Why do some people say Paul Ryan is a conservative?

because he is a republican. People associate that with being from a nominated party, which being a republican typically notes conservative values. I don't consider R.P to be a conservative at all. He is just experienced and runs with a party that get's things done.

I personally like to think of myself as an independent secularist.

I'm a liberal because I love people, I'm a democrat because I believe in the power of the people, and I am a republican because I get my job done.

Because Rush Limbaugh said so.

Funny thing is, Rush Limbaugh is not a Christian and is not a true conservative.

A person cannot be a true Christian with 4 marriages under his belt.

Rush has a favorite saying; "Words mean things". I agree with him on that.

Well Rush, the word "conservative" has a root word of "conserve". "Conserve" is also a root of the word "Conservation". Conserve power (instead of going to war at the drop of a hat). Conserve money. Conserve natural resources. Conserve freedom (the patriot act, ndaa, and so on) There is nothing conservative in modern conservative politics.

Yeah, and so did every other conservative. If you don't think that's conservative, it's most likely because YOU'RE not a conservative. Ryan also wants to eliminate Social Security and Medicare, criminalize abortion and force the unemployed to starve to death in the street, and if that ain't 'conservative', I'll kiss your @ss.

In addition on a more serious note, you don't get to define what is and isn't 'conservative' any more than I get to define what is and isn't 'liberal'. This isn't a blood test or a math equation. You don't get to just conduct some whacked out interpretation of other people's values then proclaim them authentic or inauthentic. Some combination of historical trend and contemporary average is what defines and determines the 'authentic' values of an orientation. There is no 'correct' or 'incorrect'. The authentic tells you what it is then you either like it or don't. You don't tell it, it's wrong about itself... and furthermore, if you don't think protection of intellectual property rights, war, authoritarian security enforcement and market intervention are without historical 'conservative' precedence then you have no reality based frame of reference for the definitions you evidently suggest. I think you are the only one confused about who is and is not a 'conservative'.

Paul Ryan is one of two things....a true believer in a series of dumb ideas, or a willing pimp for the trans national corporations that currently own and operate the GOP/Tea/Fox/Jesus freak party. Just at the GOP/Tea/Fox/Jesus freak party's Ministry of Propaganda has redefined the word 'liberal', it has also redefined the word 'conservative'. Any working class American, and if you work for hourly wages you are 'working class', that votes for any of these right wing, fascisti screwballs is insane...don't do it!

dude you're never going to get the candidte of your dreams, put away the Ron Paul merch and help us defeat Obama

They have no chioce right now. Hes all there is. They dont trust Romney. Now its looking more like they cant trust either.

If Rush and Fox say he is a conservative and want to ignore those things, then to the Republican base, he is a conservative and those things never happened.

Because he is a conservative.

I will take him as VP over the idiot Biden any day any time.

Biden is Obama's insurance against assassins.

He is not. He is a fiscal who know what and a social NAZI.

Both deserve rejection.