Family values aren't solely a campaign issue for Republicans now are they?
457263
Please explain family values? I do not think most Democrats lack family values (except for killing babies) it's the far left that are totally void of them. My opinion only.
1065705
Yes. You could see it in the election of Bush. The religious right that elected him think they have the right to make him push their policies. It is detremental. Though maybe not any more detrimental than having big business/oil impacting politics. \n\nCan't there be some type of limits on special interest groups like Focus of the Family pushing their agenda in Washington? It's a blight on the fact of democracy when big money and influence wins power in our government . . .
1002854
Exactly!!!\n\nIf you are anything like me, you knew this in your soul but so didn't want to believe it that you spent decades searching for other reasons. All of which you tried to find fact and reason in but just never seemed to explain it completely/logically. Escpecially knowing that any rational person would of course not be opposed to so many of the democrat's struggles for the rights of the people.\n\nAnd I, unlike some of the other morons, know you are referring to the 'current' republican party. And I also know that you are referring to 'prejudices' they don't even realize they have.\n\nWhy do I know this? Am I just special?\n\nNO.\n\nI know this because I was one of them! I was a republican until 2002 having been raised in a republican family. My parents used statements like "... I don't agree with discrimination at all BUT... when those ppl try to have more babies and live off the rest of us....."\n\nOr how about, "I think we all should be treated and paid fairly based on our abilities BUT that woman is taking some man's job who has a family to feed..."\n\nI'm glad you have been gifted to be able to 'see' these truths.
1025401
Okay... let me just correct your association mix up.  The Christian fundamentalists with their aggressive agendas are overwhelmingly republican. It does NOT hold true that republicans are all Christian fundamentalists interested in pushing agendas on anyone. Case and point, McCain. \n\nAre the christian fundies pushing their agendas on the people of the US?  Of course they are. They always have and they always will. That's what they do. Republicans are more interested in kickstarting the economy by making some of the people richer.  And fortunately, some of them are smart enough to back off of the wedge issues.
811762
Gay Marriage and flag burning...the usual ones that the GOP brings to the ballot box to help their chances.  Neither of these issues means jack crap in the grand scheme of things.  Not one American would be hurt or affected by either issue.
729128
Ultimately, I think this is a non-partisan issue.  \n\nPreserving societal morals is a human question, not a Republican one.  \n\nTaking the vote to the states, is a good start, and wholly supported Constitutionally, under the 10th Amendment.
972243
You silly thing.  We support the IDEALS of the conservative movement.  Less government involvement, free trade, family values and less taxes followed by a strong national defense.  Just because we got a bad lot that lots of us agree probably got what they deserved doesn't mean our ideals of the conservative movement has changed.\n\nPart of making your party stronger is finding the problem and correcting it.  Is that cut-and-running? or is evolution? (thru you off there didn't I).  \n\nSo, at the end of the day why wouldn't I support those who have the same ideals and values as me?  Pelosi doesn't represent my ideals anymore than Delay does one stands for many things I completely disagree with and one is a complete fraud who I cannot support because my values dictate that I cannot.  \n\nThis wasn't an election to PROVE that conservative movement is dead.  It was an election about getting rid of those who didn't do their jobs either by a large number of democrats voting and a large number of republicans not voting or switching their votes in defiance.\n\nPelosi fixes the world still won't change what our values and ideals are that's just silly.  You one an election not the case against conservatism.
556635
Yeah, It's highly likely. People are waking up\nand becoming more engaged. When people are thinking,\nit's always bad news for Republicans.
785565
Yes, Humanist.  \n\nYou were wrong.\n\nOnce upon a time, the Republican Party had a good direction, a good vision for America. \n\nThey have betrayed their own vision and betrayed America by thinking that the end justifies the means.
23449
Its an age related thing. People grow more and more conservative and in line with republican beliefs as they grow older. Not to say that everyone does, but most of your democratic supporters will be younger and the old granparents will often be Republican.
