I'm going through a political identity crisis....help diagnose me (Updated by order of importance)

[brandymac27]

Ok, so here's the deal. I don't really know what I am anymore. I have voted democrat in the past, but I'm now finding that some of my views don't really fall in line w/ the democratic party....or republican for that matter. I don't know what the heck I am anymore. Let me tell you a little about where I stand on certain issues, then you tell me which category I fall into. Please be as specific as possible (ex- regular democrat, fiscal democrat, libertarian, social conservative, socialist,nazi :silly:etc).

Updated by order of importance. Starting w/ 1 being the most important, 2 the next important, etc.
1 -I absolutely believe in universal health care. To me it is a right of every citizen to have access to good health care.
2-I think we should do away w/ sales tax
3-I hate govt. bailouts. I don't care if corporate America falls flat on its face. Those companies only care about themselves, and for the govt to help them is like a slap in our face.
4-Everyone under 45 shouldn't have to pay SS taxes if we don't want to. We should have an option considering we probably won't benefit from it anyway.
5-I know this is impossible, but I think it should be illegal for private companies to donate money to political candidates
6-I Believe that programs like welfare are needed but only for a certain amount of time, and if those people receiving it are physically able they should also be attending school or actively looking for work. If after a certain amount of time, those people are still not working, cut them off.
7- I think we should stop being the world police and avoid unecessary wars. Bring the troops home, protect our homeland, and save a ton of lives AND money
8-I think we should stop sending gazillions of dollars to other countries. We have our own problems here. I understand sending money for humanitarian aid (ie. Haiti, Indonesia) but (as an example) we should seriously reconsider sending serious amounts of money to countries like Israel, etc.
9-I think all illegals should be deported (don't care how we do it, just git er done)
10-I think abortion should be legal for those who are victims of rape, incest , or if the mothes life is at risk, but definitely not for birth control.
11-I think we need serious education reform. Our teachers should be held accountable and held to higher standards. Once the bad ones are weeded out, their pay should significantly increase. No child left behind is crap and I think we should do away w/ the end of grade testing that determines if a child passes or fails his or her grade.
12-I think we should raise taxes on big companies (I'm talking BIG companies) and penalize them for fiscal irresponsibility, not creating new jobs, and finding loopholes (like Google) to avoid paying their fair share.
13-I believe we should spend more time and money on alternative energy sources.
14-I believe Some govt regulation is a good thing (some being the operative word)
15-This crap of putting a GPS on someones car to track them, wiretapping, etc is crap. We deserve our privacy
16-Marijauna should be legalized and taxed

Ok. These are just a few of the things that are important to me. You can flame me for my opinions if you want, but the purpose of this thread is to really find out what I am (politically :silly:).

Fire away.....

[aREDSKIN]

Man, you are just too fed up to help or categorize sorry. :pfft:

[Hailskinz1991]

i would say socially you are moderate....fiscally you are far left...the socialist party would welcome you with open arms....have a nice day.

[TheGreatBuzz]

Ok, so here's the deal. I don't really know what I am anymore. I have voted democrat in the past, but I'm now finding that some of my views don't really fall in line w/ the democratic party....or republican for that matter. I don't know what the heck I am anymore. Let me tell you a little about where I stand on certain issues, then you tell me which category I fall into. Please be as specific as possible (ex- regular democrat, fiscal democrat, libertarian, social conservative, socialist,nazi :silly:etc).


Fire away.....

You and I differ on some points but agree on a lot. I'm interested to see what is determined because I am in the same boat. Don't know exactly what to call myself but I know what I think is right.

[brandymac27]

i would say socially you are moderate....fiscally you are far left...the socialist party would welcome you with open arms....have a nice day.

Far left??? Really?

[Predicto]

Far left??? Really?

Of course not. But many conservatives today think that anyone who isn't in favor of shutting down the federal government is "far left."

