I just found out that one of my very favorite people to talk politics with had me ALL wrong! And if Jeff had me all wrong, maybe others do too! Yikes! So, to clarify, I am indeed a card carrying Republican, but I absolutely DO NOT agree with much of what Republican politicians DO. All this time Jeff thought that I was just a 100% party girl who loved all things Republican and followed it completely. What kind of an idiot did he think I was?!?! No. I am a Republican because I believe in the core principles of the platform. I am involved in the party because that is the only way I have any hope of finding politicians who might actually adhere to those principles. I'm not sure if you know how this works, but if you are involved in the party you actually get to choose which Republican is going to run in the general election. That is where the real choice lies...between those candidates that are differing on the details, not the over arching principles. The general election usually gives us 2 different candidates (yes, I know there are additional fringe candidates) who are so different ideologically that I don't need to evaluate the finer points.
So, do I love John McCain? No. He was the last person on my list of candidates that I liked. Will I vote for him? Yes. I'll vote for him because I have a better shot at him doing things I'll approve of some of the time. Probably not much with McCain, but certainly even less with Obama. Feel free to stop reading here, but I'm in the mood, so I'll keep writing. On to some of my views...
Let me tell you why I'm Republican. I vote based on very few core principles. I am fiscally conservative and I believe in small government. I am socially conservative, but I'll vote for a fiscal conservative over a social conservative almost always. It would sure be nice if we had one of those on the table right about now!
Along with small government, it logically follows that I am a federalist. If an issue can be decided by the states, it should be. Better yet, if an issue can be decided by individual municipalities, it should be. Even better than that, if an issue can be decided by individual families, it should be.
Some specifics, or random thoughts. Education. This is near and dear to me. Someone, who shall remain nameless, made a comment to me today that one of the reasons they are a Dem is that Dems are pro education...meaning Republicans aren't. Well now that is just silly. Dems are willing to SPEND more on education, but that is the only solution I have heard from that side of the isle. Now, don't be hasty, the Republicans are doing a pretty poor job with the solutions they are coming up with. NCLB, joke. Vouchers, never work. HOWEVER, they are trying to be innovative and come up with different solutions. Rather than, to coin a phrase, giving us more of the same. Oh wait, did somebody already coin that phrase? By the way, when you go to Nauvoo, they teach you the origin of the phrase 'to coin a phrase.'
Taxes. I can support politicians raising my taxes...as long as they cut 75% of the spending that is currently going on. All right 75% is a figure I just pulled from my backside, so please don't leave me a comment with specific figures and statistics on why that wouldn't work. Just stop spending my money on crap! And don't redistribute my wealth...I actually already do that on my own!
OK, I could go on, but I need to go to bed. The kids are already asleep and Jon's already there...ooh la la. Wink, wink.
