Reading the little back and forth on another thread about whether Rockmom is a liberal or a moderate got me thinking: Do you consider yourself to be on the left, the right or a moderate in the middle and what issues do you use to determine your status?

 

To me some of the key determining issues are (in no order of significance):

 

1. Death penalty;

 

2. Steeply progressive income taxes and the belief that the rich should be forced to give back more to share with the poor;

 

3. Estate taxes;

 

4. Abortion;

 

5. Welfare programs (including increased govt provided/paid health insurance);

 

6. Privatized social security;

 

7. Degree of Govt regulation of business;

 

8. Minimum wage;

 

9. Gay marriage; and

 

10. Gun ownership rights.

 

11. Education.

 

12. School Vouchers.

 

What are some other issues that think that help serve as a barometer of where a person stands on the political spectrum?

Edited May 8, 200917 yr by mcpapa
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I would add one's willingness to fund the military and the role one believes that the military should play to the list of criteria.

 

Another one would environmental issues. Particularly how one weighs environmental issues against other legitimate interests.

1. Death penalty Right

 

2. Steeply progressive income taxes Right

 

3. Estate taxes Moderate, I am ok with them but would like to see higher amounts shielded and reduced rates applied to the lower levels

 

4. Abortion Moderate to right, I am not against them in certain limited cases

 

5. Welfare programs (including increased govt provided/paid health insurance); Moderate to right , I am ok with them in many cases but would like to see more accountability, limits put on the spending, and some type of required contribution from recipients in the way of public service when they have the ability to do so

 

6. Privatized social security; Right

 

7. Degree of Govt regulation of business; Right

 

8. Minimum wage; Right

 

9. Gay marriage; Left, I don't consider it any of my business

 

10. Gun ownership rights Mostly to the right but I do believe in limitations on ownership of some weapons

I am to the right of all except 2,3,and 5.

1. Death penalty; AGAINST

 

2. Steeply progressive income taxes and the belief that the rich should be forced to give back more to share with the poor; AGAINST

 

3. Estate taxes; AGAINST

 

4. Abortion; AGAINST

 

5. Welfare programs (including increased govt provided/paid health insurance); FOR BUT WITH LIMITS

 

6. Privatized social security; FOR BUT WITH LIMITS

 

7. Degree of Govt regulation of business; FOR BUT WITH LIMITS

 

8. Minimum wage; FOR BUT WITH LIMITS

 

9. Gay marriage; and AGAINST

 

10. Gun ownership rights. FOR

Reading the little back and forth on another thread about whether Rockmom is a liberal or a moderate got me thinking: Do you consider yourself to be on the left, the right or a moderate in the middle and what issues do you use to determine your status?

 

To me some of the key determining issues are (in no order of significance):

 

1. Death penalty; Vehemently Against

 

2. Steeply progressive income taxes and the belief that the rich should be forced to give back more to share with the poor;Moderate-I believe that the government SHOULD be involved in helping out the less fortunate. But, I would rather see the money be able to be funnelled to private organizations/charities to assist in local needs, than into huge generic government programs where several key reforms are needed to be efficient

 

3. Estate taxes;Conservative-this is double taxation, IMO

 

4. Abortion;Conservative, but with the caveat to be stipulated that waiting for RvW to be overturned is not enough. I have no respect for people who feel making abortion illegal is enough. IMO, the REASONS for abortion need to be addressed most urgently, and that voting conservatively and not being personally involved in the root cause is hypocritcal

 

5. Welfare programs (including increased govt provided/paid health insurance);Not sure how you'd define my stance. I feel it's moderate. I do believe that social aid programs are needed, but that our system needs a radical and complete overhaul. I've posted my detailed ideas previously and will spare everyone my diatrabe

 

6. Privatized social security;Moderate-Conservative. I do see the benefits of such a program. I believe that the choice should be offered for those who wish to control their own funds. But that some sort of program should still exist for those who feel this is beyond them.

 

7. Degree of Govt regulation of business;Conservative-Moderate-I generally disagree with too much regulation. But in the situation with the bailouts, and taxpayer assistance saving them, then government regulation is in order to protect the taxpayer investment.

 

8. Minimum wage;Liberal-I understand the arguments of the effect of mandatory minimim wage on small business. But I have been a minimum wage earner trying to support a family and know the realities of the low wage on just trying to attain the basics on such a wage. It's more complicated than most on either side want to acknowledge

 

9. Gay marriage; andModerate-I don't favor religious gay marriage, but from a secular, legal point, I don't believe they should be denied the right to the same benefits as heterosexual couples, including healthcare, etc.

 

10. Gun ownership rights.Generally moderate. I am fine with gun ownership. I do have a problem with the fact that there are relatively few requirements to ensure safe gun ownership, and I beleive that if irresponsible gun ownership causes the death of a child, there should be a mandatory miminum charge. IMO, there are no "aciddental shootings" when a small child somehow gets their hand on a loaded gun.

 

What are some other issues that think that help serve as a barometer of where a person stands on the political spectrum?

 

 

Education & Vouchers are two other issues I feel should be included.

1. Death penalty; Strongly favor

 

2. Steeply progressive income taxes and the belief that the rich should be forced to give back more to share with the poor; If there is to be federal and/or state income tax then everyone with an income should pay it. Low income people still have to pay sales, FICA and other taxes. I do not understand why they are eliminated from income tax. On the same token I feel it is grossly inappropriate that those that pay no income tax get "refunds" because of tax credits. I strongly feel that with the high percentage of people that pay no income tax the left has paid off a huge voter block and play the "tax the rich" card every chance they get.

