Don’t get me started on the lawsuit crazed lunatics! Of course, that’s an opinion fostered by the Nanny State. Oh, if something goes wrong, surely someone else is to blame! :rolleyes: But the lawsuit loonies is why I said make me sign a paper stating that I’m aware of the risk, and waive the restaurant of that responsibility (this of course, would be up to individual restaurants, if I were Queen of the World). However, local law says that restaurants can only offer hamburgers with any amount of pink whatever, if they grind their own beef on the premises. I’m expecting a law against over-easy eggs any time now. :mad:
I’m not sure whether to be amused or frightened that this is the first thread by the FormerMarineGuy that is not related to sex.
Did you ever run for the Senate from Illinois?
Registered Republican.
And I can beat elkin477 - I was a Republican in high school. In fact, I was Treasurer of the High School Republicans. I had to be - there were four offices to fill, and only four of us.
BUT…I am a sexual person, so a lot of my threads are sex related. AND I have to say, it seems like you guys are EXPERTS!
MMMMM…sounds good, except the pleasures of both the rare hamburger AND the beer are denied to me until after the baby comes. Maybe I will take you up on it sometime next summer! 
You are right that the lawsuit thing is just part of the general blame-someone-else, I’m-not-responsible culture we live in. It infuriates me. I have always thought your solution of having a waiver to sign is a good one…should be used in bars if the bar owner wants to allow smoking, as well! Can’t believe your local ordinance! I think I am going to check our village code out to see if they have the same law (wouldn’t surprise me…I live in a very typical liberal nanny-state kind of town).
Do I count? I’m not a Republican, because Republicans aren’t conservative enough for me.
(Economically, at least. I could do without the social conservatism. And the war too, for that matter.)
I’ve been ducking since around post 8. Mild by Pit standards but this ain’t the Pit.
Is this common in some areas? I eat all my beef rare and have never been refused anywhere. I’m just curious if I’m going to run into this trend sometime in the future (trends tend to take their time on the way to WI, which can be a good thing 
).
I don’t know what I am, because the parties are so fucked up right now. When I hear “Republican” I think anti-gay, anti-choice, anti-civil liberties, pro-preemptive war, pro-spending, pro-deficeit, pro-Fundamentalist Christian, pro-nanny government, and I’m absolutely fundamentally opposed to everything on that list.
However, I’m also anti-welfare state and pro-Constitution, pro-States and individual Rights (as in, read the damn thing and apply it, passing new Amendments for any new Federal Powers the way the 10th ammendment requires and leave anything not in the BoR+ammendments to the states and individuals), which I understand historically has been a large part of the Republican party.
So, like many on the board, I suppose I’m sort of ecclectic - social libertarian, fiscal conservative. IOW, “None of the above.”
It seems like most people who describe themselves as “Republican” pretty much follow this line of thinking to some degree.
I’m pro-choice (reluctantly) with restrictions and responsibility, pro-gay marriage (let them be as miserable as the rest of us), anti-gun control (there are enough laws on the books that do nothing to stop the crooks, just the law-abiding citizens), anti-nanny state (I’ll give you a helping hand up when times are tough, but I’m not going to carry you). I believe you stop terrorists not with detective work but by kicking ass. I don’t think we should be the world’s police force; every country bitches when we step in and then bitches when we don’t. I think the US should tell the UN to either get its collective head out of its ass and do what it was chartered to do or else find a new place to set up shop. I believe the first amendment is the greatest law in the land but the ACLU frenzy to stop any form of religious expression has gone way overboard. I think the pork has to stop and people should be accountable for their actions (and inactions).
My parents were lifelong liberal Democrats. Guns were evil, Uncle Sam should take care of everyone, we should all be treated the same and no one is better than anyone else. By the time I hit high school I was turning against them (can you say “teenage rebellion”) and becoming more conservative. I joined the Army on my 18th birthday, voted for Reagan because I knew he would help the military. I studied and read and realized that I fell more with Republican thinking than Democratic.
Being Republican does not mean you are goose-stepping along with the party line, oppressing minorities, removing freedoms and celebrating big business by lighting our cigars with $100 bills while we ride in our limos past the burnt out shells of inner cities. We are not Nazis. Republican believe that the best way for people to succeed is for them to do for themselves. Democrats seem to believe that people need things given to them. Success comes from hard work, not from handouts. If Democrats truly believed in equality then they would be against giving preferential treatment to some people based only on race, not on merit.
