Where are the true lefties???

[girlbug2]

I am hugely frustrated with our whole political system because my politics can't find a home in either party. I would have labelled myself as a conservative some years ago but then I became aware of shortcomings in the Republican party line. I feel forced to mainly vote republican in elections because of the lack of viable candidates in the libertarian or independant camp.

Conservatives would reject me if they knew how I felt about their general lack of concern for the environment and their obsession about gay issues. Also could somebody please tell them to give up already about the prayer in schools, it's a non issue.

Liberals despise me because of my stance on gun control issues, foreign policy and my rabid and unapologetic eating of meat. Oh yes, and because I think disciplining my kids is a good thing.

Party lines, bah. Where does one sign up for the "I can think for myself" party?

 

[celtic_crippler]

I am hugely frustrated with our whole political system because my politics can't find a home in either party. I would have labelled myself as a conservative some years ago but then I became aware of shortcomings in the Republican party line. I feel forced to mainly vote republican in elections because of the lack of viable candidates in the libertarian or independant camp.

Conservatives would reject me if they knew how I felt about their general lack of concern for the environment and their obsession about gay issues. Also could somebody please tell them to give up already about the prayer in schools, it's a non issue.

Liberals despise me because of my stance on gun control issues, foreign policy and my rabid and unapologetic eating of meat. Oh yes, and because I think disciplining my kids is a good thing.

Party lines, bah. Where does one sign up for the "I can think for myself" party?

But then you'd be labeled for being associated with that party! DOH! :idunno:

 

[JDenver]

I can answer the original question.

All the lefties are here, just North of you.....in Canada......! Yay!

Our Conservative Party falls somewhere between your Democrats and Republicans. Our Liberal Party is like moderate Democrat. They governed for 10 years until 2.5 years ago. Then the PQ in Quebec and the NDP are like.....hmmm.....very left wing Democrat.

I welcome you all to move here----

 

[Ken Morgan]

I can answer the original question.

All the lefties are here, just North of you.....in Canada......! Yay!

Our Conservative Party falls somewhere between your Democrats and Republicans. Our Liberal Party is like moderate Democrat. They governed for 10 years until 2.5 years ago. Then the PQ in Quebec and the NDP are like.....hmmm.....very left wing Democrat.

I welcome you all to move here----

Whoa, whoa hold on a second Dude, I live here too!! It’s like asking your Mom to come visit without getting the OK from your significant other…not cool!!

I mean don’t all the Merican’s have guns? We can’t have that!! Don’t they all say y’all and call people Darling and stuff? We can’t have that!! Don’t they have that watered down beer? We can’t have that!! Don’t they all believe in individual rights? We can’t have that!! They worship Chuck Norris for goodness sakes!! We can’t have that!!

If we let them all in, it’d be chaos I tell you, chaos!!

 

[CoryKS]

I mean don’t all the Merican’s have guns? We can’t have that!! Don’t they all say y’all and call people Darling and stuff? We can’t have that!! Don’t they have that watered down beer? We can’t have that!! Don’t they all believe in individual rights? We can’t have that!! They worship Chuck Norris for goodness sakes!! We can’t have that!!

Not the ones you're getting.

 

[Ken Morgan]

Not the ones you're getting.

:lfao:

 

[CanuckMA]

Not the ones you're getting.

The ones we're getting probably don't know the difference between Chuck Norris and Chuck Brown. :lfao:

 

[Bruno@MT]

The ones we're getting probably don't know the difference between Chuck Norris and Chuck Brown. :lfao:

Chuck Norris is that guy who does fitness equipment infomercials, right?

 

[Phoenix44]

Liberals despise me because of my stance on gun control issues

I find that really odd. Gun control is a total non-issue for liberals. It has nothing to do with being liberal or conservative. (Neither does abortion, birth control, or vegetarianism, by the way)

I think gun control is one of the few issues that can truly be discussed rationally and with compassion. For example, if you are a gun enthusiast, can you truly not understand why people in the inner city slums of New York hate hand guns? If you are a gun control advocate, can you appreciate that people like to hunt? Maybe there should be different ways of dealing with the issue in different circumstances.

