Jeff Kleb
New member
SonRunner said:
It is more than just two factions, sir. There are (as you stated) the 'fiscal' conservatives, for whom a balanced budget and control of government spending is of paramount importance. Lowering taxes (on people in every income group) is probably the primary goal.
You are also correct about the so-called evangelicals; or the moral/social conservatives. They're primarily concerned with bringing everyone into the pews at church, stopping abortions and keeping as many people as possible from having a good time.
A third group could be the "War Hawks" who think that every spare cent should be spent on national defense. They are less concerned with social issues, though they tend to vote for people who are.
The fourth group, to which I belong, is comprised of the "true" conservatives. We are basically the "Leave me alone!" coalition who fear a large & intrusive government. While civil rights are important, we remain very pro-military and extremely patriotic. We are still squeamish about the government involving itself everywhere around the world while our own nation remains vulnerable. People in the know often refer to us as (both small "l" and large "L") libertarians. Second Amendment rights are high on the list!!
A fifth coalition is the "blue bloods" -- or the country club conservatives. We around here refer to them as "old money," since so many inherited their wealth or are retirees. They're really no threat to anyone, but sort of live outside of reality.
Maybe you can think of another subset of conservatives - I don't know. All that aside, there is a certain amount of overlap between these groups -- and each of them think that the "other" conservatives are responsible for causing GOP losses.
You folks on the liberal side have your own set of "groups" within your house as well. The difference is that liberals/Democrats do a much better job of "coming together" in general elections. They tend not to eat each other alive as conservatives do.