Basically, you look like a Bill Clinton New Democrat to me (with a few variations). :whoknows:

[brandymac27]

You and I differ on some points but agree on a lot. I'm interested to see what is determined because I am in the same boat. Don't know exactly what to call myself but I know what I think is right.

Well, according to HailSkinz, the socialist party would welcome me with open arms :ols:

[luckydevil]

Conservative democrat? You are a dying breed.

[brandymac27]

Man, you are just too fed up to help or categorize sorry. :pfft:

Come on now. I can't be that bad.

[generaltso]

Fiscal Conservative

Social Liberal

only way to do it.

[brandymac27]

Of course not. But many conservatives today think that anyone who isn't in favor of shutting down the federal government is "far left."

Basically, you look like a Bill Clinton New Democrat to me (with a few variations). :whoknows:

Interesting. I always liked Bill!

[SnyderShrugged]

Why do you need the label? Consider yourself independent and vote with your heart and principles. Sadly, here you will be put into a box by some anyway.

[Predicto]

Why do you need the label? Consider yourself independent and vote with your heart and principles. Sadly, here you will be put into a box by some anyway.

Says the guy with the Ayn Rand signature. :poke:






:silly: :cheers:

[Hokie28]

I would say you are slightly to the left of the middle of the spectrum. There's not many conservative tenants in there except kicking out the illegals. Universal health care definitely puts you on the left side as well as the "protectionist" view in regards to military involvement.

[The Robert Griffin Experience]

You're pretty far left, if anything, you sound like a Ross Perot populist with a bit of social libertarianism thrown in.

[ACW]

Kicking out all the illegals? Good luck with that :no:

[MassSkinsFan]

You are an Independent with Libertarian leanings. Move to Maine, start a hemp farm, buy some guns and build a bomb shetler. You'll fit right in with your neighbors there. :silly:

[Hokie28]

You are an Independent with Libertarian leanings. Move to Maine, start a hemp farm, buy some guns and build a bomb shetler. You'll fit right in with your neighbors there. :silly:

How is welfare and universal health care a Libertarian leaning?

[SnyderShrugged]

Says the guy with the Ayn Rand signature. :poke:


That's not a label, it's a statement of principle.

Curious what an any rand sig would signify in the eyes of others?



:silly: :cheers:

[MassSkinsFan]

How is welfare and universal health care a Libertarian leaning?

Neither is - but I said LEANING. I didn't say "you are a Libertarian" did I? No.

Some of those things in the list are Libertarian.

[Hokie28]

Neither is - but I said LEANING. I didn't say "you are a Libertarian" did I? No.

Some of those things in the list are Libertarian.

True but some are 180 degrees the opposite too. There is no label for that list they are all over the map.

[greenspandan]

Fiscal Conservative

Social Liberal

only way to do it.

it doesn't work that way, just like you can't be the healthy guy that only eats junk food. you're missing the fact that being fiscally conservative necessitates being socially conservative as well. you can't cut taxes and increase education. you can't decrease corporate pollution or corruption without expanding government. etc etc ... social and fiscal issues are almost always tangled up. that's why the easy answer of choosing to be "fiscally conservative and socially liberal" isn't really an option.

[PeterMP]

You're smart (enough to realize that things are complex and parties driven by the extreme are unlikely to have all of the solutions to all of the problems).

[MassSkinsFan]

True but some are 180 degrees the opposite too. There is no label for that list they are all over the map.

I agree with that.

I wasn't giving a specific and finite description.

Did you notice the "silly" smiley there?

[MassSkinsFan]

it doesn't work that way, just like you can't be the healthy guy that only eats junk food. you're missing the fact that being fiscally conservative necessitates being socially conservative as well. you can't cut taxes and increase education. you can't decrease corporate pollution or corruption without expanding government. etc etc ... social and fiscal issues are almost always tangled up. that's why the easy answer of choosing to be "fiscally conservative and socially liberal" isn't really an option.

