I consider myself to be aligned with the GOP on many issues, but I cannot defend President Bush. His terms are indefensible. The one good thing that he did, the one thing that will save his legacy, is his response to 9/11. And the Bush years were less of a clusterfuck than the last 3.5 years of Obama. Just saying.

It is like watching someone argue with themselves in the mirror

WWF wrestling on a political stage. Wonderful

Gunfighter
You're obviously a very intelligent person. What is the GOP and what issues of theirs do you align yourself with?

Orathaic - I think I was pretty clear about my criteria. I've traveled extensively around the globe and study and work in international business. Maybe it's the function of it's size, but The U.S.A. is an amazing environment of freedom and chaos compared to most of the other countries I've been to - and I'm talking about the environment and it's people, not the government and it's actions.

You are what you eat.

'You are what you eat.'
So true, that's why I gave up the following:-
1) Nuts
2) Fruit cake
3) Going down on women .....

The GOP stands for "Grand Old Party", which is another word (somewhat rarely used) for Republican (party). The abbreviation "GOP" is misleading because the Democratic Party is much older than the Republican Party, but the Republicans have many views in line with older values. The Democrats today are pathetic compared to the badasses that built their party, namely Andrew Jackson and James K. Polk, but that is a discussion for another day.

I consider myself to be aligned with the GOP (Republican) Party, but I am neither a registered party member nor 100 percent aligned with all of their views. I agree with their views regarding guns (loose or no gun control), abortion (pro-life), the environment (pro-business within reason), government involvement in the economy (minimal), the size of the federal government (as small as practical), cracking down hard on illegal immigration (deport all illegals, secure the border with federal troops and National Guardsmen), and a large military budget.

Unfortunately, the party drifted away from its small government principles during the Bush years, but recently the party has come back to these principles, thanks largely to more libertarian elements within the party.

I disagree with the Republicans on a few issues. They favor tax breaks for the wealthy while I would favor keeping taxes where they are (but lowering taxes on businesses that make their products here) at least until we have a budget surplus. They are opposed to gay marriage while I favor a more libertarian approach of leaving marriage up to each individual state. They oppose any barriers to free trade while I would raise tariffs and taxes on companies that make their products elsewhere and sell them here (I believe economic protectionism is advisable in our current economic situation)

Does that answer your question?

I guessed as much, I just wanted you to spell it out for the whole world to see there is such intelligent life that still exists in the US of A.
You are Special :-)

Economic protectionism is just another form of taxation. For someone who claims to be a supporter of mininal government involvement in the economy, in your terms, free trade is pretty much a litmus test. Tariffs make products cost more for the consumer and the difference in monetary terms if free trade were in place is the money which goes to the central government.

Thank god Democrats are nothing like their slavery supporting, Indian cleansing, land grabbing "Badasses."

What goes through your head Gunfighter?

The Democratic Party--the party of Slavery, Sedition, Segregation, and Socialism.

Oh, and Secularism.

Democrats and republicans switched sides on racial issues as a result of FDR's new deal and the resulting conservative democratic defection over the next 40 years. The Southern reactionary party are now the republicans. The only thing that remained the same is the GOp has always been the party of moneyed interests.

Sure, because the current Democrat party isn't at all involved with Wall Street, Goldman Sachs, Hollywood, the Big Banks, etc.

Times have changed. The Republicans are the party of the working class now, and the Democrats are the party of the elites.

ha, good one

The GOP, the party of buzzwords

@ jpgredsox

"Tariffs make products cost more for the consumer and the difference in monetary terms if free trade were in place is the money which goes to the central government."

Tariffs sting at first but the fact is that our country cannot survive economically with our current trade deficit. The government's first responsibility is to protect and ensure the freedom of its citizens. We are in danger of being economic slaves to China.

@ Santa

"Thank god Democrats are nothing like their slavery supporting, Indian cleansing, land grabbing "Badasses.""

