Stranger In A Strange Land

Doesn't matter if you are a Democrat or Republican. Personally putting myself in one of those pigeon holes is a mistake. One should vote for the man (or Ma'am as the case may be) not the party. It's a huge mistake most voters fall victim to.

shouldazagged, If people can't get past your party then too bad. If you believe in what you say then say it. If someone does doesn't like it then so be it. You have put in your time, you paid your dues. You keep up with your obligation to get involved in the voting process and that alone puts you a little higher on the respect pole than many I know. Our freedom comes at a price. One of those payments we make is taking the time to cast a ballot.

That being said when you put yourself in a situation where your opinions will draw negative attention you have to make sure you have your thick skin exposed and your man pants on. Pay attention to who it is that gives you the oppising arguement adn consider the source. Agree or not people should be able to make their point without acting like a prissy child. We are supposed ot be adults, this is a gun forum after all. It's a grown ups passion we share. So it should not be hard to act like an adult and speak/type accordingly.
We have to as adults though be willing to see an opposing view that has been well written not always as a flame attack and just an opposing opinion. WE have to try to ask and answer questions in the discussion. And most importantly ,have the wisdom to understand and admit when we are wrong.

Your Bio is something I fine quite admirable. You seem to have a good set of ethics. I'm not all that sure how they mix with the Democrat or liberal mind set. But if yo uhave fund a way then good for you. It makes you a beter man than me in that aspect. I have little faith in either of the two main party. Bot when left to their own devices will go crap house crazy and that is no good for this country. GW and a GOP Congress showed us just how screwed up the party is. And Obama's 1st term gave us the same pains. just for another direction. I've found that a balance in power between the two seems to have the best effect.

Anyway, the subject matter of this forum attracts many that have no interest in losing any of our rights. In fact we would like a few of them back. The sitting Pres. has made a mockery of our Constitution. All the wile blaming the other party for the ills. There simply is no way to stop a hole from getting bigger by adding more shovels.

The last GOP poster boy did no better. He was no ta real Republican and it's people like this that caused many to believe the GOP left them..As I believe. I didn't leave the GOP, the GOP left me.
Both these two spend money like a welfare mother at a flea market. And no matter the color of the tie it's just wrong.

I will ask though OP. Did you vote for this POTUS? Did you do so in both elections? If so I'm interested in what made you do so.

I grew up a Democrat. The problem is that the Democrats are not the same party they use to be. They have been co-opted by all kinds of special interests and while they like to talk about "common sense" solutions what they usually mean is we want tax people more to increase the size of the government.

Many of the values you talk about the contemporary Democratic party now stands against. They are uncomfortable talking about the traditional family and want to pretend there is no impact on kids raised in single-parent broken homes despite study after study showing that those kids are at a huge disadvantage. The Dems talk about being for "the little guy" but more and more are run by coastal elites completely out of touch with the world who never ask if their ideaology actually fits reality.

I tried the Republicans but just like I didn't get into my actual reasons for leaving the Democrats I won't get into why I no longer am. I will say I was a Republican for a much shorter period of time than I was a Democrat. However, I do find myself mostly voting for Republicans these days because while the GOP does frustrate me to no end their ideas are usually less damaging to the country as a whole. That said, I am all for voting out the establishment politicians on both sides.

Also, I grew up believing that the Democrats would fight for the 1st Amendment while the Republicans would fight for the 2nd. Now we live in an age where a foreign attack led to the jailing of an American filmmaker and the sitting President has signed the NDAA which allows the indefinite detention of American citizens for almost no reason at all. The Democrats have utterly failed as champions of the 1st Amendment.

They are failing as a party. I do not think they are "evil" or "sick" like some people assert, but they are no longer the party of the working man and have not been so for a long time now.

MisterMcCool said:

Or when everybody was bashing that man for supporting his son's cross dressing.... They started back pedaling after Vincine took them to task.

Click to expand...

Exactly.........

RUG3R44 said:

I've voted for democrats in the past, Sam Nunn for instance, but only vote for pro-gun candidates regardless of party affiliate.

Click to expand...

I definitely look at pro-gun stance but there are so many other factors I look into, also. There are so many important issues I think it's a mistake to look at only one issue.


In life, I tend to want to "mind my own business". If I don't like someone or like their opinions, I avoid them. Check them off my list of people to associate with. The only thing I can control and do anything about is myself, my home, my money, my situations in general. I don't fret over things I can't fix or control.

