On what issue are you most "Republican?"

[ChiefJoseph]

I've spent the last 10 minutes or so thinking about this and I could only think of one issue that I side with the Republicans on: campaign finance. Frankly, I don't really care about soft money one way or the other. What I'm talking about is the restrictions on political advocacy by third party groups 60 days before an election and 30 days before a primary. I think this provision is a direct assault on the First Amendment, and I think anyone who voted for the bill should not be taken seriously on civil liberties issues.

Flame away.

:kick:

[mr_hat]

1. Probably the amount of Brooks Bros. stuff I wear.

[ChiefJoseph]

12. Haha. Nice.

[waterman]

36. good one!

[Cat Atomic]

2. Gun rights.

That's it.

[sendero]

66. Mega...

...dittos :)

[Cat Atomic]

91. lmao

Oh no- I've been dittoed. :D

[Michael Costello]

99. Absolutely

Gun rights is one of the key issues in battleground states and is one of the main issues that causes Democratic presidential candidates to lose in those states. But that's secondary for me. The Democrats are for personal liberty on social issues, and the way I look at things, are for personal liberty on economic issues as well. They are for less government involvement, be it abortion or sending cops to try and break strikes. So why are they on the wrong side of this issue? This has always perplexed me.

[GainesT1958]

3. "Public-Private Partnerships"...

That's just about it! :eyes:

B-)

[brainwashed_youth]

4. gay marriage

that's it

[Smirnoff]

55. WHY????

[brainwashed_youth]

75. got a whole thread devoted to this

Seriously, I've been flamed so much it ain't funny. Check it out if ur interested

[Smirnoff]

101. ok...

Where is it? Honestly though, even if I read it I wouldn't respect your view, I've heard every excuse but basically it always comes down to prejudice.

[eissa]

5. Lack of sympathy for criminals

The posts this past week regarding crimes against children still have me worked up :grr:

[Burma Jones]

8. Yes, this too

I am sick of being thought of as "soft" on crime.

[brainwashed_youth]

9. ya me 2

i have no sympahty for criminals, especially child molesters

[teknomanzer]

64. The problem with crime in this country...

Is that we dole out harsh penalties to folks without expensive lawyers who commit crime against property. We have rather lackluster performance when it comes to punishing those who commit crimes against persons. People with expensive lawyers (those who can afford them) often get off on both accounts... Its not a question of being soft on crime but how you believe justice should be best applied.

[knight_of_the_star]

85. I'll have to agree

I have little sympathy for some criminals, namely crimes that are NOT committed for the purposes of survival (ie stealing bread), and I do back the death penalty, actually I think it should be expanded to cover rape.

[Burma Jones]

6. Defense Spending

But that's my livlihood

[noiretextatique]

7. n/a

eom

[Rick Myers]

10. Defense

And THAT IS ALL!!!

[strategery blunder]

11. abortion

I'm a Christian who opposes it. I take the liberal side of most everything else though.

[Robroy]

27. Me too.

I oppose abortion personally, but am a Kucinich - Wellstone Progressive on just about everything else.

The dichotomy I find between conservatives and progressives:

Conservatives are pro-life concerning birth and yet vote overwhelmingly in support of the death penalty. These positions contradict the sanctity of life.

Progressives are pro-choice concerning birth and yet for the most part are against the death penalty. These positions contradict the sanctity of life.

I believe wholeheartedly in the sanctity of life, that it is God given, and that it is his greatest gift of all. Therefore I cannot in good conscience believe in either abortion or the death penalty. This is a decision I made that constantly tears at my heart.

[strategery blunder]

32. amen

[Smirnoff]

102. We could have an abortion debate...

Wouldn't that be fun? Ok, no. But seriously, do you honestly thing that a woman shouldn't be able to make her own decisions about her body? That's sad. Personally, I don't agree with abortion really, I would NEVER have one. BUT I disagree 150% with making it illegal. That is not a decision for the law to make.

Fun Fun

[strategery blunder]

106. Most of this debate has already taken place.

I refer you to <http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=1151348>. Look for the reply "I argue against abortion using nonreligious arguments," and read the responses to it.

