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I was watching TV this week and Janeane Garofalo brought up an interesting point. What does it mean to be a Republican anymore?

I remember when Republican used to mean:

1)Fiscal Responsibility

2)Conservation of Resources

3)Smaller, less intrusive Government

4)Letting people decide for themselves because the individual knew best what works for them.

5)Responsible Taxation (Oliver Wendell Holmes. a republican said "Taxes are the price we pay for a free society." Both Ronald Regan and George Bush Sr. raised taxes over the course of their terms.

6)Used to respect separation of church and state and the constitution.

Now it's morphed into:
1)Spending ourselves into debt is great as long as it's for war.

2)Screw the environment, let's suck the planet dry as long as we get our gas and power. Who cares if we run out or if the source is renewable.

3)Let's monitor everyone's e-mails, phone calls and postal mail, let's take away miranda rights and throw whomever we want in jail without a fair trial. Let's tell people what they can do with their bodies and who they can marry and be intimate with.

4)Now anyone who doesn't agree with them is disloyal or denigrating someone of thing.

5)Now they seem to be against any taxation.

6)Now they have clung to the religious right as their backbone and ignore the constitution whenever it gets in their way.

So I am honestly asking the republicans on here. Is this really the party you remember it as? Does it really still stand for what it was created to stand for?

The sad thing is people hate on Republicans today and call them big spenders, big government and tax raisers..yet they support Democrats whose main policies are big spending, raising taxes and big government.

Originally posted by KidRock
The sad thing is people hate on Republicans today and call them big spenders, big government and tax raisers..yet they support Democrats whose main policies are big spending, raising taxes and big government.

Yes but the republicans have always been the ones against those things. It's the dramatic change of tune and in the worst way that is what concerns me.

Do you really think if you went back in time and showed republicans then what their party was today that they would still support it?

I've always seen the republican party as a party of greedy corporations, religious fundamentalists, and liars/hypocrites.

I recognise historically they were different, thank you Reagan, but that's their general attributes today.

Originally posted by lord xyz
I've always seen the republican party as a party of greedy corporations, religious fundamentalists, and liars/hypocrites.

I recognise historically they were different, thank you Reagan, but that's their general attributes today.

Exactly, I am a moderate democrat, but there have been republicans in the past that I have liked and agreed with. But they seem to have been muzzled or driven out of the party.

Originally posted by Aster Phoenix
Exactly, I am a moderate democrat, but there have been republicans in the past that I have liked and agreed with. But they seem to have been muzzled or driven out of the party. Like Goldwater.

True in every way. That is an excellent example.

Originally posted by lord xyz
Like Goldwater.
Goldwater wanted to nuke Vietnam.

Not a great example.

Originally posted by RocasAtoll
Goldwater wanted to nuke Vietnam.

Not a great example.

Never said the man was perfect but compare the totality of his views with what that party has become.

Originally posted by lord xyz
Like Goldwater.

Or Ron Paul.

I liked Goldwater more than Paul. That nuking business was crazy of course, probably blown a bit out of proportion though.

Originally posted by Bardock42
I liked Goldwater more than Paul. That nuking business was crazy of course, probably blown a bit out of proportion though.

B-but what about Daisy?