It's too damned bad that today's Democrats aren't America-defending/expanding, freedom-fighting, Manifest Destiny-fulfilling badasses that can get shit done. James K. Polk did more in four years than any other president ever and Andrew Jackson is, well, Andrew fucking Jackson. You know, the guy who enlisted in the Continental Army as a courier at the age of 13. The guy that got nearly killed by a British officer for refusing to shine his boots as a POW and survived on a hellish prison ship. They guy who beat his would-be assassin with a cane. The guy whose hold of New Orleans is one of the greatest victories in American history. I'd like to see Pelosi, Reid, and Obama do any of that.

"What goes through your head Gunfighter?"

Oh, nothing. Just that James K. Polk fought and won the second most beneficial and most well-executed war in American history and increased the size of the nation by nearly a third. And when he wasn't busy kicking ass in Mexico, he was taking part of the Oregon territory from the British and reestablishing the independent treasury system. He got more shit done as president than any other Democratic president before or since, and he only needed one term to do it.

"Democrats and republicans switched sides on racial issues as a result of FDR's new deal and the resulting conservative democratic defection over the next 40 years. The Southern reactionary party are now the republicans. The only thing that remained the same is the GOp has always been the party of moneyed interests."

So? What was the purpose of that post? I was giving NigeeBaby a brief history of the phase "Grand Old Party"

@ dipplayer2004

"The Republicans are the party of the working class now, and the Democrats are the party of the elites."

You're only partially correct. The Democratic Party is now the party of gays, blacks for some reason, illegal immigrants, socialists, communists, Constitution-hating, and overall America-hating pussies.

and academic elites who think that theories that should have never made it out of a political history lecture hall can function in the real world.

I guess you're fully right.

Wow, Gunfighter. You realize that by saying that Democrats are all socialists or illegals or antiamericans makes you seem no better than a little kid in an argument?

@Gunfighter06 Jackson was also a slave holder who was particularly nasty to Native Americans. Even though he was the champion of common man democracy, I still have conflicting views about him. He did well but I don't consider him a badass in some ways.

@gunfighter - while I lean to the right on a lot of things, I'm gonna have to disagree with you on a lot of things here. Andrew Jackson isn't an exemplary person, imo. He illegally invaded Spanish Florida, the Battle of New Orleans wasn't a great victory (the war was over and when you have people in trenches shooting at people in the open and people with rifles shooting people with muskets, victory is kinda given), his destruction of the bank of the united states removed regulation of the banking system in the US and caused all of the panics and bank runs that would plague 19th century America.

And re: the trade deficit. It wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing for the following reason. The money flowing out of the US in the trade deficit goes to developing countries, who are *supposed* to build up themselves and their own economic capacity, enrich themselves, and use their newfound wealth to buy products from America in the future. This is what happened with China and we're finally starting to realize some of the gains from it. What has mainly happened over the last two decades, especially in the last 15 years, is that people invest this money in their banks, which in turn use their deposits to buy US securities or their own government bonds (which in turn buy US securities). This means that money is returned to the US to re-invest in our economy. This is what led to the economic boom and easy credit of the 2000s, as well as contributed to the housing bubble. Meanwhile these developing countries weren't investing nearly as much in their own development as they should have been. When the US bubble burst, all of these foreign investors lost a substantial part of their savings, further reducing the ability of their consumers to buy US goods.

So trade deficits shouldn't be a bad thing in the short run, but should they go on long term (as they have been, and its not wholely our fault) it could be a malaise on our economy

@ omnomnom

I didn't say Democrats are are all socialists or illegals or antiamericans. I said that they have become the party that represents socialist, illegal, and anti-American people. And I want no part of that party as an American citizen.

@ AtomicOrangutan

Yeah, so maybe he was a racist who viewed non-whites as inherently inferior. Given the time period, you have to give him some wiggle room on that. He's still a badass person and president. Same thing for Polk.

@ goldfinger0303

I wasn't trying to defend Jackson's specific policies. I was just trying to say that he was a total badass who revolutionized the office of President.