In specific response to your question, the right to control your body is not absolute. For example, the government has the right to say I can't fill my body with prescription drugs that I don't have a prescription for. Even though I have control of my own body, I legally DO NOT have the right to fill it up with whatever chemicals and drugs I may want to use.

Now which is worse: me taking a painkiller I don't have a prescription for, or me terminating a life that resides within me?

Sadly, some abortion will always occur, regardless of whether or not it is legal. However, I believe it should be minimized as much as possible.

Yes, in general, I believe that all people (not just women) should have the right to control their bodies. But there are some restrictions out there that are legitimate.

For the record, abortion clinic protests/bombings came up in that thread. I repudiate this. Using murder to stop abortion is utter hypocrisy.

[Delarage]

93. Ditto

But it will be a cold day in hell before I ever vote for a Repuke.

[TrogL]

13. Affirmative Action

[KissMyAsscroft]

14. Affirmative Action..

I don't support it...

[MrSlayer]

15. Death Penalty.

I am totally in favor of it and want it used for a wider variety of crimes.

[drdon326]

16. Affirmative Action

i wish i could support it.

[Cleita]

17. Nothing anymore.

If they are for it, I'm against it because no matter how good one of their positions may look, I know there is a poison pill in there somewhere. You just have to look for it.

[noiretextatique]

40. that's what i think

my rule of thumb...if they are for it, i'm against it. it works amazing well :D

[Kathy in Cambridge]

47. I'm with you there-Republicans usually have a twisted hidden agenda

so if the proposal seems good to me, that means someone else is getting screwed, or there's some downside they're hiding from the general public.

[calimary]

18. SUPPOSEDLY smaller government.

Like the government that gets off people's backs, and gets OUT OF PEOPLE'S BEDROOMS!!!! But unfortunately, our "friends" the republi-CONS don't go THAT far with it. The bedroom is precisely where they WANT big government to be.

[SnohoDem]

19. Second amendment rights

I want to be able to fight back when Ann Coulter's hate speech becomes government policy.

[Columbia]

45. Ditto

[guitar man]

20. 2nd amendment rights <n/t>

[Jim Sagle]

21. I/P.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

63. Intellectual Property?

What ARE the LW and RW positions on that, anyway? There doesn't seem to be one -- you find both RW gun nuts and flaming lefties fighting for intellectual freedom and against the abuses of copyright and patents.

[Jim Sagle]

65. Israel/Palestine. Although my position only seems Republican on DU -

in real-life it's very close to the mainstream Democratic position.

[proud patriot]

22. Define republican ... Todays rep or Teddy Rooselvelt ?

I have nothing in common with the neo-cons . Nadda !

However I have quite a lot in common with good old
Teddy .

[ChiefJoseph]

24. I'm talking about today's Republicans...

...and the issues that have defined them for the last, say, 25 years.

[demsrule4life]

23. Guns and scumbags

[yellowcanine]

25. I resent the implication that I would be Republican on any issue

Liberterian, maybe. Republican, no. Not these Republicans. Not this president.

[Pontus]

26. I hate reverse discrimination...

Not too fond of abortion either.

[NashVegas]

28. Legislating Social Hygiene

..

[_Jumper_]

87. What have the Republican's proposed on that front?

n/t

[NashVegas]

95. I Wasn't Referring to the Republicans

I was talking about my antipathy to liberal and Democratic attempts.

"Social Hygiene" was the name of an essay Lewis Lapham wrote when NYC enacted it's anti-smoking measures. Granted, it was the NYC Mayor - a Republican often referred to as a RINO - behind it.

A democratic congressman (who I won't name, because this was not said on the record) recently told a friend he believes fat people should have to pay their doctors 10 dollars for every pound they're overweight by. Said congressmen's mouth/lip area bears the signs of one who smoked cigarettes for many years. We suspect he's a reformed smoker. Possibly a slimmed-down fatty as well.

Then there's the whole "PC" thing (oh how I hate that term) to describe the outrage the liberal crowd has managed to whip itself up for at perceived insults. With the best of intentions - just like in the Social Hygiene scenario - the door has been opened to a world of crap from that part of the RW that's taken these ideas and run with them, to clamp down on civil liberties.