Uh oh. How about abortion?

Is it fiscally conservative to require a person to give birth to a child they do not want? Maybe I'm naive about this, but I think it costs more to raise an adopted child than it does to perform an abortion.

[brandymac27]

True but some are 180 degrees the opposite too. There is no label for that list they are all over the map.

Hence the identity crisis. I really don't know where I fit.

[brandymac27]

Why do you need the label? Consider yourself independent and vote with your heart and principles. Sadly, here you will be put into a box by some anyway.

Because I feel like if I vote on my heart and principles, then I really can't vote for anybody. The things in that list are things that are really important to me, so if I agree w/ 4 things on the dem platform, 4 things on the repub platform, 4 things on the Lib platform, etc I don't know who to vote for b/c the important issues are all split among the candidates.

[brandymac27]

Kicking out all the illegals? Good luck with that :no:

If it were possible and up to me...

[twa]

A Blue Dog /conservative Dem/ socialistic libertarian/a deranged defense conservative...take your pick

Labels mean little...ya want a better analysis rate the importance of each issue to you on a scale of 1-10

[Jumbo]

I think that not being able to be accurately pigeonholed into a single or dual word label in the matter of political topics can often be a sign of superior critical thinking skills. :)

Of course, it can be a sign of other things, too. :pfft:

[JMS]

You need to do what everybody else does... Prioritize your list and then pick a party based upon your top criteria... Then hold your nose when they run amuk on your lesser issues.

[twa]

You need to do what everybody else does... Prioritize your list and then pick a party based upon your top criteria... Then hold your nose when they run amuk on your lesser issues.


Ain't that the dang truth :ols:....though I might add hope you read them right on your priorities.

[MassSkinsFan]

You need to do what everybody else does... Prioritize your list and then pick a party based upon your top criteria... Then hold your nose when they run amuk on your lesser issues.

This is good advice, because most candidates won't share your views 100%.

In my case I do this on a seat-by-seat basis, which is why I'm an Independent.

[btfoom]

First, I think you are much more in the 'normal' range with your views. I could pick one or two and put you into a liberal category (Health Care, Tax Big Companies) or a conservative category (Illegals, abortion). In the end, you sound like most of the people that I know, liberal on some issue, conservative on others, and basically middle of the road in general.

I agree with what JMS said above, pick the couple of issues that mean the most to you and try to find candidates who agree the closest to you on these issue.

[Burgold]

Sounds like you are... a rational human being.

I think we are all scatterplots of beliefs, some right, others left, and various other that are just well... other. Labeling ourselves or others is for ease of communication, but it's dangerous and not really all that worthwhile. No one should be a Democrat 100% of the time and likewise no one should be a Republican all the time. If you are always Conservative or always Liberal then your brain is shut off.

In my mind, it's better to think through the issues and figure out which ones matter most to you before trying to figure out who to vote for. I've never found a candidate that is perfect. So, are you a conservative or a liberal? Democrat or Republican? Refreshingly, I'd say you are awake.

[Chicken Fried]

You're a Communist.

[brandymac27]

Labels mean little...ya want a better analysis rate the importance of each issue to you on a scale of 1-10

I might just do this in the OP. 1 being the most important, 10 being the least important (but keep in mind all these issues are what I look for when I vote and are extremely important to me).


I think that not being able to be accurately pigeonholed into a single or dual word label in the matter of political topics can often be a sign of superior critical thinking skills. :)

Of course, it can be a sign of other things, too. :pfft:

Why thank you very much. Ignoring that last sentence of course :)


Sounds like you are... a rational human being.

I think we are all scatterplots of beliefs, some right, others left, and various other that are just well... other. Labeling ourselves or others is for ease of communication, but it's dangerous and not really all that worthwhile. No one should be a Democrat 100% of the time and likewise no one should be a Republican all the time. If you are always Conservative or always Liberal then your brain is shut off.