1134930
The republican party is looking for issues that can carry them in the upcoming elections.\n\nIn 2000-2004, they struck a chord with gay marriages, and war on terrorism. But now, these issues are either non-issue, or infact, a drag on republican party - especially war on iraq.\n\nIn order to hold on to conservative, or near conservative vote bank, the next topic of interest is immigration. The fact is, illegal immigration and also legal immigration helps another bastion of republicans - industrialists, who want cheap labor.\n\nBut there are only so many rich industrialists, to a large population of white conservatives. Also, the appeal of immigration is also for many blacks/ hispanics, who are now naturalized, and dont want others like them to come in, and take away their jobs.\n\nThus, immigration is a good wedge point for republicans - get back the white conservatives, who may be drifting away becuase of Iraq, and also, get new voters - poorer blacks/ hispanics, who dont want more immigrants to come in.\n\nTherefore, suddenly every republican, and FOX news is talking about that immigration issue, while thousands continue to die in Iraq war, we continue to pollute the environment, we continue to run massive deficits, and the rich continue to get tax breaks, while the rest of america continues to loose essential services, and well paying jobs
703670
political party allegiance is slowly taking precedence over the issues. i believe they shovel whatever they can out in order to keep their job, thats what it essentially is, they are competing with one another for their jobs. some still have real convictions, but after the past election, having to deal with the crap the republicans pulled, i feel they have generally committed themselves to each other rather than the cause, so i declare myself an independent now, because my convictions are more important than my party allegiance. \n\nso, more yes than no, but im not going to agree with certainty either way.\n\n"you can fool all of the people some of the time; and you can fool some of the people all of the time; but you can't fool all of the people all of the time."\n-abraham lincoln
1129890
It is true... While the names have differed slightly, the people who are republicans now have always sided with the easiest way out... Meaning keeping things the way the are/were rather than trying to fix the problem... Like declaring independence from England or changing the issue of slavery.
944312
I consider myself republican and I believe it is but a blatant lie to say that the republican party denies basic rights to gays. They just dont support liberal issues such as same-sex marriage because conservative republicans think that it is immoral and wrong. But that is politics - the interplay of power.
841908
Some people feel like the Republicans have not lived up to their core ideals, or for that matter, their promises.\nAlso, because the Republicans have been in complete power for quite a while now, they are the target of discontent in our country.\n\nMany people who are being hurt by globalism and a lack of quality/affordable healthcare are angry, and who else can they see to blame? Republicans hold the congress nd the white house, so who else are they going to hold accountable?\n\nThere was a time when Republicans did not approve of running a huge deficit (which is happening now), wanted the government to stay out of religion (even Pat Robertson was leery of the faith-based initiatives), and expected their politicians to do the right thing (unlike all of the folks linked to Abramof, Foley, and others).\n\nPerhaps many people have realized that the Republicans have become drunk on power, and that they needed to be reminded that their followers are not sheep.\n\nThat being said, the same might easily happen to the Democrats once they are in power for a long time. \n\nAnd sad as it is, both sides have been doing name-calling and hurtful chants for quite some time now----you just notice them more when you are on the losing side.
96848
Republican/Conservative values include reduced federal government; that decisions should be made by the lowest level of government possible. This means more power to states and municipalities, lower tax burdens on all (Yes all, don't you people realize you are now in a lower tax bracket? By the way, it worked beautifully! The tax cuts spurred economic growth which resulted in a 15% INCREASE in federalk revenues. MAKE THEM PERMANENT!). Republicans believe that by giving the people more of their own money, not only will the poor retain more of what they have, non-poor, businesses and organizations will have more to give. Republicans believe that one sure way to screw up an aid program to the less fortunate among us is to involve the federal government.\n\nDemocrats believe that the federal government should be involved in redistributing wealth to those they identify as needy through large, federally run entitlement programs. they seem to believe that we need to take a second chair to european governments and have traditionally had weaker military responses to threats abroad. (Clinton's response to the Cole bombing and his reluctant assistance to the UN in the former Yugoslavia.)\n\nI applaud you for asking this question. I am encouraged when a young person seeks knowledge and "wants to make an informed decision". My best advice to you is that you cannot make a wrong decision in picking whether or not to join a party. The only thing you gain by joining one is to be able to vote in a primary. The only mistake you could make is to not vote. That is a big mistake. Good Luck.
1055924
Think about the last election. Which issues were the dominant ones in the campaigns: \n\nRepublicans - Gay Marriage, a "culture of life" , Terry Schaivo, faith-based initiatives, terrorism, war in Iraq\n\nDemocrats - government corruption, protecting the environment, affordable health care and better schools, terrorism, war in Iraq\n\nBoth parties use religion as a tool ot get elected. Republicans tend to stick to single issues, while Democrats tend to work at broad concepts.\n\nPoliticians cannot seperate themselves from their beliefs. It is what makes them who they are. The problem is when they try to force issues that are strictly religion-based, and not based on the betterment of the nation.\n\nWhere is the "seperation of Church and State" better displayed? Neither party, although the Democrats do a better job of hiding it.\n\nTake a single issue - Gay marriage. It is based on Old Testament Christian philosophy. There are no "legal" grounds to oppose it, just religious ones. The Bible does\nnot explicitly "say" gay marriage is prohibitted, just that \nthe acts committed during a homosexual relationship are an abomination.\n\nOne of the "big issues" for Democrats was health care. Who doesn't remember "Mary Ann Knowles", the woman with breast cancer who had to keep working through chemo to keep her health insurance? Affordable, univeral heath insurance is based on Christian principles, too, but indirectly - caring for those with less.\n\nSo Democrats try to enforce Christian "liberal" principles, and Republicans try to enforce strict Christian law.