fiscal conservative/foreign policy hawk/social liberal
Prepare the trumpets, I'm about to make a grandiose statement:
I want a new Republican party.
It's odd, there seems to be an awful lot of people that fit the description in the title of this post. They don't take it too far, but they are generally, and I mean generally: fiscally conservative, hawkish on foreign policy, and socially liberal. I've never liked the term "South Park Republican", I don't know where it came from, but it seems to fit the bill.
But so far, there have been zero politicians that have tried to cater to this group. Basically, its a socially liberal Republican. But all the "Liberal Republicans" out there are liberal on the wrong issues. I've refrained from joining the RINO webring because, where I come from, it reflects a politican who is either liberal on issues he shouldn't be, or is talking liberal to get media face-time.
Coniser the biggest RINO's: John Mccain. He led the campaign finance reform bill, certainly not a fiscal conservative. Rudy Guliani: anti-gun, off the top of my head, and a bunch of other stuff. Arlen Specter: I'm not sure why he still calls himself a Republican. He's the right's Zell Miller, only boring. He hasn't agreed with anything any Republican has said for years.
Why is it so hard to find a politician that fits? There's certainly enough people out there, why no national face for them. Essentially, what I'm asking for is a common sense, secluar, modern Republican party.
Such as:
-Thinks tax cuts are a good idea, but dosen't want to cut all welfare programs. Encourages welfare-to-work programs and stuff to help people who actually need it, but wants to cut the ties on a life-by-welfare plan.
-Cautiously pro-war. In a general sense, someone who dosen't want to go to war, but isn't afraid to if the need arises. In a particular sense, Able to criticize the war when fuckups are made, but supports the principle and, mostly, the execution of it.
-Generally approving of gay marriage, or civil unions.
-Strongly against censorship, of either the Politically correct variety or the "For the children" variety.
-Pro-gun for the general populace, but very hard on people that shouldn't have them.
-Very hard on most criminals, with the possible (emphasis possible) exception of minor drug convictions.
-Tough on border security. Not to the point of completely sealing the borders, but making sure that we know who and what comes across them. This alone will win you every southern state in the Union.
What else? I'm sure there's more. Basically, I suppose what I'm looking at is a blend of the Republican and Libertarian parties, with even a little Democrat thrown into the mix. The libertarians have some good ideas, but they often take them to the point of kookiness. The Democrats have very few good ideas, but their arguments against extremism make sense. Sortof a Libertarian Lite, I suppose.
Really, what I'm asking for is a generally right-leaning politician who is grounded in common sense with knowledge of how life is in this here Modern USA. I don't want a party focused by religion or ideology, or overt hawkishness or dedication to business, or longing to return to a 1950's society that never really existed and certainly never will.
Common sense. Respect for people, no matter who they are. Reality, not hopeful (or hopeless) guesstimates. Is that so much to ask? I suppose so, as there isn't anybody out there representing those qualities.
Christ, who am I kidding, he'd get crushed in the primaries.
