MODERATES - what are your thoughts on conservatives and liberals?

Question

Republicans and Democrats are polarized more than I have ever seen. If you are Independent, what keeps you from joining a party and which way do you vote most often?

Answer 1

I vote my conscience. I listen to the issue and then decide. On some issues I am more conservative and on others more liberal. I do not need a label, nor have I earned one. This is an intelligent question. I'm kinda tired of all the party bashing.

Answer 2

I'm a Republican ..lifelong as well. And I have had a drastic turn around in my thinking over the last 5 years, and I would like to Thank.. the Bush Admin for helping a whole lot of self consumed Americans, such as myself ...wake up. Honestly, I find the entire experience exhilarating.. As for aggressive Left and Right politicking.. Unfortunately the political process by nature is violent. When you have two sides, (and that is unfair because there are many "sides" but we'll populate the camp that has a more agreeable stance on issues most important to us individually) you have polarization.. when you have an "Extreme" Ideologue in the drivers seat you are going to have the opposite extreme in the back seat.. Basic universal physics. I am now fully independent, and plan on voting Libertarian and Green.. I may still vote for Republicans or Democrats, who knows... who's ever best for the job right ?

Answer 3

I used to be the most conservative Democrat or the most liberal republican among all of my friends. I didn't identify with either party necessarily. However, none of my VIEWS have changed but I suddenly find that I am a liberal in todays environment. This administration has moved us way to far right.

The scary thing to me is that some people (on both sides) are more loyal to their PARTY than to their COUNTRY. It doesn't' matter WHO is in charge, when you have control of all branches of the government it is BAD news for the country. I wish Neo-conservative Republicans could realize that. It is not good for them in the long run either.

Answer 4

I think both have some good points, and both are needed to balance the country.
I am Independent, simply because I believe that it's important to vote for the person, rather than the party. I'm registered to vote in Washington State, which before we got stationed in Germany, passed a bill that whichever party one voted for in the primaries, they had to vote that way in the actual election. It's dumb. I'm not even sure I want to be registered to vote there anymore, but it's my "home of record", so I guess I have no choice. Sigh.
I have voted equally Democrat and Republican.

Answer 5

I think anyone who tries to tow a party line these days is insane. Both parties have completely lost who and what they stand for. The Republicans spend money like a drunk Ted Kennedy loose in Vegas with a fist full of government bonds, and the Democrats couldn't find a platform to stand on in a marina.

I usually vote more Democrat then Republican - but I make very good money and don't mind some of it going to feed the poor/keep them off of my porch.

The last great hurdle is dealing with the Middle East. This is actually a fairly simple problem that could have been dealt with after 9-11. It doesn't involve bombs or wars or meaningless pieces of paper. If the president had used his speech after 9-11 to NOT say "Go to the mall" but "We need a nation wide effort to find cheap, reusable, environmentally friendly power so that we can stop being dependant on everyone else for our biggest resource - and I want something on my desk from everyone by next year" we would have a solution by now and would stop paying the people who hate us to hate is while armed.

Unfortunately, things will get worse for the next couple of years with things being as tight as they are. Once the House, Senate and Federal Branch split into equally divided parties the moderates will once again take control.

Also, the church needs to implode. They've gotten in bed with too many politicians to effectively run any kind of religiously based organization.

We also need to start facing a bit of reality. As a country we are extremely top heavy (baby-boomers retiring, deficit growing, and exports shrinking) and will face some sort of wake up eventually that makes us reexamine what it is we value over momentary gains.

And lastly, we need to deal with the Middle East. This should have been handled after 9-11 by our president. But instead he chose to say, “Go to the mall and shop”- which was the by far the worst thing he could have said. What he should have said is, “Listen people, we funded this by supporting countries who give these lunatics money by buying our oil from them. Every country supported them and it needs to stop. I want a nationwide effort from all scientists, schools and hobbyist to create a reusable, non-polluting, cheap and prevalent form of fuel so that we can once again rely on ourselves for our largest national resource. You have 2 years.” We would have something now and this crap would be disappearing with every dollar that they lost.

I long for the day where moderates once again rule the hill. I want to feel that the extremist in Washington don’t always get their way. I need to know that our country is run by sane, intelligent, rational human beings. And I think that is possible in the next 5 years.

Answer 6

There needs to be more bi-partisan decision making in this country. I think the extreme sides of both parties are so busy trying to play the power game they loose sight of why they're in office. My ideas line up more with Independents but I'll be voting Democrat this year and 2008. I think it's time for change.

Answer 7

I can't join a party because half of my Domestic Policy choices are Democrat and the other half are Republican. What else can you be when you're pro-choice, pro-gay marriage and anti-welfare state? I vote very individually. People cannot be defined by a party unless they lean hard to one side. I want someone to work for my moderate vote, I don't want it taken for granted.

Answer 8

All the hypocrisy,hate, arrogance and corruption in both parties. They have selective memories and are unwilling to have an open mind. There ability of free thought is controlled by their party.
The simple fact that both parties use fear as a tactic to get votes that they can not buy prevents me from joining either one.

I tend to vote against the incumbent if a good independent is not running.

Answer 9

Far Left Wing Liberal ACLU Adoring Liberal Democrats whose shining examples of leadership are "Yeeee haaw Howard Dean", after all he was chosen as their President of the DNC and how about the ever-red nosed 100 Proof Ted Kennedy of "Chappaquiddick" fame...Hillary and her Lesbian bid for the White House with NO solutions, NO strategies for the National Security, Illegal Aliens, open borders, nothing, she just reads from "scripts"...

As a Moderate, I know one thing, the Democratic Party
is no more, it's been hijacked by Gays and Lesbians and Radicals of every tripe...so it's either Vote GOP or a Third Party BUT the Dems are dead ...in my book!

Answer 10

I used to vote Republican, but from what I have seen from both Bush's I will never vote Republican again. And I don't join any party due to the fact that they both care more about the size of their wallet, then the benefit of the people. However since I'm not rich the Democrates are a better choice.

Working class family's are crazy if they vote Republican. This party has done more to screw blue collar workers then anything. And whenever a Republican gets into office, you can bet the economy will sag, and deficits rise.