Ah.

I live in the Bay Area too, and it's ... interesting ... to be a 20-something Republican around here. Example: I once went to my neighborhood polling place to vote in a primary, and they couldn't FIND the Repubican ballots. I kid you not. It was ridiculous. All these ancient poll workers, muttering among themselves about where they put those pesky ballots. I thought about calling the ACLU ... disenfranchised, I tell you what. Sometimes I feel like it's my life mission to be the *only* Republican/Christian person that many of my friends and acquaintances even know. Everyone I encounter assumes I'm a Democrat because a) I'm nice and b) everyone is. This situation used to irritate me, and then I went through a phase of finding it amusing and now I'm back to finding it irritating.

Anyway, I think the answer to your question (about conservatism and state of being barefoot/pregnant ... charming) is that American conservatism is an unlikely coalition of some pretty diverse folks, running the gamut all the way from social conservatives/fiscal liberals to libertarians. It's a big tent, and we coexist somewhat uneasily at times. Just like the Democrats, I would imagine.

Personally, I'm closer to the libertarian end of the spectrum. I'd like my government to leave me alone as much as possible. My husband has started telling people he's a classical liberal, and that's probably the best label for me too. As such, I am required to be neither barefoot nor pregnant unless I choose to be.

one more post...then I'm going to eat BBQ

Dr. Leslee is right, we should focus on the issues.

Since this thread started with Palin...
..can those of you who like her, tell us exactly why. What does she stand for...(I know, I conservative republican values...but with a twist. I don't know what this means, exactly. Does she want us all to stop teaching science and teach Adam and Eve even to those who belive something different in this free/open Country? Would she be the same type of person against interracial marriage had she been alive 50 years ago...and therefore against gay marriage? Is she the type of woman who expect everyone to choose to have a child with trisomy 21 b/c she did...and go even further than just having the 'expectation' and venture into 'forcing her views onto me?'

What are your problems with her. We all have problems with people (even our own selves). She's not perfect. What are her drawbacks?

This information would be very valuable (at least to me).

Emily,

See...??? I have no idea what a Republican is, lol!!

I was born/raised/and live here now!!

Tell me this...why are liberals so quick to give Republicans Christianity. I am Christian (not sure about the liberal thing...they are some crazy people up here, those liberals are ), but I don't think I'd fit the Republican profile. That's why I'm trying to learn from REGULAR PEOPLE...and not books/media/internet, etc.

okay, now I'm out!

I'm in the Bay Area, too. I'm a lone "classical democrat" in my area...

About the brother thing: I can't tell you how much money, I, a poor undergrad, have sent to Africa. If I were running for president, you bet I'd send a few hundred bucks to my half brother in Kenya.

Why I like Palin: she's middle class. She's pro-life by life and by opinion. She's not pro-gun control. She wants to drill for oil here in the States. She trims budgets like a crazy gardener. From what I've learned in the last 2 days, that's what I like. I'll keep you updated as I hear more.

libertarian? classical democrat? Is that Republican?

Libertarian sounds like they'd be pro-choice...sounds like they'd be okay with legalized marijuana....and basically sounds kinda neat, I think. So, Emily, are you truly republican if you believe that government shouldn't have an overbearing influence in our day to day lives (such as abortion...). Isn't Palin NOT these things? Why would you vote for her?

Classical democrat...sounds like one has to be a member of the 'good ol' boys club' to get any love. I'm not sure I'd like anything "classical" at this point.

I think that Republicans in the Bay Area are not as vocal b/c they are so in the minorty...hence I don't any of my friends who vocalize being Republican. But I find that lots of people are Democrat/Republican without really knowing what the 'other side' is about...

Yes, Obama is wealthy, by his own definition, and even if you only count his wife's salary (over $270,000 in 2007 and over $300,000 in 2006). Together they made almost a million dollars in 2006. The live in a house that cost them over 1.5 million dollars. Yes, the Obamas are wealthy.

I am sick of all this talk of how the "wealthy" need to pay more taxes. Please. The top 50% of earners pay 97% of the federal income tax. How the heck much more could they pay? Here's the 411 on how our tax structure has changed over the years, and how much more the federal govt has collected from the wealthy since the Bush tax cuts. The creation of wealth creates wealth.

http://www.american.com/archive/2007/nov...-pays-the-taxes

I don't think they are. I listened to a good bit of the Democratic convention. From what I could hear, the Democrats were falling all over each other to invoke God. Obama quoted -- albeit oddly -- from the Bible. But I do think there is a strong contingent of Democrats -- especially the highly educated folks who live predominantly on the coasts -- who tend to be quite secular and are uncomfortable with a lot of Jesus talk. You know, the kind of people who describe themselves as "spiritual but not religious", as if they were the first person to utter the phrase.

But that's just my guess.

Well, the libertarians have their own party. But classical liberal, yah, that's Republican. We're about small government, property rights, negative rights ("freedom from" rather than "right to"), free markets. Think Adam Smith, Hume, Milton Friedman. Classical liberalism is what you'll find on the editorial pages of the Wall Street Journal every morning. (Which, may I humbly suggest, would be a great place to get a taste of intellectually rigorous American conservatism, if you're really curious to know what we're about.)

This is what I was trying to explain when I said the Republicans have a big tent. The truth is, "Focus on the Family Republicans" don't have a whole lot in common with "Wall Street Journal Republicans". We're mostly united by a desire for smaller government and lower taxes and that's about it. (Which, incidentally, is why many Republicans are so sick of W.)

Um, no. Check out the wiki page on classical liberalism for a good overview, if you're interested. "Classical" in this case just means based on older ideas, like Smith's "Wealth of Nations".

I don't agree. Gays and lesbians are also a numerical minority in our area, but they are welcome to celebrate their community out loud. Republicans in the Bay Area aren't vocal because liberals in the Bay Area are remarkably narrow-minded and prejudiced. This has been my experience again and again.

Pretty much everyone I know making >100K have so many deductions, ect that by the end of the day, MANY of them get 5 figure tax REBATE checks.

I've also heard that the bottom 25% or something like 10X more likely to be audited by the IRS.

I also think that the folks that need to be paying more taxes are the gas and oil companies. W

Path, the discrepency might be what kind of taxes we're talking about. Income taxes in the US are dramatically progressive with the top 20% of earners paying more than 80% of federal income taxes (source: wikipedia page, "Taxation in the United States"). Other taxes are regressive, so I suppose that lower earners do pay most of the payroll taxes, for example.

WRT the higher (wage) earners paying very little income tax, I find that highly unlikely. What about the AMT?

path, last time I checked, if you own any diversified stocks, you own part of the oil companies. Perhaps you'd like to see your retirement fund lose value?

Emily, you're right on. While I also tend to be a "tolerant social conservative" - I do believe in less government. The federal government has way too much control in our daily lives. I do wish that we could return to the 50 STATES of America, rather than the single FEDERAL state of America. While I personally have opinions about abortion and marriage, etcetera, I'm a "live and let live" type. I do believe that the basis of Roe vs. Wade (I know this thread isn't about abortion) was against the spirit of the Founders. Like I said, I'm a "leave us alone" type. It was not the role of the Supreme court to create federal legislation that trumped the authority of the states. I'd be happy to see the abortion issue return to the States for a vote.

Emily - we should get together for coffee sometime! erdoc, feel free to join us and see what the "other side" looks like. I promise we don't have horns or scales.