Why hello there

[TexMex]

Hi, I am from NY, lived for a few years in a small town in Texas, am neither a republican or a democrat.  What I am is a person who struggles to understand the reasoning behind the minds of those deeply to the right...or left for that matter.  I don't think anyone would disagree with the following statement: In every day life, we are all presented with decisions or have issues sometimes big, sometimes small, but how often is the answer or the issue black and white vs grey, or somewhere in the middle.

We have two parties: red and blue, dem and rep...You've got your main issues: gay marriage, abortion, gun control, national security, taxation, etc etc.  In all of these issues, the parties are divided-black and white. Democrats believe in samesex marriage, lots of gun control, pro-choice, and higher taxes.  Republicans? Exactly the opposite.  What I am getting at is this...How is it possible that those on the far right and left have no crossover on these issues?  I mean, take the 5 issues I just mentioned. Lets instead change them to the following issues:  speed limits, drunk driving jail sentences, and the drinking age. Now, if you ask 100 random people there position on those three issues, you are going to get many different answers. In many cases you will even have severe conservatives having the same views as severe liberals...But I think we can all agree that if dems and reps took up these issues as the forefront of their campaigns, that you would see peoples opinions change very quickly.  This is just one of many questions that I would like to have help in answering. Among some others are:

Why is it that lower income conservatives are in fact even conservatives at all given the arguable fact that democratic leadership is probably more suitable to their specific finanical needs?

Which party is actually the party of compassion?

Why is it that the party that is pro-life, is also the party that has the most unwanted pregnancies? (meaning the most unwanted pregnancies occurr in Red states and generally to conservative communities)

Why is it that there are no overlapping issues between republicans and democrats?

Also, as a poli sci major, I have done numerous studies on taxation and income that I would like to share for a conservative analysis.  I thank you ahead of time for letting me get to know you all!

[obumazombie]

Welcome to the forum TexMex. I don't know how well it will go over trying to reply to a lot that is non introduction in an introduction thread, but anyway, glad you are here. I hope you like it. I may reply to some of the questions you ask, but I'll wait and see what the consensus is. You might have to include the bulk of your post in another thread before we get down to brass tacks.

[chitownchica]

Welcome!

[Eupher]

I'll tackle this one:

Why is it that lower income conservatives are in fact even conservatives at all given the arguable fact that democratic leadership is probably more suitable to their specific finanical needs?

A couple of reasons, not necessarily in this order:

1.  Self-sufficiency. Most lower-income conservatives, particularly in flyover country, pride themselves on taking care of their own business without government handouts. In fact, government handouts are insults. They insult the integrity of those who accept them and they insult the taxpayer who has to work to provide them.

2.  Work ethic. Most lower-income conservatives I know work their asses off because it's what they know and it's what they grew up with. Tied in with self-sufficiency, these folk understand and know that there ain't no such thing as a free lunch (except on the left coasts, that is) and therefore work hard for their hard-earned dollars.

3.  Pride in self and their community. These are the people who get involved in their community to the extent they can. They attend church, contribute their time and talents, look after neighbors, and help where and when they can.

Now, take those three things - common elements here in flyover country - and take them to NYC or Boston or San Francisco and tell me how much of those things you'll see. Whether they're palpable.

Then get back to me.

[CactusCarlos]

Welcome. 

Why is it that lower income conservatives are in fact even conservatives at all given the arguable fact that democratic leadership is probably more suitable to their specific finanical needs?

We can debate whether I'm a lower-income conservative or not, but I'll answer your question with another one:  how do you figure democratic leadership is more suitable to my financial needs?

Which party is actually the party of compassion?

Why and to whom is this relevant?

Why is it that the party that is pro-life, is also the party that has the most unwanted pregnancies? (meaning the most unwanted pregnancies occurr in Red states and generally to conservative communities)

I don't know you well enough to accept this statement at face-value.  Please post proof.

Why is it that there are no overlapping issues between republicans and democrats?

There are.  The majority of the IT people I work with align themselves with the left and we share many of the same concerns (high taxes, quality education for our kids, employment security).

Also, as a poli sci major, I have done numerous studies on taxation and income that I would like to share for a conservative analysis.  I thank you ahead of time for letting me get to know you all!

Not my best subject.  However, there are people here that know what they're talking about and can set you straight where need be.  Don't be an asshole and you'll be happy you joined here.

[Mr Mannn]

Why is it that lower income conservatives are in fact even conservatives at all given the arguable fact that democratic leadership is probably more suitable to their specific finanical needs?

You are making a basic mistake here. The republicans are NOT the party of the rich. They never were.
That accusation is standard demonization from the left. All parties do it.

Further democrats are NOT the party of the little guy. Nearly every elected democrat is a millionaire, born with a silver spoon in their mouth. Certainly the 1% seem to shower the democrats with the vast majority of campaign funds. Obama has more Wall Street money that any other president in history.

Above me are some good definitions of the GOP party platforms, but I will simplify it here for you.
The GOP is the "leave me alone" party. self sufficiency is the path to true freedom. The democrats are the party of welfare slavery, endless payments--vote for us or the payments will stop.

A republican does not call that freedom, its slavery to a political party. Freedom is having a job, being self sufficient and beholden to no man or party. A man with a job can vote for any party with out fear. a welfare slave must always vote for democrats or be forced to get a job.

[obumazombie]

Okay, I'll chime in with a TexMex quote...
" I don't think anyone would disagree with the following statement: In every day life, we are all presented with decisions or have issues sometimes big, sometimes small, but how often is the answer or the issue black and white vs grey, or somewhere in the middle."

