So who do you want to run against Obama in 2010?

[Comrade Tovya]

Wow, a lot has happened since I last posted... I don't think I want to play catchup now. Also, the Conservative vs Liberal threads are starting to get boring.

But, I do have an interesting question for each of you, that is only semi-related to this thread. We have each obviously misinterpreted one another's beliefs. So my questions for each of you is, what do you believe overall in each category? There is no wrong answer, I'm just curious. I have far left liberal friends, and far right conservative ones. I don't have to agree with someone's political beliefs to respect them.

In other words, let's not critique each others beliefs and debate them, let's just learn something about one another.

I suppose I will start.

Fiscal - Far Right. I'm for smaller government, low taxes, and people relying on themselves to survive and not expecting the government to bail them out of problems (little welfare).

Abortion - Very Conservative. I believe the fetus is a person and should receive the same rights as another human being.

Gay rights - Slightly lean Liberal. I have two gay cousins and one of the best friends I have ever had in my life is gay as well, and I believe that all men are created equal under God. And whether or not their actions are moral is none of my business and is between themselves and their Maker. In other words, I'm not really an activist for either position. I think people should just worry about themselves and not concern themselves with other people's sexual orientation.. just as I don't want people worrying about me being a heterosexual male. It's my business.

Civil Rights - Moderate. I'm actually a minority myself, and on top of that, half of my family is from Mexico. So equal rights for all is important to me. But, I don't think the government should make racism illegal as long as it stays in the verbal sense. In other words, if someone doesn't like me because of my race, it doesn't really bother me. I don't think you have to be a minority to be the victim of a hate crime, so I think the definition is too vague to enforce as a law. BUT, if someone's racism spills over from verbal racism to actions (such as firing someone because they are of another race) then it's no longer simply an opinion, but active racism, the government needs to step in and help that person. I just don't think that by classifying something as a "hate crime", it makes a crime worse. In other words, if a man kills his neighbor on the left because paints his house an ugly color, is it worse than the fact that he killed his neighbor on the right for being a Mexican-American? No. They are both murders, and at the end of the day, despite his reasoning, both neighbors are still dead. I hope that makes sense.

Religion - Moderate. I absolutely, positively want the government to keep out of religion in every aspect. The reason I say this is because although I myself am supportive of Judeo-Christian values, and it happens to be the norm today, 50-years from now we could be a Buddhist nation (or any other religion for that matter) and I wouldn't want that other religious doctrine to be shoved down my throat if I were in the religious minority. I think the role of government is simply to keep out of religion period, and make sure that each of our rights, regardless of religious affiliation (or lack thereof) be upheld.

Military - Very Conservative. I believe in using our military power for the good of mankind by spreading freedom to those who are oppressed. And more importantly, I believe the military should be used to protect our sovereignty and national interests regardless of where that enemy may lie... half way around the world or right next door. I believe we have a moral obligation to protect the innocent and defenseless regardless of where that person is.

Overall, I see myself as a fiscal & military conservative and a social moderate-liberal.

Okay, that's a basic overview of how I see things. What are yours? I promise I won't critique any of your beliefs, I'm just curious to learn more about the people I talk to everyday in this forum... and like I said, my friends in real life are on all spectrums of the political rainbow, and it's never bothered me before. So let's learn about one another.