Free Speech Zones started out as a way to help abortion clinics fight against the more rabid protesters. If the women who they tried to keep from entering the clinic had pressed charges on their own, it would have been less necessary. Now, look whose using FSZs.

[GreenPartyVoter]

29. Balanced budget, I guess

And personally I am all for true Public Campaigns, which aren't an infringement on any individual voter's rights, but actually protects them by preventing the well-funded folks (groups or individuals) from having a _louder_ voice.

[tobius]

30. removing the "marriage tax" penalty nt

[Blue_Chill]

31. Military

I like it over funded and powerful. sorry. I'll go hide now.

[ChiefJoseph]

37. This is an interesting one.

I have spoken to several senior military types and they almost uniformly agree that the military only gets about 75 cents worth of stuff for every dollar they receive...such is the fraud, waste, inefficiency and abuse associated with defense procurement and other aspects of maintaining the military. So, they all like the $400 billion Pentagon budget, and they recognize that they can't call for cuts until they resolve the inefficiency of the system.

[jayfish]

33. Guns -NT-

Jay

[starroute]

34. Some intellectual property stuff

The Democratic Party is far too cozy with the entertainment industry to stand up to them on copyright and related issues. The Republicans aren't great either, but at least a few of them seem to be in favor of keeping things more open and maintaining fair use.

[ieoeja]

35. 2nd Amendment and Campaign Finance n/t

Watching Republicans fight a ban on the type of finance that disproportionately benefits Democrats while Democrats fought in favor of that ban was odd, but warming to the heart. Both sides picked the side that would hurt themselves. Apparently both sides do occasionally vote their conscience. I just happen to agree with the Republicans' on this one.

[stepnw1f]

38. On Toilets..

I like clean pure white porcelean toilets to sh*t into.

[MsUnderstood]

39. hmmm let me think

Keeping government out of our lives (oh wait, they like government involved). . .

Keeping government fiscally responsible (long pause while I pick my self off the floor still laughing)

I'll keep working on that one. . .

[Paradox_Mystery]

41. also abortion

against it except in cases of rape, incest, or to protect the mother's life.

[ComerPerro]

89. But should it be illegal?

I am personally against the idea of abortion, but I don't feel that it should be illegal.

[Smirnoff]

104. Totally agree with you!

:yourock:

[BillZBubb]

42. I think we can all agree that mothers are good

That's about it.

I was going to say I believe the country should pay its bills and not take on excessive debt. But, the Repugs aren't for that. So we disagree even there.

[chromotone]

43. Increased speed limit on the interstates...

When the GOP took Congress in 1994, one of the first things to go was the 55 MPH speed limit. I was commuting a long distance every day on an interstate and going 55 MPH was rather tedious...

That's the only thing I can think of...

[leodem]

50. I'm for that too...

I would like 75 mph per hour on the rural/suburbian interstates, that way you can probably do 80 mph without having to worry about getting stopped. And maybe keep it at 65 in the urban areas do to the volume of traffic.

[ludwigb]

73. Good one....

I'd hate to go back to the days of 55 mph/

[skippysmom]

44. Almost nothing

Though I do think setting up personal accounts for Social Security could be a more practical way to fund it. Not sure I want that money in the stock market, though.

[kayell]

46. I think apple pie is tasty, and I'm fond of my mother

Of course she is a wild eyed liberal who likes to protest * in DC, and has been declared a terrorist by the Bush administration.

[JohnOneillsMemory]

108. but Baseball banned Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon so that's out...

[not systems]

48. Gun rights.

That is about it.

[leodem]

49. English first... Spanish as YOUR elective

As one who is venturing into the public service field in Miami Area I feel I shouldn't be placed behind other applicants simply who have scored a lot lower simply because I don't speak Spanish and they do. I am for diversity and love the Cuban culture of Miami, but this is America, you as the immigrant should have to learn to speak English. That's why I love Graham's stance on the Haitians, atleast I can understand them! :)

[ChiefJoseph]

61. I'm with you on this one.

[drumwolf]

79. me too.

Diversity and multiculturalism are good, but there is always the danger of "too much of a good thing." I think there is definitely something to be said for assimilation and acculturation into English-speaking, Western-values America.

