Quoted:
Inspired by
this thread.
I was typing a reply when that thread got locked. Let's try again but without the personal attacks, mkay?
Several of the self-professed liberal gun owners stated that the GOP stance on issues like abortion, gay marriage and education (creationism vs. evolution, in particular) were what kept them from "being Republicans". Somebody even said that aside from these issues that they were more in agreement with the GOP than with the Democrats.
For me, this is the epitome of putting the cart before the horse.
I don't agree with the GOP on abortion. I don't think there should be any federal laws on the subject at all. It matters little anyways as that horse is dead and buried. Abortion is legal and will remain so. The GOP can keep that plank in their platform to placate the religious right but in reality it is a non-issue.
I don't agree with the GOP on farriage. That's gay marriage to you. Again, it matters little as it's a lost cause. Someday soon anybody will be able to marry anybody so long as they're not too closely related or underage. Again, this is a non-issue.
Creationism in public schools would not be the end of the world. I'm not an advocate but again it matters little. The national GOP is not pushing for creationism in public schools in any real way and they won't start anytime soon. Most kids will hear Genesis chapter one before they get too old and some will believe it and some won't. It's not like they're going to stop teaching evolution anytime soon, so again we have a non-issue.
Three "deal breakers" that are, in reality, non issues. Yet apparently we have more than a few ARFcommers that let these minor, emotion-driven issues keep them from voting Republican.
On the other side of the same coin...
Gun rights. This being AR15.com it makes sense that this would be a slam-dunk issue in favor of the GOP.
Taxes. Anybody that thinks the Democrats have a better tax plan than the Republicans is either unfamiliar with the effect of taxation on an economy or willfully socialist.
Immigration/National Security/Foreign Policy. I'm not in lock-step with the GOP here but the Democrats are marching to a tune I can't even hear.
And so on.
The big issues. The ones that
really matter. When it comes to the issues that genuinely mean something in the grand scheme of things the GOP is
hands-down the party with the right answers.
Conversely, the Democrats are kings of emotional non-issues that get people all worked up over nothing.
Not looking to start a war but I'm always puzzled how liberals say "why do Republicans make such a big deal over gay marriage, who cares who somebody marries, if you're not marrying them why does it matter" but then apparently it's such a big deal that as a member of Calguns put it 2 years ago "I'm pro second amendment, against hi taxes and government regulation but I can't cross over to the republicans because of their views on gay marriage" which leaves me thinking, is it a big deal or not?