Any closet Republicans out there?

[Anonymous]

Just reading other threads about Republicans.....
In this city where most people are Democrat. I have to admit I say I am a Dem. too.
However, deep down inside I have more in common with Republicans....
At least fiscally.

[Anonymous]

We were the only people in our neighborhood with a McCain sign among a sea of Obama supporters. I sometimes don't mention my party status but I've NEVER said I was a Dem. You must have really been under duress! That's too bad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just reading other threads about Republicans.....
In this city where most people are Democrat. I have to admit I say I am a Dem. too.
However, deep down inside I have more in common with Republicans....
At least fiscally.

Historically, the parties have not had much ideological purity. There are plenty of fiscally conservative Democrats, and socially conservative ones as well. It used to be that there were also progressive Republicans, but except for a couple of ladies from Maine, that breed has been banished from the party. So if you are fiscally conservative and socially liberal/progressive, I think you can easily call yourself a Democrat, but you have to be really insistent if you want the Republican Party to accept you.

[Anonymous]

The "ladies from Maine." Amusing expression!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The "ladies from Maine." Amusing expression!

Thanks for noticing. I stuck my tongue into my cheek to try to capture the quaintness of being a centrist Republican these days. Being an old New yorker who grew up with Jacob Javits and Nelson Rockefeller as my image of the Republican Party, I find it especially poignant that Chafee and Specter are no longer Republicans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just reading other threads about Republicans.....
In this city where most people are Democrat. I have to admit I say I am a Dem. too.
However, deep down inside I have more in common with Republicans....
At least fiscally.

Historically, the parties have not had much ideological purity. There are plenty of fiscally conservative Democrats, and socially conservative ones as well. It used to be that there were also progressive Republicans, but except for a couple of ladies from Maine, that breed has been banished from the party. So if you are fiscally conservative and socially liberal/progressive, I think you can easily call yourself a Democrat, but you have to be really insistent if you want the Republican Party to accept you.

Agree. I'm pretty socially liberal, but get fairly conservative on fiscal issues. I never vote a straight party ticket, but stick it out with the Dems because there's no place for me in the Republican party.

[Anonymous]

I was in the "conservative closet" until the Presidential election this fall. I had always kept rather quiet about politics with my sea of liberal friends, but this fall I came out of the closet in full force. I put a McCain bumper sticker on my car (in my 21 years of driving I have never been cut off and flipped off more than those few months with the McCain sticker on) , wore a McCain pin everyday (you should have seen the looks I would get in upper NW and Chevy Chase - nasty to say the least), I spoke up with my opinions when politics were discussed and I talked openly about volunteering with the McCain campaign. I did not put a yard sign out until the night before the election because my husband honestly feared the backlash we might experience.

The interesting thing I discovered is that there are more conservatives/Republicans in this area than you might imagine. I had tons of friends and acquaintances quietly admit to me that they loved my button or bumper sticker, but they did not have the nerve to don one themselves. Others that were not like-minded often looked at my like I was a rare animal on exhibit at the zoo. They couldn't believe this otherwise pretty hip, normal (I think so at least ) Mom was a ... GASP Republican! The whole experience was enlightening, sobering, hilarious and annoying all at the same time. I never treat people differently because of their political beliefs and I only wish that I was treated with the same respect. I have found that tolerance is often a one way street on the left.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was in the "conservative closet" until the Presidential election this fall. I had always kept rather quiet about politics with my sea of liberal friends, but this fall I came out of the closet in full force. I put a McCain bumper sticker on my car (in my 21 years of driving I have never been cut off and flipped off more than those few months with the McCain sticker on) , wore a McCain pin everyday (you should have seen the looks I would get in upper NW and Chevy Chase - nasty to say the least), I spoke up with my opinions when politics were discussed and I talked openly about volunteering with the McCain campaign. I did not put a yard sign out until the night before the election because my husband honestly feared the backlash we might experience.

The interesting thing I discovered is that there are more conservatives/Republicans in this area than you might imagine. I had tons of friends and acquaintances quietly admit to me that they loved my button or bumper sticker, but they did not have the nerve to don one themselves. Others that were not like-minded often looked at my like I was a rare animal on exhibit at the zoo. They couldn't believe this otherwise pretty hip, normal (I think so at least ) Mom was a ... GASP Republican! The whole experience was enlightening, sobering, hilarious and annoying all at the same time. I never treat people differently because of their political beliefs and I only wish that I was treated with the same respect. I have found that tolerance is often a one way street on the left.

Kind of an unfortunate blanket statement to make about tolerance on the left. I always wonder how much of this people experience because they're looking for it. I'm sure that makes a difference. A lot of it has to do with being a minority in a majority area. My cousins in Texas voted for Obama and you would think they murdered someone with teh reaction they got. Everyone assumed they voted McCain and would have all sorts of nasty conversations around them in regards to Obama supporters. They didn't even tell their parents because they were afraid of the reaction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was in the "conservative closet" until the Presidential election this fall. I had always kept rather quiet about politics with my sea of liberal friends, but this fall I came out of the closet in full force. I put a McCain bumper sticker on my car (in my 21 years of driving I have never been cut off and flipped off more than those few months with the McCain sticker on) , wore a McCain pin everyday (you should have seen the looks I would get in upper NW and Chevy Chase - nasty to say the least), I spoke up with my opinions when politics were discussed and I talked openly about volunteering with the McCain campaign. I did not put a yard sign out until the night before the election because my husband honestly feared the backlash we might experience.

The interesting thing I discovered is that there are more conservatives/Republicans in this area than you might imagine. I had tons of friends and acquaintances quietly admit to me that they loved my button or bumper sticker, but they did not have the nerve to don one themselves. Others that were not like-minded often looked at my like I was a rare animal on exhibit at the zoo. They couldn't believe this otherwise pretty hip, normal (I think so at least ) Mom was a ... GASP Republican! The whole experience was enlightening, sobering, hilarious and annoying all at the same time. I never treat people differently because of their political beliefs and I only wish that I was treated with the same respect. I have found that tolerance is often a one way street on the left.

Lady you don't know anything about intolerance!! Why don't you try handing out Obama information in southwest Virginia and being threatened for your life. I am not talking about an imaginary threat, but a serious threat to life. When three white men walk up to you and your campaign partner and tell you that the area is two people too many and that you had best to be moving it back North or you might not see the results of the election, it's a real threat. Well, the two black women with D.C. tags on the the car packed up real fast and jetted back north. All you received was a bird in 2009. Shoot, that experience was reminiscent of something you read in the 1960's history books concerning voter registration. Ah, it was voter registration, but it was 2009. Intolerance on the left, yeah right. And speaking of intolerance, the FBI just took down a facebook poll asking if Obama should be killed. Pu-leez.

[Anonymous]

I am a Republican - the real kind - what the party originally stood for - less government. This means on both the fiscal AND social sides. I often have to say I'm more Libertarian now because it helps people understand. I think more of us should stop being in the closet so people realize that R is not a bad word, and that most Republicans are normal people, with mostly moderate (I.e. not crazy right or totally Christian Conservative) just like not all Democrats are tree-hugging liberals. I have to agree with the post that it often seems like it's a one way street, especially in DC, and in the media coverage painting Republicans as ignorant and rude in the Health Care town halls. But, both sides can be just as polarizing, judgemental and intolerant. Would be nice if there was a bit more tolerance and maturity... one can dream!

[Anonymous]

Five democrats just voted with the Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee to defeat Senator Rockefeller's public option amendment. Perhaps they supply the answer for you fiscally conservative, socially progressive closet Republicans. You're blue-dog Democrats.