A libertarian leaning Conservative guy, I was formerly a pseudointellectual liberal. I voted for MONDALE AND THEN DUKAKIS! I remember quite well the smugness with which I looked down upon Republicans and Conservatives.

The one good thing of my liberalism at the time, was that it demanded that I remain open minded (dont most liberals say that? Yet they are usually the opposite). I became an "independant", then decided that the libertarians were the most logically consistent and correct folks out there. From that standpoint, I was able to look down my nose at BOTH parties and REALLY feel Superior!

But no matter how hard I tried, it was hard to ignore the fact that the Republicans were far more right on the issues than the Democrats. Socially, I became more conservative as I realized the importance of cultural values.

I still am a registered "independant", but I usually side with the Republicans. I am not afraid of voting for a third party (Constitution or Libertarian) in an election that is not going to be close.

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Stupid Conservative Tricks:

Intelligent Design/Creationism
Anti-Flag Burning Amendment.
Conspiracy Theories
Knee-Jerk anti-environmentalism

(more as they come to mind...)

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"People have always understood that love is the primary path to salvation, but they’re often confused about the details. For instance, when a woman loves a man, it almost always includes her desire to save him. When a man loves a woman, it almost always centers around his desire to save himself."

Aenea Keats , a main character from the Hyperion/Endymion books by Dan Simmons.

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"Democracy tends to ignore, even deny, threats to its existence because it loathes doing what is needed to counter them."

Jean-Francois Revel

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