing "conservative" with "Republican." There are few conservative Republicans out there right now.
For me personally, I was influenced early on by my dad who is conservative. He's a smart guy and made a lot of sense. Where I began to separate my views with his was when I noticed a few small contradictions, and I realized that maybe he wasn't 100% correct. From there I just tried to fit all the puzzle pieces together so that they fit logically, and eventually came out an anarchist/voluntaryist/agorist or whatever people want to label me. I'm 25 now, so I'm fairly young, but my ideas are based on principles. If you want to change my mind, you have to convince me that my fundamental principles are wrong. For this reason, I don't think that "as I get older, my views will change because I'll have more life experience". Experience will not change the fact that the initiation of force is wrong, or that you own yourself and the effects of your actions.
I think if you have someone you respect growing up, you'll be more emotionally attached to that person's views later in life. So if your parents have certain views and you respect their opinion, you'll have more emotional turmoil accepting differing views when you're older.
If you come to not respect your parents anymore, you'll probably rebel and go the complete opposite direction. I have a friend whose parents were conservative, but were the kind who just repeated what they heard from other conservatives without thinking critically, and since he's a smart guy he realized this and lost respect. His mistake (in my opinion) was that he then thought "well my parents are idiots, and they're conservative, so that must mean that liberal views are correct." He then got a liberal girlfriend and has become emotionally attached to those views now.
Overall, everyone has unique circumstances that shape their ideas. The key for everyone is committing to being as objective as possible and being willing to deal with the negative emotions of being wrong and realizing that people they respect were also wrong. It's not easy for me to disagree with 99% of people, and I have many close to me (and random people on the internet ) reacting very negatively to what I say sometimes, but I'd rather stay consistent than have the comfort of being agreed with.
THIS POST, I was heavily influenced by family who are traditional Republican who are not Tea Party or even Goldwater Republicans. I am the only one in the family who ISN'T a registered republican (I am an independent,) even my older millennial brother is a registered Republican. However my idea on all (hu)men being equal wasn't my parents. My parents don't agree with being gay and them allowing to marry, yet I am. My father and I agree that taxes are a necessary evil because people need crutches to barely stand up and that the current Tea Party led conservative banter of slash and cut and the rape comments made by religious conservatives is wrong. The only other thing I disagree with my father on politics wise is when redistricting happens post census and who moves to what district in the next election (the Republican we have as our US Senator (Gosar) was previously in the district he barely beat Kirkpatrick in 2010 that she won after the 2012 re-districting.)
That paragraph makes no sense whatsoever. You say that you "were" a conservative, until you espoused all the things that conservatives champion. That makes no sense.
Perhaps you're confusing "conservative" with "Republican." There are quite a few conservative Republicans out there right now.
Fixed. With the Tea Party still a factor especially in states like Arizona, conservatism is still a factor in the Republican Party. It is becoming more and more moderate but it will take time to get to a moderate Republican Party and one I would vote for beyond Presidential races (because a Tea Party Republican Candidate will NEVER happen despite people wanting it to) and depending on which Senator is on the ballot.
My Take On If you're not a liberal at twenty you have no heart, if you're not a conservative at forty you have no brain
I am a Democrat, always have been. I was a Liberal, now that I am older, a Conservative.
A Liberal is driven by 'the way things should be', grows up and turns into a Conservative, by 'the way things are'.
That paragraph makes no sense whatsoever. You say that you "were" a conservative, until you espoused all the things that conservatives champion. That makes no sense.
Perhaps you're confusing "conservative" with "Republican." There are few conservative Republicans out there right now.
It makes perfect sense. Conservatives don't champion social safety nets.
Do you think Hillary's statement, "businesses don't create jobs"
Just what were you saying about this "educated family?" On another closed thread......
I think being liberal and carefree is great if you have lots of $$$$ or at least mom and dad's money. I feel some extreme right wing people are liberals on the other side of the scale. Neither one really knows about working in dirt or actually wondering how they will pay the bills. 6-2 yrs months off to college doesn't count as hard times, when mom and dad are a phone call and credit card away.
Here is the crutch in your argument. Conservatives decree personal responsibility. Everyday they use government services. Water, food, medicine, parks, roadways, military, and police forces are all made safe and maintained by the hated government. These services are supported by tax dollars. They want clean water to drink, roads to drive, safe medicine for themselves and their families, and safe neighborhoods, but they don't want to pay for them. These are not free services that drop from the sky. True personal responsibility would entail paying for these items individually. In truth, you can't afford it.
Corporations are not human beings. Courts may have determined they have all the rights of a person, but the entire goal of business is profit. One need only examine history to understand child labor, worker safety, coal script pay, low wages, and exposure to hazardous chemicals do not trump the goal of profit. Unregulated corporations would have no problem killing you, your children, your spouse, or any other person in the pursuit of profits. Yes, we need industry for goods and services and to provide employment; however, left unchecked corporations would have no limits in profiteering.
We are not all born equal. In many cases, working hard does nothing to increase your standard of living. If you grow up worrying about food, shelter, and basic hygiene needs, you are not going to be focused on scholastic achievements. I can't confirm, but I am almost certain a ditch digger works hard for their existence. Again, history details that farming and more permanent housing shelters lead to civilization. While you resent the poor for not trying, it is easy to overlook the multitude of barriers individuals face. This includes those with limited mental capacity or severe illness. Each of these people still consume and add to the economy. They all pay some form of taxation, and they will exist regardless of your personal tastes. We can let them starve and try to eradicate the problem, but in truth, it will do more damage to the economy than good. It may also lead to greater social unrest. Most people don't just starve quietly in the corner. Along with this is a double standard. Corporations are allowed to evade taxes creating a much larger drain on the economy than the poor. Conservatives don't seem to care.
I am 40, white, have an MBA, and a good career. I am liberal for this and a myriad of other reasons. Like it or not, we need the government. Trust me, I hate the DMV, but I am thankful not everyone is just free to drive. I like clean water, safe medicine, roads, parks, and safe food to consume. Without regulations, we could not function. I am not naive enough to claim our system is perfect, but I am able to realize it beats the "free for all" alternative. No, I don't buy the no brain concept. In fact, I think casting our lots with those whose only goal is to profit from our labor and control all the resources is actually being rather dim witted.
Last edited by dsb62574; 11-01-2014 at 08:20 AM..
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) reacting very negatively to what I say sometimes, but I'd rather stay consistent than have the comfort of being agreed with.
My Take On If you're not a liberal at twenty you have no heart, if you're not a conservative at forty you have no brain
