"Well, what's wrong with slavery?"

[gamerprinter]

Again, I'm a centrist Republican, and generally find that on a national basis, what makes me a Republican primarily derives from my interest in small business, and regarding most other issues no political party has issues/beliefs that coincide with mine. I generally cannot stand conservatives just slightly less than my feelings for liberals - both are extremists in my point of view.

 

[was]

I generally cannot stand conservatives just slightly less than my feelings for liberals - both are extremists in my point of view.

..That's pretty close to my viewpoint as well. IMO, both parties are only actively serving the radical 10%-15% on each wing. The interests of the middle 70%-80% of the voting public, the 'silent majority' that both parties claim to be on their side, continue to be ignored.

 

[Janx]

I live in Illinois, not Kansas, Texas, Georgia and other GOP dominated states (my vote doesn't count in those places). I don't know, nor truly care what other states do on most issues.

Then it might be a matter that you are ill-informed as to what folks who call themselves Republican are trending towards.

Since the 1960's, the Republicans have favored platforms that aren't in non-white folks interest.

from immigration (targeting Hispanics in most cases)
poverty (the vast majority of poor people in the US are black)
drug law enforcement (targeting poor people who happen to be black)
social welfare programs (targeting poor people)

These kind of things don't show up in local election for town mayor or sherriff because generally, these programs are run at the state and federal level. Which if you aren't paying attention to, you are ill-equipped to notice the trend.

 

[gamerprinter]

Its not a matter of being ill-informed, rather I do not give a hoot what the trends say on any subject. Trends are meaningless to my point of view. When I vote, I am by myself in a booth, and not sharing it with any group, party or belief system. I don't care what they think. Of course most of my votes don't seem to win, but that's a different matter altogether. I consider voting an extremely private thing. I never participate in exit polls, more often, "I tell them where to go", when they ask me how I voted.

I am Republican based on certain core beliefs, but for the most part the larger agenda Republicans have aren't a part of my agenda.

Since I'm also not a libertarian, nor a communist, truly there is no party that represents me, but then I'm not really looking for a party. A party of one is all I need to vote.

I'm not a person who seeks out others who think like me, to the point that I don't share my beliefs with anyone, so no one would know if they think like me, and I don't ask what they think as well. I like people in general, but don't require those people to think like me.

 

[Janx]

..That's pretty close to my viewpoint as well. IMO, both parties are only actively serving the radical 10%-15% on each wing. The interests of the middle 70%-80% of the voting public, the 'silent majority' that both parties claim to be on their side, continue to be ignored.

That's probably part of the problem. Again, I likely can't see how whacked the Democratic side is, but the Republican side has gotten increasingly more fanatical/extreme since the 80s.

Those folks making noise for the cameras at least, are getting way out there. Which is drawing more of the extremists to the party.

At this point, folks who align with extreme christian ideology, or hate groups would all say they vote Republican, rather than Democrat.

That says there's something about what the Republicans are preaching that appeals to them. I'm sure there's some weird group that staunchly supports Democrat that creeps folks out, but it's pretty glaring on the Republican side. Heck, the majority of terror attacks since 9/11 have been conservative extremists (aka folks who'd die before they voted Democrat).

There's something rotten in Denmark.

 

[prosfilaes]

I find it frustrating how the opposite problem from "anchor babies" isn't discussed, the social and personal costs of a person born in the US, raised in the US, who may never have left the country, being exiled from their home. This goes double if we're talking repeal of birthright citizenship, instead of children of undocumented immigrants, though the problem still exists in just the later case.

 

[was]

I'm sure there's some weird group that staunchly supports Democrat that creeps folks out

...From what I understand, the objection is that the radical left supports such extreme socialist views that it focuses on a complete rejection of capitalism and embraces communist philosophies.

...Which is an interesting charge seeing that many on the extreme left appear to be, or are children of, wealthy capitalists. But then again, who knows, Marx was from a wealthy/upper middle class family as well.

 

[GrayLinnorm]

Trumpy, you can say stupid things!

 

[trappedslider]

let's see if i can sum this all up : all republicans bad evil juju all democrats less bad evil juju..all conservatives bad evil juju alll liberals less bad evil juju...

EDIT: Note that the above is not my own personal views it

 

[Homicidal_Squirrel]

Perhaps not but it is rather descriptive of the concept and it is a very real problem.

It is, but according to another republican, it's actually Asians that are the problem.