My Dad was diagnosed with a large-ish aortic aneurysm. My brother flipped and started worrying like crazy. My Dad is in no physical condition to have it surgically repaired. I told my brother I wasn't going to worry about it. He ranted that it can blow and Dad would be dead within minutes. I pointed out to him that if it's going to happen, it's going to happen. Him worrying and getting all hysterical about it isn't going to change anything. I told him I was going to enjoy my Dad for as long as I could and not let worry of something I can't do anything about mar the time I have with my Dad. My brother never mentioned my Dad's aneurysm again. I can guarantee you all I'm probably never going to die of an ulcer or high blood pressure. ROFLMAO I don't get worked up, hysterical or worried too often.

A few additional points:

I said I'm a Democrat, I didn't use the word "liberal". If anything I would have to describe myself as a centrist or moderately conservative Democrat, except that there are so few real ones left.

Someone said the Democratic Party isn't what it used to be, and that's true. Neither is the Republican Party. What passes for political discourse in this country has degenerated almost beyond repair, with hard-core ideologues on both sides of the aisle hell-bent on avoiding the compromise that it takes to get governing done. There used to be people in both parties--James Baker, Dick Lugar, John Sherman Cooper, Tip O'Neil, all real political professionals--who were brilliant at achieving agreement across the aisle so that things could actually get done. It worked. Now we have a do-nothing Congress, the least productive in decades in terms of legislation passed, and the people who try to break the gridlock are damned by the extreme wings of their parties for being "weak".

I have voted for Republicans on more than one occasion. Don't think I ever but once voted a straight Democratic ticket. But I look for people who can find common ground in the middle, long enough to carry on the nation's business.

I believe that the Congress of the United States, on both sides of the aisle, is at least 90% bought and paid for by special interests, and that if we don't get some kind of real campaign finance reform it will stay that way.

As I said in my original post, I'm pretty optimistic about people as individuals, and pessimistic about institutions. The current Democratic and Republican Parties rank very high on my list of organizations I think are screwing things up and spending their time fighting, to the detriment of the country I love.

When I began voting you had to be twenty-one. I'm glad that changed, but I despair of the understanding so many 18-year-olds have today of the political process and the obligations of citizenship. My sister was on a bus before the last presidential election--days before the election--and stuck up a conversation with a girl of about twenty. Sis asked, "So, who are you voting for for President?" And the kid answered, "Gee, I don't know. Who's running?" I almost cried when I heard that.

America first and always, if your supporting the Constitution and BOR's as they are written, I support you no matter what party your crazy enough to align yourself with. The moment one strays or compromises them, your history in my book. Its painfully clear that neither party is representing the Oath their winning candidates swear to uphold unlike the service members that take the oath and keep it!

SZ, I try not to generalize about memberships in groups because Ive found few that truly have devout and consistent voices outside of their gatherings. If one self Identifies as a Liberal, Progressive or Conservative, that can be judged because thats a mindset not an organization. I am generally Conservative but always pro Constitution/ BOR's first.

Special interest groups have tried to coop the term Pro Choice as their right to choose life or death of a baby. Real Pro Choice Americans are strict constitutionalists not judge, jury and executioner. The choices (rights and responsibilities) are outlined in our BORs, what we choose to do with them is up to us not republicrats with a plan.

I think the reason Gay bashers on FTF checked themselves when V came out was that she wasnt telling us what we should believe or that we were responsible to support her particular choice; she just asserted her right to choose for herself something that does not violate our constitutional rights in any way. Its pretty hard to argue against that logic. Besides, V didnt say she was Gay, she is TG, not exactly the same thing unless one says they are both at the same time. Either way or both, as long as were not forced to do anything against our rights because of her choice, its none of our Business.

Be Democrat or Republican, Liberal or Conservative for yourself and those your charged to care for; otherwise, be American first or your probably just another Republicrat.

This thread is an outstanding example of what can be achieved when we discuss our views with other adults, whether we agree or agree to disagree. However, it's still an immature thread and there will probably be more heated disagreement down the road.

This is the type of interplay of ideas and ideals that I wish our government leaders would engage in, and not the partisan politicking they have sunk to over the last decade or so. We'll never "fix all of the problems" that a nation as diverse as our is, needs to have addressed, but this truly is how our thoughts and beliefs can be aired and altered in a mature, rational manner.

I, personally, am not affiliated with any political party. I feel we are in dire need of a third viable political party, to end the partisanship and gridlock in our nations government. I have not found any current option worth my whole-hearted backing, timewise and financially.

I appreciate all of the posters time and effort to participate in this discussion and I will follow it to see where it leads.