The Public Opinion Soapbox

Pa Young Conservative · Joined: 26 Oct 2007 Posts: 19

A Young Republican chapter is being organized in the county. If interested, please visit http://youngrepublicans.meetup.com/227/ and RSVP for our first meeting December 1.

.45chel · Joined: 26 Oct 2007 Posts: 3093 Location: Chambersburg

Your link is down.

I'm going to be a pest and ask you what you define a Republican as.

See, my mum is a Democrat and my Dad is Republican, but he's nothing like alot of people who describe themselves as GOPpies.

Please understand that I am not trying to pick a fight, I'm just curious what you stand for and against.

Thank you, in advance.
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Nevermind.

Pa Young Conservative · Joined: 26 Oct 2007 Posts: 19

Ok, I put too many /'s in—link is fixed. So you ask what I stand for as a Republican. It's more about principle over party. I’m a conservative, and I believe that the only success that the Republican Party has had is when they stand on those conservative principles—such things as limited government, lower taxes, strong national defense, and traditional social policies (i.e. prolife, ect). Now some would say that the party doesn’t always support all core conservative ideals, and I don’t disagree. But it should. I believe that the party should be the conservative party and not be the “big tent”. Let the other party do that. I’m a Reagan/Pat Toomey Republican…

Does that answer the question?

.45chel · Joined: 26 Oct 2007 Posts: 3093 Location: Chambersburg

It does answer the question. Thank you.

But now I have to wonder how young you could be if you consider yourself a Reagan/Toomey Republican. Laughing

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Nevermind.

Pa Young Conservative · Joined: 26 Oct 2007 Posts: 19

I'm 33...YR's are 18-40. I'm not as young as some. I am trying to attract the 18-24's that will be the future of the party.

anonymous_coward · Joined: 24 Oct 2007 Posts: 577

so do you like bush?

.45chel · Joined: 26 Oct 2007 Posts: 3093 Location: Chambersburg

Mind in the gutter, sorry
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Nevermind.

Coppy · Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 2663 Location: Chambersburg

.45chel · Joined: 26 Oct 2007 Posts: 3093 Location: Chambersburg

Coppy,
You aren't supposed to tell him the answer!!
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Nevermind.

Pa Young Conservative · Joined: 26 Oct 2007 Posts: 19

I do support the President. So I guess, in your mind, I'm a moron.

anonymous_coward · Joined: 24 Oct 2007 Posts: 577

you probably should change the group's name away from conservatives then.

and just to be clear, when you say support you mean you agree with what he's done? do you have any examples of things he did that you disagree with?

Dave · Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Posts: 162

You see, that is when you lose all credibility with the "principles over party" statement. Bush does not stand for most of what you say you stood for - why do you support him? Answer :Party.

It is this attitude that will contunue to sink the Republican party until members, like you, get some backbone and stand up for the principles that you proclaim to have.

Bush did what he did with the help of the Republican congress. Do you also support Bill Shuster? A Bush enabler?

I, a Republican, recognize Bush for what he is. I never voted for him because it was obvious at the start of what he was. I will not vote for any Republican that supported Bush.

Coppy · Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 2663 Location: Chambersburg

Bobo · Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Posts: 173 Location: Chambersburg

Pa. Young Conservative, how can you call the GOP the party of limited government when it's the party that wants to tell us who we can sleep with and what we can do when we get there? (Not to mention, trying to tell women what they can and can't do with their own bodies.) It never ceases to amaze me when Republicans say they are for limited government. Ahh, the irony!
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The sun, the moon and the stars would have disappeared long ago... had they happened to be within the reach of predatory human hands. ~Havelock Ellis, The Dance of Life, 1923

.45chel · Joined: 26 Oct 2007 Posts: 3093 Location: Chambersburg

Pa Young Conservative,
You said you support the president and anonymous coward called you on that. You have not had a chance to explain your wording, but I'm going to post anyway and just take into account possible meanings.
You could mean "I support the president" because he is, whether some of us like or not, our president and when push comes to shove, it's America first. This is how a good soldier does their duty in the face of bad leadership.
Or, there is the interpretation we all took it to mean ---You back his decisions because you think he his right. This is a free country (for now) and you are entitled to your beliefs, but Bush's administration does fly into the face of the traditional conservatives' values you listed in the second post.

I think this is one of the problems with party politics. We like to sum ourselves or our group up into soundbites. Easily remembered. But we aren't soundbites and neither is our government.

I'm all about fiscal responsibility. If I have to balance my checkbook then so should my government. I love the idea of lower taxes but I think part of the problem we're having now has to do with a refusal to raise taxes and not curb spending. I don't think it is possible to spend more money and lower taxes. (I do recognize that W. has said since the Dems took majority that he wants to curb spending, but that is a bit like closing the barn door after the cows have been gone a year or two!) It's a fact that we wouldn't have public schools, roadways, emergency services or numerous other programs without taxes. How would we pay for our defense budget and veterans affairs without taxes? A bake sale?

A Strong defense is extremely important, but then you have to realize that our Department of Defense is run by humans, government employees no less! And they are always going to find something to spend money on/something they need to have (like that study the Air Force did on chemical agents to turn our enemies gay so that we may conquer them more easily Confused

) Or the eradication of brown tree snakes in Hawaii, all the while cutting the cost of living pay increase for soldiers as well as hazard duty pay, budgets of their medical facilities and supply companies. (yes, that's a pet peeve) Sometimes ya got to tell the DoD no and that doesn't make you any less patriotic.

I don't see how you can say you support limited government and support Bush, unless you're referring to his and Cheney's attempts at emperorship. Limited government=Single ruler with ultimate control is rather disturbing in my view.

>>Bobo has some very valid points. But along with being a fiscal conservative, I'm a social liberal...or liberal moderate...See the problem with soundbites?! Thats why I'm an independent, but that is another argument entirely. You have stated you are a social conservative, so you are not contradicting yourself.

BTW: I'm glad you're back. Did you figure out what happened?
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Nevermind.