What do the Republicans stand for these days?

[mdlbear]

[With permission, from a locked post by my nephew, because I felt it needed wider distribution.]

So, can someone explain to me what the Republicans stand for these days?

See, I was listening to a party guy on the radio [the show was On Point, on NPR] on the way home talking about what they need to do to regain power. That got me wondering if the Republican party stands for anything other than hate?

- small government? I think not.
- individual freedoms? Yeah right.
- fiscal responsibility? Have you looked at our deficit?
- pro-business? I can't really see how.

So...
- hate against pregnant women who want an abortion? Check.
- hate against gays who want to marry/adopt/have eights/etc... Yup.
- hate against people with drug problems (ie - throw them in jail) rather than rehab for them? Yup.
- hate against individual rights by limiting civil liberties? Yes.
- hate against the environment? I think so.


There was a caller who said that when he watched the democratic convention he saw a group of people full of hope and positive energy. When he watched the republicans he saw anger and fear. Is it any surprise Obama won?

So, I'm serious here. I know some of my friends at one point or another considered themselves to be republican. Step up and explain why please. I really want to know.

[I also have a link to this Salon article that essentially asks the same question.]

Comments

[tagryn]

The GOP did stand for the first things, the problem is as McCain said, "we came to change Washington, and let Washington change us instead." The DeLay/Hastert/Bush GOP lost its way from their basic principles, giving in to the temptations of power (or as they probably saw it, 'doing what is necessary to keep this nation safe'), and now has to work its way back to them. A party rarely exits office after 8 years in the same shape it was coming in; the Democrats were in similar condition after eight years of Clinton, with the DLC wing fighting it out with the more leftist/progressive wing to define exactly what the party stood for.

You forgot strong national security on the GOP side. If you look at the priorities polling by party, that's 2nd-highest for Republican voters vs. near-last for Democrats. Also lower taxes, 3rd-highest priority for Republicans.

I suspect social conservatives see the Democratic Party in a similar way as you do the GOP, starting with treatment of the unborn (4th highest priority for Republicans), but you'd have to ask one.

[mdlbear]

Started long before the currently-outgoing Bush; it was just a lot starker with the current administration.