I disagree with your statement, mostly because you didn't state anything. But if I understand you correctly you would assert that these decisions about issues are all or mostly in gray areas. I would disagree with that also. Libs generally don't acknowledge right and wrong, moral ,and immoral, ethical and unethical. Once you blur all those lines, then yes everything else falls into gray areas.

[Duke Nukum]

Why is it that lower income conservatives are in fact even conservatives at all given the arguable fact that democratic leadership is probably more suitable to their specific finanical needs?

Explain.

Which party is actually the party of compassion?

Conservatism is the most compassionate ideology yet devised by the mind of man so, obviously, the party informed by the conservative philosophy.

Why is it that the party that is pro-life, is also the party that has the most unwanted pregnancies? (meaning the most unwanted pregnancies occurr in Red states and generally to conservative communities)

Have no idea what you are talking about. The whole "red/blue" state thing is made up by envious liberals. TV news divisions used to simply assign red to the party in power and blue to the party out of power, or something like that, so, essentially, your question is meaningless and you lack understanding. Which is probably why your question makes no sense, you think in cliches.

Why is it that there are no overlapping issues between republicans and democrats?

Why is there no overlapping nutrition between carrots and cyanide? Why can't you just eat the "good" parts of poison?

 

[BattleHymn]

Why is it that the party that is pro-life, is also the party that has the most unwanted pregnancies? (meaning the most unwanted pregnancies occurr in Red states and generally to conservative communities)

Impossible.  Everyone knows conservatives are prudes, and don't have sex. 

[obumazombie]

Impossible.  Everyone knows conservatives are prudes, and don't have sex. 

Not only that, the vast majority of abortions performed on mothers who are underaged, or very nearly so, and we know anyone that age is more than likely a lib.

[Rebel]

I'll tackle this one:

A couple of reasons, not necessarily in this order:

1.  Self-sufficiency. Most lower-income conservatives, particularly in flyover country, pride themselves on taking care of their own business without government handouts. In fact, government handouts are insults. They insult the integrity of those who accept them and they insult the taxpayer who has to work to provide them.

2.  Work ethic. Most lower-income conservatives I know work their asses off because it's what they know and it's what they grew up with. Tied in with self-sufficiency, these folk understand and know that there ain't no such thing as a free lunch (except on the left coasts, that is) and therefore work hard for their hard-earned dollars.

3.  Pride in self and their community. These are the people who get involved in their community to the extent they can. They attend church, contribute their time and talents, look after neighbors, and help where and when they can.

Now, take those three things - common elements here in flyover country - and take them to NYC or Boston or San Francisco and tell me how much of those things you'll see. Whether they're palpable.

Then get back to me.

All this and a bag of chips. 

[TexMex]

You are making a basic mistake here. The republicans are NOT the party of the rich. They never were.
That accusation is standard demonization from the left. All parties do it.

I said nothing about a party of the rich. What I am referring to is the fact that the average income of far right citizens is much lower than that of far left citizens.  And couple that with the fact that we all know the democratic party loves giving out handouts to lower income Americans like food stamps and welfare.  So my question was why do poorer conservatives not vote democratic since they will probably be the ones making sure they have foodstamps each week?  And I reject the notion that its because they value other things more because if you sit down in the living room of a poor person, and you ask them what there MAIN concern is they will tell you its money.

[TexMex]

Okay, I'll chime in with a TexMex quote...
" I don't think anyone would disagree with the following statement: In every day life, we are all presented with decisions or have issues sometimes big, sometimes small, but how often is the answer or the issue black and white vs grey, or somewhere in the middle."

I disagree with your statement, mostly because you didn't state anything. But if I understand you correctly you would assert that these decisions about issues are all or mostly in gray areas. I would disagree with that also. Libs generally don't acknowledge right and wrong, moral ,and immoral, ethical and unethical. Once you blur all those lines, then yes everything else falls into gray areas.

Incorrect. What I meant is this. We have a few main issues, politcally:
Abortion
Regulations
SameSex Marriage
Gun Control
just a few....

Right=pro-life
Left=prochoice
Right=no gays getting married
Left=go ahead and get married!
Right=gimme my guns!
Left=dont let them have there guns!

Black and white you, see?  You can't be a true conservative and also be pro-choice. You can't be far left and not believe in gay marriage....How is it possible that every republican sides with republican party views of those issues and the left with the democratic parties views on those issues??? Its just so silly because if 5 libs and 5 repubs walk into mcdonalds, they are all going to order different value meals, some might get the same thing, and a good chance that a republican might order the same thing as a democrat. But now, lets say Eric Cantor walks in and says "Didnt you get the memo? Ronald Reagan only likes Big Macs and Cheeseburgers!!" Suddenly, the 5 libs throw away there Big Macs and cheeseburgers and the republicans take back there food and order tons of big macs.....Do you see my point????  In every other aspect of life, there is overlap-but no not in politics.  God forbid we find a liberal that doesnt want same sex marriage and God forbid we find a republican who wants to raise taxes.  Do all republicans not want to raise taxes simply because every other republican doesnt want to, or do they not want to because they truly in there heart dont want to.  Do we as political people truly believe in our convictions, or do we just believe in them becase our "party" does....Are we really not going to eat Chicken Nuggets if Eric Cantor says we are against them?

My point is this-there is NO way that if you asked someone there position on 10 issues that they wouldnt coincide sometimes with those of the opposite party. But politicize those issues and suddenly the fences go up.

[Texacon]

Howdy and welcome.  Post these in another forum.  This one's for getting folks introduced.

KC

[Ballygrl]

Welcome!

The rest of my comments moved to General Discussion.