Polk, on the other hand, was an incredible president. And I stand by that opinion. You can't dispute the fact that he was the best president between Jackson and Lincoln, and I could make the case that he was the best between Washington and Theodore Roosevelt. Top five for sure.

"So trade deficits shouldn't be a bad thing in the short run, but should they go on long term (as they have been, and its not wholely our fault) it could be a malaise on our economy"

That's my whole argument in a nutshell, but it's not a "could be" thing. A long term trade deficit *is* a malaise on our economy

You're a smart guy gunfighter, I really hope you're supporting Romney and I hope you let everybody you know you're a Romney supporter.

"It's too damned bad that today's Democrats aren't America-defending/expanding, freedom-fighting, Manifest Destiny-fulfilling badasses that can get shit done."

Whose freedom did Jackson expand? He was viewed as a power hungry monarch in his time that, rightfully or not, expanded the power of the federal government and cracked down on state power. All things you agree with right Gunfighter?

The only "Manifest Destiny" he fulfilled was comiting genocide against the Cherokee, a completely civilized, Americanized tribe whose only crime was living where whites wanted to live. In doing so he ran roughshod over the Constitution and the supreme court. Another thing you support right Gunfighter?

"You know, the guy who enlisted in the Continental Army as a courier at the age of 13. The guy that got nearly killed by a British officer for refusing to shine his boots as a POW and survived on a hellish prison ship. They guy who beat his would-be assassin with a cane. The guy whose hold of New Orleans is one of the greatest victories in American history. I'd like to see Pelosi, Reid, and Obama do any of that."

And what the hell does this have to do with his Presidency?

"James K. Polk did more in four years than any other president ever"

So much that during his own presidency he was chided for leading an unjust and blundering war.

"Oh, nothing. Just that James K. Polk fought and won the second most beneficial and most well-executed war in American history and increased the size of the nation by nearly a third. And when he wasn't busy kicking ass in Mexico, he was taking part of the Oregon territory from the British and reestablishing the independent treasury system. He got more shit done as president than any other Democratic president before or since, and he only needed one term to do it."

A war so obviously unjust that diverse figures such as John Quincy Adams, John Calhoun and Abraham Lincoln recoiled in shock. A war against an under equipped, under organized enemy conquering land that the United States had absolutely no claim or right to.

"So? What was the purpose of that post? I was giving NigeeBaby a brief history of the phase "Grand Old Party""

I was obviously talking to dipplayer

So? What was the purpose of that post? I was giving NigeeBaby a brief history of the phase "Grand Old Party""

Obviously speaking to dipplayer

"You're a smart guy gunfighter, I really hope you're supporting Romney and I hope you let everybody you know you're a Romney supporter. "

No he isn't he is just a typical conservative circus clown who uses a passing knowledge of American history and makes up the rest to suit his political aims.

And I love how Gunfighter wants to bring back Manifest Destiny. Watch out Canada the middle aged idiot fringe of the Republican Party is coming for you...

No Santa I think we will all be happier if gunfighter tells as many people he can about his views....... and that he is supporting Romney

Wouldn't help, Romney is surrounded by idiots that say this stuff themselves.

AMERICAN EXCEPTIONALISM! The point of life is to make sure the United States sets an imaginary high score in an imaginary game of civilization and alienates the entire world on it way to doing so

Gunfighter: As both a veteran, and a socialist, go fuck yourself.

You and people like you don't have exclusive rights to "true Americanism". The fact that you're basically being as exclusionist as possible just shows how little you understand about what America is supposed to be about.

From what I've seen, you have very little understanding of the law, the Constitution, or pretty much anything that requires an education. Your understanding of history is deeply flawed, and you glorify things that are by modern standards, grossly immoral.

tl;dr: Go fuck yourself.

"You're only partially correct. The Democratic Party is now the party of gays, blacks for some reason, illegal immigrants, socialists, communists, Constitution-hating, and overall America-hating pussies. "

I have only this to ask. How old are you Gunfighter and have ever suffered a severe head injury?