What exactally is a Republican?

I've been exploring my Political beliefs a lot this year. I know I'm vary conservative in many ways. Several Friends of mine have told me my belief fit into the Republican party more then with the Democrats. In an effort to enlighten myself and further the ATS mission of Denying Ignorance, I am trying to study US politics with an open mind so I can make more Informed choices as a voter and a US Citizen!

Media BS and name Calling Aside, I'd like to learn about the basic Ideology of the Republican Party. What makes it different from other conservative group?

What makes a Republican a Republican?

Tim

I don't think this is an easily answered question, since the Republican party is both a big tent party that has many diverse members and is always evolving.

In the U.S. de facto two-party system, the Republicans tend to be center-right compared to the Democrats who have usually been center-left.

There are third parties on both the left and the right but in general get a very thin slice of the electorate, therefore if you want to vote for someone who has a chance to win you vote Republican if you're conservative leaning or Democrat if you're left-leaning.

You may also want to read through this thread:

Discussion of the Republican Party

if you already haven't.


Hope that helps.

IMO there a three brands of the Republican party.
The is the beliefs that Goldwater advacated.
The 2nd brand is the Reagan revolution where a more Christian influence can be seen and the free market econmy came to the fore.
The thrid brand of the Republican party is what you see today the Christian influnce has hijacked the party even if members cant live up to those values. Much of Reagan revolution seems to have been left in the 1980s.

I wonder that myself. I always felt I was moderate republican but I feel now-a-days that they don't represent me anymore but instead represent corporations and the ultra rich. It seems to me the two parties represent the "extreme" ends of the political spectrum. Mean while there is no party that represents the middle class majority anymore. Why is that? I would think someone could start a new political party that represents middle class American values and they would clean up in future elections.

I think a lot of people are tired of both parties. I'd like the Libertarian Party to gain more traction, if for no other reason than to wake up the Republican Party and get them to become more Libertarian.

Yesterday's issue of USA Today had an article about the close political battles of midterms between Dems and Reps.

The conclusion?

Fiscal conservative - social liberal Libertarians are the reason why Dems are in office. Why? Because more people who normally would have voted Republican voted Libertarian, in Virginia especially this is the reason why the Reps fell behind.

There is power in the third parties. Very little, but given the right circumstances they can at least shift a election if not win one.

A Republican is SUPPOSED to be SMALL government. SMALL budget. AGAINST government invasion of personal rights. AGAINST government invasion of corporate affairs. STRICT interpretation of the constitution. AGAINST international interference (wars to remove dictators and such) and MORE isolationist.

Well. That is what a Republican was a few years ago.

Aint the same party.

"Evolves" - or is created in new after being hijacked by the religious right. They rush to congress to save a vegetable that they had no right in interfering with anyways regardless of their opinion, yet push important issues like border control aside.

Good thing this thread is about Republicans. Don't even get me started on Liberals.

I wish i could give you an answer but i am not sure how to exactly answer this. It is basically that republicans are conservative and democrats are liberal. That is basically the easy explanation but you can get in way more deeper than that. I have always considered myself to be a more moderate republican.

This is a Republican :

image source: http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/images/al16.jpg


"I shall do less whenever I shall believe what I am doing hurts the cause and I shall do more whenever I shall believe doing more will help the cause. I shall try to correct errors when shown to be errors and I shall adopt new views so fast as they shall appear to be true views."

That's One of the Greatest Americans that Ever Lived! Do you know how much Lincoln did for everyone in this country?

Although I'm not crazy about politics, I admire Abe Lincoln!

Tim

Do you mean Republican or Conservative? Today they are two different things.

Conservative= Small Government, little spending, capitalism let free, government of the people since they have a small government.

Republican= Do what you want, when you want, how you want, damn the punishment. Rape children if you feel like it, invade a country willy nilly. Give away billions of taxpayers money to billionaires while cutting funds for levees in places like New Orleans. Declare war, send troops, say you support troops, then cut spending for Vetrens while "losing" a few Trillion dollars to Halliburton. Change laws that don't suit you, change definitions when you can't change laws. "That's not torture, that's freedom raping of children in front of parents caught on tape." And so much worse things.

Reagan was conservative. He did spend, a lot, but that was to fight communism and spent on America. Bush? How much of the Trillions he has spent been seen by Americans? None. Reagan was thee last conservative in office, unless you count Clinton who was conservative when it came to Economics and spending.

Also, Lincoln wasn't a conservative. He believed in big government while the CSA believed in a small government. One of the reasons why the CSA lost was because they were not one country fighting against another they were each their own seperate nation trying to fight together with other nations and did poorly. Also, Lincoln taxed, spent, and did other liberal things. His party, if you look through history, became somewhat of a bastard child of the current democratic party. His was more conservative then the democrats but it wasn't what we call the Republican Party today.

Although, Rockpuck already pointed this out. Today's Repulican party is not conservative. It even more liberal then the liberals in some cases! Why they are called NeoCons because they are not conservative.

[edit on 16-11-2006 by HoorahUSMC]

Very good distinction. And that was the problem I had this last election. Who the hell should I vote for? I'm moderate republican. I think I fall in line with most average Americans - pretty conservative, small gov., cut spending, lower taxes, don't illegally invade and occupy countries, take care of our own, etc.

But I felt lied to and betraid by Bush and the Republican party and felt I needed to send a message. So I didn't vote for them. Funny thing is that the Democrats seem to be worse - Not going after Bush, sticking with the war, keeping the Millitary Commisions Act, plus they're already talking about raising taxes and giving amnesty to the illegal immigrants! So basically there is no message being sent to Bush. (this is how I feel they work together to take everything from us - there is no distinction between parties).

I say they can all just go away! Give me someone, that's not a kook, that will represent ME... the average, hard working, middle class American!

PS - Sorry for getting off topic a bit. But I guess what I'm saying is that nobody really knows for sure anymore. They will tell you one thing and do something completely opposite.