To me, the difference between "liberal" and "conservative" involves your world view. Do you believe in the commons, or not? Do you believe in public education, public roads, public libraries, etc; or should everybody purchase their own? Do you believe that we all benefit when we all benefit, or should everyone only take care of his or her own/

 

[Ken Morgan]

I find that really odd. Gun control is a total non-issue for liberals. It has nothing to do with being liberal or conservative. (Neither does abortion, birth control, or vegetarianism, by the way)

I think gun control is one of the few issues that can truly be discussed rationally and with compassion. For example, if you are a gun enthusiast, can you truly not understand why people in the inner city slums of New York hate hand guns? If you are a gun control advocate, can you appreciate that people like to hunt? Maybe there should be different ways of dealing with the issue in different circumstances.

To me, the difference between "liberal" and "conservative" involves your world view. Do you believe in the commons, or not? Do you believe in public education, public roads, public libraries, etc; or should everybody purchase their own? Do you believe that we all benefit when we all benefit, or should everyone only take care of his or her own/

Up here my view on Conservative vs. Liberal is, the Conservatives believe and trust in the individual, the Liberals believe and trust in the State.

Obviously it’s a massive generalization and once it meets reality it goes all over the place.

 

[girlbug2]

I find that really odd. Gun control is a total non-issue for liberals. It has nothing to do with being liberal or conservative. (Neither does abortion, birth control, or vegetarianism, by the way)

Does it really look that way to you? I admit that I dont' have hard statistics to back this up, but by far the stereotype of democrats is pro-choice, and it's more difficult to find a republican vegetarian than a dem vegetarian. I've also notice that the dems love to stereotype republicans as gun-happy, religious redneck prolifers. We all encouter these cariciatures of popular culture in comedy ,op ed, blogs and political cartoons. Surely you aren't unaware of it.

..........

To me, the difference between "liberal" and "conservative" involves your world view. Do you believe in the commons, or not? Do you believe in public education, public roads, public libraries, etc; or should everybody purchase their own? Do you believe that we all benefit when we all benefit, or should everyone only take care of his or her own/

I think we all believe in benefiting for and from the common good, it's just a matter of degree.

 

[Phoenix44]

"Democrat" does not equal "liberal"

"Republican" does not equal "conservative"

True, the Democratic party overall tends to support more liberal values while the Republican Party overall tends to support more conservative values, but the terms are not interchangeable.

Senator Olympia Snowe (Republican, Maine) is considered a liberal Republican. She supports same sex marriage rights, reproductive rights, and recently authored a bill favoring curtailing commercial whaling because of declining whale populations. She recently wrote an Op-Ed in the NY Times urging the Republican Party to be more inclusive in its membership.

Senator Ben Nelson (Democrat, Nebraska) is considered a conservative Democrat, who frequently votes against civil rights and environmental issues.

Snowe's views are definitely leftward of Nelson's.

Kinky Friedman, a Texan who plans to run for governor (again) on the Democratic line, favors reproductive choice, immigration control, gay marriage, gun ownership, alternative energy, and tighter corporate control.

There are many religious organizations promoting stewardship of the environment and aid to the poor--liberal values. The executive director of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State is a minister.

Guns, abortion, and religion are not "liberal" or "conservative" values. They're personal, they may even be regional, but they do not define "liberal" or "conservative." I think the problem comes when people start IMPLYING that gun control or religious observance defines liberal or conservative--this is how political operatives manipulate the public.

And by the way, saying that "dems love to stereotype republicans as gun-happy, religious redneck prolifers" is in itself a sterotype.

 

[celtic_crippler]

I think the definition of what a "liberal" is has changed over the years.

The "JFK liberal" is a lot different than say...the "Barney Frank liberal."

That's due in part to how they are portrayed in the media at the time as that influences the masses perception.