What is Your Main Reason For Being A Liberal/Conservative?

I'm a liberal because I realize that all humankind is in this together. United we stand, divided we fall.

It's that simple, in the final analysis.

I am a Libertarian so I guess I fall in between the two. I believe in freedom, capitalism, liberty, justice, equality, rights and all of the other ideas which this great country was founded on. What I am opposed to is the restriction of all the ideas which I have listed above. Conservative and Liberal ideas, when taken to extremes, both infringe on our rights and effect freedom, capitalism, liberty, justice, and equality. With liberals, I feel it is caused by the strong socialist undertones which many liberals seem to posses. With conservatives, I feel it is caused by their need to legislate their religious views, on society. I am not judging anyone, I am only explaining why I feel the way I do. If you don't agree with my views, that is fine because I am not trying to force them on you, they are for me alone and I was ask about them by the poster of the question.

1. Changing demographics. Over the past 20 years, we have had an increase relative to the overall population in (1) Prisoners, (2) School children and to a lesser extent, (3) medicaid recipients. 2. Democracy in action. Instead of the legislature doing its job, we have created a budget with mandates via voter initiatives. Large portions of the budget are not under the legislature's control. They are mandated per voter initatives. We have also restricted the ability to tax property. Lastly, any tax increase requires a super majority of either voters or legislature. 3. Partisan politics. Legislators have become beholden to the lunatic fringes in their parties. At least in the present crisis, a tax increase requires 2/3rds of the legislature. The republican party controls 1/3rd +1 of the legislature. We consequently have gridlock. 4. Unreliable revenue stream. Because of the limits on property tax per prop 13. (basically 1% of the value of the property at the time of purchase with an allowed increase per year of either 1 or 2%), the state has become increasingly reliant on fees and on income tax - in particular capital gains tax. Capital gains tax revenue takes wide swings. It is the most volatile of all taxes. Unfortunately, mandated expenditures do not take large swings (but they often go up slightly when capital gains tax goes down) THIS IS THE SINGLE BIGGEST REASON FOR THE CURRENT COLLAPSE. It is a collapse in revenue, not an increase in spending. 5. Exports of california federal tax dollars to other states. Federal income tax hits California harder than most other states, and the per capita federal expenditures is less than most other states. If Calif federal tax dollars weren't being shipped to all those red states, the budget would be close to balanced.

I used to be liberal but world events changed all that, especially 9/11 and the fact that I want my children and grandchildren to be safe and proud to be Americans. I would call myself a moderate which most Americans reallly are. We all have mixed feelings about most issues if we are honest about it. I worry about the economy and I also worry about being attacked at home again by terrorists. I am honest enough to admit I would never have had an abortion because I couldn't do it but feel that a woman has the right to make that decision herself. I understand the war in Iraq but don't particularly like it but know it's necessary for our national security. You get the picture. I know most the majority of Americans are just like me and it is time the political parties stopped putting fringe lunatics out there to choose from. Which, I might add, is why John McCain is doing so well...he is a moderate. This country needs that right now and I believe he can win big time over whichever craziness wins the DNC nomination.

Shannon G...you should be voting liberal then, because the conservatives have supported none of the reasons you state why you are conservative.

I'm a liberal, with some conservative principles, but the conservatives have ignored their traditional beliefs.

Today's conservatives have created a larger and far more intrusive government, and one of the largest socialized government giveaways in history (Bush's medicare plan) and they have taken far more of our tax dollars away than most care to admit...in the form of health care premiums increasing 80%, gas going up over 100% since Bush took office, college costs up 40% housing affordability at a 20 year low, median household income down almost $1500, productivity up 18% but earnings dropping .9%, and the worst job creation since Hoover.

These are not conservative principles, yet this is what they have created.

Don't even get me started on the war.

A vote for McCain is a vote for more of the same.

Wake up America, and put the GOP on the sidelines. Maybe then they'll go back to their once proud, and true conservative beliefs, which they have all but abandoned.

I am conservative because liberal policies don't work in a real world. I earn my money and I don't appreciate do gooders telling me that those that do not earn things should have them at my expense. Let's take care of the sick that are really hurting but I haven't seen a plan that does just that. Some want to provide everything for everyone and the costs never stop plus we will still have the same problems with the money in different pockets.

I am more of a libertarian conservative (fiscal) because I believe we are capable of great things if we are free to pursue them.

The larger government is, the more its inclined to want regulation over more and more our lives. We are all capable of great things when goverment protects our freedoms, not regulates our lives. When government burdens us, we cannot succeed. If there is no reward for your hard work (over taxation). Why would you bust your butt in school and work, only to have government take your money and exert control over your property because it believes best how to spend what you've earned?? That encourages laziness and dependence on a state.

Don't misunderstand me, the overall welfare should be addressed by goverment, but we should help people help themselves, not take care of them indefinitely. Often you hear that conservatives are cold hearted or selfish. It's not that. Most people work hard for what they have and cannot easily abide having it taken to accomodate those that don't work or don't take care of themselves. Of course, there are always exceptions. That's why some measure must be taken to help those that want to help themselves. Don't assume that all conservatives are rich. I was born to a poor family and were taught to work for each and everything we have. Nothing was given, everything was earned. The American way works. You just have to work for it.

When I say government should be limited that means limited, period. Social and economic issues are not in the realm of government. We have limited government compared to other well developed countries and look how fast we developed compared to Europe. We are a great people, capable of great things. Let's not get sunk under an overreaching Federal and State government structure.

Remember- you have the right to life, liberty and the PURSUIT of happiness. Go pursue it. Don't wait for it to get handed to you.

I am a libertarian because I believe that the right of the individual to be secure in his or her life, liberty, and property supercedes all other concerns, and that preservation of these rights is the ONLY legitimate role of government. All the rest of the platform is logically derived from this first principle. To me the issue is liberty first and foremost. If my actions neither break your legs nor pick your pockets than they're none of your business. Or the government's for that matter.

Conservative. Social issues fall low in my scale of importance. I believe in personal responsibility and no excuses. I pay taxes, I own a business, I have employees. I want little government involvement in my choices. I do not force anyone to believe what I believe. I will not support something I do not believe in because it is politically correct. I am responsible for my life, not the government. I am not religious and I enjoy that freedom. I will home school if I choose. I will decide what my children learn. I don't care if they are not up to the MTV social status that has done such a good job for the youth today.

I am a democrat. However, I dont feel that I am a Liberal. I am more of a moderate. I cant be associated with the Rebublican party, because I do not believe that conservatives care about the rights of others, nor are they open to the views of others. I think that they do thier best to try to block everyone's viewpoint but thier own, and then they try to tell them that they are Un-American for having a different point of view. The far right wing is nuts, the far left wing is also nuts. The far left just wants the whole world to do their own thing and be free to do it. Well, sometimes, that's just crazy too. Like when they try to protect child molesters and crap like that!!! I think it is far more sane to be a moderate.

I'm liberal, because the causes that liberals stand for make more sense to me.

I do believe in protecting the environment, I am pro-choice, I don't think that war should be the absolute solution to any problem, and I believe that the government is obligated to help out people in need.