re: #567 Windhorse

….meanwhile, back at the ranch….. why not a Repub? You are cut from rare cloth my friend…

Not so much—I’m pretty ordinary for where I live.

I generally avoid trying to define my liberalism on this fortum, but what the heck—basically, raised Democrat, in a very deep blue area, socially very liberal, fiscally a bit middle-of-the road. Strong on defense and crime issues, but not convinced that national Republican candidates have done as well with these as they believe. Very alienated by the religious right and aggressive social conservatives, pro gay marriage, pro-choice, easily offended by stunts like Sarah Palin’s ‘small town values’ shtick.

I considered voting for McCain. I was a staunch Hillary supporter, and have some serious doubts about Obama, although I do not agree with some of the folks here that he is a world-government promoting communist from the depths of hell. McCain lost my vote, I think, basically over three things—Palin, his lack of a focused response to the financial meltdown, and a moment in one of the debates when he did little ‘quotes’ with his hands about the ‘health of the mother’.

I could potentially vote for a Republican presidential candidate—God forbid my mother should see this—and I may, in fact, vote for a Republican governor for California, depending on who comes out of the pack. On a fundamental level, though, the Republican platform does not draw me in enough to lure me much, and I haven’t seen any signs that they really want me.

I believe in freedom, quasi-traditional living, self-reliance, and not trying to make people do things my way. I also believe that a strong, multi-faceted safety net is necessary to a society like ours, and that with my taxes, as Oliver Wendell Holmes put it, I buy civilization.

I write this with great nervousness, because honestly, I don’t want to spend all evening defending every detail of my political views—but basically, that’s why.