In my mind, it's better to think through the issues and figure out which ones matter most to you before trying to figure out who to vote for. I've never found a candidate that is perfect. So, are you a conservative or a liberal? Democrat or Republican? Refreshingly, I'd say you are awake.

Why thank you! I guess I need to really go through that list and prioritize it. I found that the older I get, the harder it is for me to label myself. I know the label itself isn't really important. It's just the fact that I hate having to vote for the "lesser of 2 evils" or feeling like I have to play pick up sticks just to put an end to my confusion of who to vote for. It's frustrating as hell.

[GhostofSparta]

Sounds to me like you might enjoy the Bull Moose Party. After all, Teddy Roosevelt can't be wrong.

[Hubbs]

Gooood, brandymac. Goooood. Come to the Dark Side of those of us who don't want either Democrats or Republicans in office. :evilg:

[twa]

I've had two candidates in my lifetime reach a near match to my criteria....face it they all are flawed,just like us and our wishes.

[brandymac27]

Gooood, brandymac. Goooood. Come to the Dark Side of those who don't want either Democrats or Republicans in office. :evilg:

LOL..so what's your diagnosis?

[brandymac27]

Ok, I updated the OP by order of importance.

[Hubbs]

LOL..so what's your diagnosis?

I think there are two big elements in your description, and those elements line up best with the Blue Dog Democrats (who really should be their own party), and, strangely enough, the Libertarians (strange because you want things like illegal alien deportation, when I believe Libertarians believe it would be better to allow illegal aliens to work their way to legal citizenship, and raising taxes on corporations, although I would note that it's possible for a small-l libertarian like myself to believe that we should raise taxes on rich people, though that doesn't include corporations because I think considering corporations and unions to be people is monumentally stupid). Combining the two parties I mentioned wouldn't fit all of your positions exactly, but I don't think you'll ever find a party or politician that does that.

[Wrong Direction]

I think you're an individual who's just informed enough to be dangerous, but comes to very easy, simple, conclusions (a few of which I agree with, by the way). In other words, I think you know what you want, somewhat, but don't understand how to get there or consider the implications of what you want. Sort of like most people.

[brandymac27]

I think you're an individual who's just informed enough to be dangerous, but comes to very easy, simple, conclusions (a few of which I agree with, by the way). In other words, I think you know what you want, somewhat, but don't understand how to get there or consider the implications of what you want. Sort of like most people.

Fair enough I guess. To address some of your points:

I know what I want. No, I'm not exactly sure how to get what I want. But, yes, I have considered the implications of these issues. The implications/effects of change, after all, are the whole reason in a nut shell why these issues are important to me.

[Duckus]

Conservative democrat? You are a dying breed.

Not really. It is what the House and Senate is filled with. It is the 50 state strategy and how Democrats took over government. It is also what has driven liberal insane the past few years as moderates have held up much of their legislative agenda.

Though you might be right, many of them are the ones about to be tossed out next Tuesday.

That is the funny thing about this election cycle. People are pissed off at the far left, but they are going to slaughter the moderate democrats with far right candidates. The more liberal one that they are pissed at are completely safe.

[twa]

That is the funny thing about this election cycle. People are pissed off at the far left, but they are going to slaughter the moderate democrats with far right candidates. The more liberal one that they are pissed at are completely safe.

That's the way they draw the districts,though a more than a few more liberal ones are sweating this election.

Wasn't long ago the left was calling for the Blue Dog's scalps...fickle crowd;)

[ACW]

it doesn't work that way, just like you can't be the healthy guy that only eats junk food. you're missing the fact that being fiscally conservative necessitates being socially conservative as well. you can't cut taxes and increase education. you can't decrease corporate pollution or corruption without expanding government. etc etc ... social and fiscal issues are almost always tangled up. that's why the easy answer of choosing to be "fiscally conservative and socially liberal" isn't really an option.Yes it is: Just get government out of EVERYTHING.