Then again, I'm the son of Korean immigrants who grew up in a suburban all-American -- and predominantly white -- environment, so what do I know? :)

[Sandpiper]

51. Not one damn thing

:-)

[Dees]

54. Not one friggin' thing.

My tunnel is narrow. I believe Rethugs are wrong on every single issue. How long before Dems are called terrorists?

[Kitsune]

52. Guns guns guns guns guns.

Frankly, I don't understand how the supposedly less authoritarian party (because both parties are authoritarian, one just lies about it more often) wants to control guns more. I don't get that. You'd think that liberals would support LESS regulation from above regarding that sort of thing.

[doc03]

67. More guns

[lams712]

53. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING n/t

[chemp]

56. tax cuts

only for me, though.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

57. Mmmm... does a deep dislike of gambling count? (nt)

[anti-NAFTA]

59. Is this a Republican/Democrat issue?

I thought lots of Republicans supported gambling because it's business.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

62. It was the best I could find

It being a vice largely comdemned by churchs everywhere and all. Besides that, I can't find a conservative neuron inside my brain.

[noiretextatique]

72. not to bill bennett...

rw moralist blowhard...with a huge gambling problem.

[anti-NAFTA]

58. Probably on affirmative action.

I believe in people being judged on their merits. But it's not a serious issue for me. I really don't care about it.

[Shadowen]

60. If you mean the Republicans as they *were* and claim to *be*...

I'd say that it's probably "small government that stays the hell out of your face".

[ldoolin]

68. Only two things

Guns (because it's a civil liberties issue) and immigration (because it's an environmental/overpopulation and labor issue). Not that the Repukes have even been any good on either of those, nor that either of those issues in themselves would cause me to ever vote for a conservative.

Otherwise, the Repukes can kiss my :kick:

[LearnedHand]

69. Not one thing!

In fact, if the Pukes come out in favor of something I already agree with, I change my position immediately. I don't EVER want to be mistaken for agreeing with them.

<sigh> I never thought it would come to this.

[ChiefJoseph]

70. A broken clock...

...is right twice a day.

Just because they're wrong on 99% of the issues doesn't mean they can never be right. No party has an absolute monopoly on the truth.

[Protagoras]

71. I embrace the Constitution

Once upon a time...before Orrin Hatch and the Gropenator, republicans at least used to *profess a respect for the document and the founding fathers who wrote it. I am a romantic who still feels kinda warm and fuzzy about those things so I guess I'm at least somewhat in step with what the republicans USED to give lip service to.

[silverlib]

84. Wecome to DU!

[OKNancy]

74. Coarsening of our culture

I think our "culture" in the USA is really getting crude and course.

[yellowcanine]

76. and you think that is a Republican issue?

I think Republicans have contributed to it as much as anybody with their gay bashing dressed up as defense of marriage, anti-choice dressed up as pro-life, agressive application of the death penalty, Fox News (arguably the most Republican News network), Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Drudge - do you want me to go on?

[salin]

111. I am with you

just don't know what we can do about it.

[CalebHayes]

77. MONEY

[drumwolf]

78. I probably agree with Republicans most on the death penalty.

I don't share the view of many of my fellow liberals that it's inherently wrong under any and all circumstances for the state to put someone to death, and I wholeheartedly support capital punishment for certain crimes.

That said, in practice it's horribly misused and in a lot of cases it's essentially modern-day lynching. The people most likely to get the death penalty aren't necessarily the ones who commit the most heinous and deserving crimes, but the ones who can't afford decent lawyers, and a disproportionate amount of them are poor or minorities.

[Bridget Burke]

80. NONE. Let Juanita explain it to you.....

She's the proprietress of The World's Most Dangerous Beauty Salon--located in Fort Bend County, Texas. This link to her essay on "The Difference Between Republican Women & Democratic Women" doesn't show the full title--that appears in the "Past Articles" link. That link also connects you to a few pieces on Fort Bend's very own Congress Critter--Tom DeLay.

"The first comparison is obvious. If a Republican woman hates your guts with a purple passion, she will walk across the room to greet you with a smile, kiss the air on both sides of your cheeks, and say, 'Don’t you look just wonderful! Let’s do lunch next week.' She will then call the women in her Republican women’s club and tell them that you’ve gained weight, you’re wearing last year’s shoes, you’re still not Christian enough or you wouldn’t wear those floozy earrings, and you drool.