I would like a more moderate candidate from either party but I don’t ever see one. I would like a more balanced legislature that responded to the 50% of Americans that fall in the middle than the extremists on either side. Since that will never happen I am forced to vote for the people that I think best represent what I believe. And I have yet to see that from the Democrats.
Nope. There are a few of us left.
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Hey Duffer, I know of this cozy little corner on this board where you and I can sit with Loach and just watch as all the people pass by, make funny faces, and then go on their way. 
Honestly, when I came into this thread this morning, I was expecting much more vituperation than has happened. I’m glad to see that there’s a nice, thoughtful discussion going on on what we believe, and what we believe our party should stand for. And it was very nice to see some of the other posters give very nice, thought out answers. Maybe we’re not as divided as we thought, when it comes down to it.
Cite?
Kidding! I’m just kidding.
I registered Republican at 18, immediately after I filled out my draft thing, on the Monday after my birthday in 1986.
I would have voted for Reagan any chance I got (“The bombing starts in 5 minutes”, how can you not love the guy?), but I felt the party got increasingly intrusive in the early/mid 90’s and I had to abandon them. 
My decision was not at all related to GWB, so I tend to avoid those threads around here. Well, that and the impression that mentioning the slightest possibility that he might NOT be evil incarnate is frowned upon…
My two primary litmus issues are abortion and guns (pro-both) so I flip-flop fairly often nowadays.
I sure didn’t vote for Clinton, Gore or Kerry, tho!
I know the OP didn’t ask about ex-Republicans, but I’ve never let that stop me from making my unwanted opinion known.
I am a screaming, wild-eyed, liberal Democrat and you can imagine the joy I have had over the past 6 years - however, I admire some of the comments made by the people on this thread. Gives me hope that not all Republicans tow the party line and can understand a few basic rights (pro-choice, pro-Gay) that might not be your cup of tea, but shouldn’t be banned in a Constitutional Amendment. (Just like not all Dems are anti-gun.)
And yes, during election years, I jump and scream and holler - but I have to admit, I am always appreciative to read exactly what the Republicans here on the board have to say - I might disagree 100% (and usually do), but actually do read and consider their viewpoints - so thanks for this thread!
Similarly, you can expect plenty of people in here to say they’re all for social liberty, constitutional rights, economic responsibility, and getting the government out of our lives, so naturally they support the party that gave us the anti-gay-marriage amendments, anti-flag-burning amendments, record deficits, and the USA PATRIOT Act.
A-ha! One of those, pinko, Commie, tree-hugging liberals!
I know very few people who fall into the stereotypes on either end of the spectrum, thank God. Even though I live in a “blue” state, most people I know are really pretty conservative when it comes to how involved government should be in our lives and how the country should be run. Many believe that if something is not forbidden by the Constitution that it should be up to the individual states to determine what the law should be. You know, that tricky 10th Amendment that says, “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.” Which is one of the reasons I , and many people I know, are opposed to Roe v Wade, since it seems to have been something that should have been thrown back to the state, not decided by SCOTUS (please don’t let this hijack us off into an abortion debate).
Let the states take care of themselves. Let the people be accountable for their lives. Help, don’t coddle. Show strength to our enemies and compassion to our friends.
Right, because the Democrats have proven themselves so much better on the whole “protecting liberties” (PMRC, Clinton & Lieberman’s anti-video game speeches, and the fact that it was the Democrats who wrote the PATRIOT act to look stronger than Republicans).
Seriously, is there anyone here who wouldn’t enjoy doing that?
I can see Bush actually being seen as one of the greatest things to happen to the GOP in decades. He’s setting into motion policies to combat terrorism, which we should have started long ago, and personaly taking the brunt of the shitstorm.It’s something that had to be done, and he’s doing it. He’s not looking to win popularity contests, so he doesn’t feel bashful in making bold moves. Looking ahead to 2008, any moderate “reagan-type” conservative is going to look pretty strong.
McCain is going to be very, very tough to beat.
Nah. That’s not near good enuf. What would happen if some poor lil’ innocent kid-type childperson were to witness you sinking your teeths into somethin’ so pink that a mere 5 minutes ago it was outside in the parkin’ lot mooing for joy? :eek: The shock! The horror! The mental indigestion that would be forever inflicted on the mere prat would be excessive, too much, and over the top! This is why kids have to be protected and shielded from sights of breast feeding by teh evil hooters of doom™, dinosaur penises, badnasty words of swearitude, reruns involving William Shatner, and overly-pinky burgers. Why do you hate America, Norinew?