"On the other hand, if a Democratic woman doesn’t like you, she will still walk all the way across the room to greet you, but she’ll say, 'Put on a ton of weight, haven’t ya? I didn’t know that butts could get that big. Has that worthless husband of yours found a job yet? I heard your kids are still ugly and stupid.' She will say this loud enough to draw a crowd. Democratic women love crowds....

"Republican women think the Axis of Evil is North Korea, Iraq and Iran. Democratic women think the Axis of Evil is Carl Rove, John Ashcroft, and anybody who thinks that Bush won Florida....

"Republican women know all the words to all the verses of God Bless America. Democratic women know all the words to any Woody Guthrie song."

www.brazosriver.com/women.htm

[silverlib]

82. Gotta luv it!

[DiverDave]

81. I dont think

you solve problems by throwing unlimited amounts of money at it.

[fishnfla]

83. deficit reduction

well, it USED to be a GOP thing....being a deficit hawk

[eeyore]

86. Kicking people when they are down? </sarcasm>

Honestly, I can't think of a thing.

I don't dig guns, my girlfriend had an abortion when I was in high school, my dad has cancer and has benefitted from stem cell research, I'm strongly for the separation of church and state, I can't stand tax dodging corporations. I have friends who are a married lesbian couple in their 30's, and one of them has a brain tumor. Repubs would say they should have no estate rights. I'm sick to death of American imperialism. I think smoking pot is fine. Oh, and I think flag burning is a matter of personal expression.

I'm pretty much for what they are against and against what they are for. I don't do it as a matter of point, it just seems to work out that way. Some people are born gay, I was born liberal. Or as Tom Petty says, I was born a rebel.

[_Jumper_]

88. Taxes

n/t

[ComerPerro]

90. I, like many Republicans, anxiously await the Rapture

So that these fundamentalist assholes get the fuck out of here and stop ruining our country.

[cryofan]

92. Supposedly, the GOP is anti-immigration and anti-affirmative action

But they are pro on both of those topics, just like the Dems. So, I cannot think of anything that I really agree with them on. I guess that is why I switched away from the GOP to the Dems. For a long time I thought the GOP was anti on both those topics, but I came to realize it was just a con game. So, since there are a few political ideas on which I agree with the Dems, or rather there are a couple of ideas which the Dems supposedly support (namely, progressive taxation and social safety net, and live-and-let-live social libertarianism), I am not in the Dem camp, more or less.

[Catholic Sensation]

94. Illegal Immigration

I don't care that they perform jobs nobody else would do. It's a personal issue, because my two parents came here legally with the only problem happenng six years later because the INS is the most inept agency in America (Paul Simon fixed the problem though), so I don't buy the "it's hard to enter the country legally" crap.

That's my most republican issue.

[Armand]

96. I don't feel sorry for criminals.

I don't think they should have rights in prison, especially rapists and murderers. :grr:

I also don't like affirmative action.

[myopic4141]

97. Balanced Budget

I am for balancing the budget; therefore, I believe that if we spend, we should tax to cover the cost. Oops. This cannot be a Republican issue for they believe in borrow and spend. Not a very good way to balance a budget. I guess I am not as Republican as I thought.

[SCDem]

103. This was exactly what I was going to say

but then I had the same thought .... Republicans of today are not for balanced budgets anymore.

[Hippo_Tron]

98. Social Security...

I think ultimately it's a good idea to invest our social security funds into something, which leads to more money when people retire. I just don't like the way that the GOP wants to go about this.

[ArwenJade]

100. Just two things

Abortion and death penalty

[Bridget Burke]

105. You're assuming that everybody answering is a Democrat.

That does not appear to be the case.

[Gringo]

107. NO issues, but I dress pretty conservative.

I HATE piercings, dreds, tats, all the "liberal" trappings. Sorry to those who like them...

[GregW]

109. Pro-gun, pro-death, anti-union

Oh ... and I shop at Wal-Mart

:eyes:

[tom_paine]

110. Gun rights, affirmative action, immigration

(a couple others that escape me now)

I'm putting on my asbestos shorts...