 

3. Estate taxes; Opposed, double taxation plain and simple.

 

4. Abortion; I feel that using abortion as a means of birth control is a repugnant act however I an not such a staunch pro-lifer that it is the first or even second issue I consider when making a candidate choice. I favor allowing abortion in very rare instances where the mother's life is at risk or in cases of rape or incest. As a simple matter of convenience I oppose it.

 

5. Welfare programs (including increased govt provided/paid health insurance); Need a complete overhaul. I have no problem with helping those who really need it but recipients should have to prove continued need as well as attempts to get out of need often. I would also favor mandatory random drug testing of welfare recipients.

 

6. Privatized social security; Strongly favor.

 

7. Degree of Govt regulation of business; Some needed but not to the extent that this administration has proposed.

 

8. Minimum wage; Somewhat favor but with limits. I remember my father working 2 jobs so he could provide for his family. If you can't get by get another job.

 

9. Gay marriage; Have no problem with civil unions but marriage is between a man and a woman.

 

10. Gun ownership rights. No limitations on gun ownership for hunting and personal defense (although I don't and probably never will own a gun). But I can support some restrictions. There is no reason that a person NEEDS and assault weapon. I have no problem with severely limiting ownership of those types of weapons.

1. Death penalty; For

 

2. Steeply progressive income taxes and the belief that the rich should be forced to give back more to share with the poor; Against, the tax code needs to be simplified and a near fat rate for income tax be applied. Someone who makes $100,000 would pay roughly twice what someone who makes $50,000 does.

 

3. Estate taxes; Against – double taxing the same assets

 

4. Abortion; Against as a means of birth control; for in cases of rape and incest

 

5. Welfare programs (including increased govt provided/paid health insurance); For social assistance programs for the truly needy with oversight to prevent abuse and as a temporary safety net, not as a permanent way of living. 6.

 

Privatized social security; For - to the extent that what I put in goes to fund my retirement and not someone else’s.

 

7. Degree of Govt regulation of business; Government regulation is required to an extent, but not to the level that the Federal Government has a major role in the business segment as is becoming the case with the banking industry and the auto industry.

 

8. Minimum wage; For - Increase in relationship to the rate of inflation.

 

9. Gay marriage; Against

 

10. Gun ownership rights. For – criminals don’t abide by gun control laws

1. Death penalty; Yes

 

2. Steeply progressive income taxes and the belief that the rich should be forced to give back more to share with the poor; Yes

 

3. Estate taxes; No

 

4. Abortion; Pro-choice

 

5. Welfare programs (including increased govt provided/paid health insurance); Yes, but would like time limits attached to these programs. The government should offer a helping hand to those in need, but it shouldn't be a way of life.

 

6. Privatized social security; No

 

7. Degree of Govt regulation of business; High level

 

8. Minimum wage; should be increased and adjusted frequently for inflation

 

9. Gay marriage; Not necessarily for marriage, civil unions yes. No church should ever have to perform a marriage ceremony, but to me this is a civil rights issue. Homosexual people should be afforded the same rights as heterosexual people.

 

10. Gun ownership rights. Gun ownership is a constitutionally protected right.

 

11. Military spending/use: We should at all times have a strong, modern up to date military that is prepared to handle all foreseeable conflicts. It's use however should be a last case scenario after all diplomacy has been completely exhausted.

 

12. Environmental issues: While I tend to lean towards global warming as a real issue I don't know to what extent it is man made. I do think it is definately man enhanced. Protecting the planet IMO should be a priority of all world governments. It serves only short term economic gain to destroy rain forest etc. Even if you leave global warming out of the environmental equation I'm not sure why anyone is okay with toxic materials being pumped into the air, water, extinction of animals, contaminated fish and drinking water.

I think what you "are" is very much relative to who is comparing.

 

 

1. Death penalty; I suppose I have to say I'm for it but I only feel it should be used when the defendant is determined to be a continued threat to society by his existance and that the proof against this person is completely overwhelming. I don't like the idea of the state taking lives.

 

2. Steeply progressive income taxes and the belief that the rich should be forced to give back more to share with the poor; I'm for this. I could go on for three pages as to why but essentailly it boils down to the fact that the rich make there money within a system that both protects and facilitates thier buisness. These systems are obviously more benefical to the rich (because they make more money) than they are to the poor. If the systems were to fail the rich would be the most hurt, and in the sense that they are getting more out of the systems they should be putting more in.

3. Estate taxes; I haven't really thought about this enough to give an opinon.

 

4. Abortion; Should be avoided and unwanted pregnacies should focused on. I carry a concern about the amount of social problems created by the elimination of abortion, and therefore do actively seek to criminalize it.

5. Welfare programs (including increased govt provided/paid health insurance); There are major things that need to be fixed in the welfare programs, but I don't see welfare as a generality a bad thing. I would support the government providing limited health care. I would support government provided prenatal care, doctors visits, small procedures like casts for broken bone. I would not support long term highly expensive medical care. In otherwords pay for the preventative and the little stuff.

 

6. Privatized social security;I haven't looked at the models for how this works. My initial concern is that should those who priviatize fail in providing for themselves the government would eventually come back in and help them, but not have the funds that those people were intended to provide for in the first place. But as I said if the plans adjust for this it could be viable.

 

7. Degree of Govt regulation of business; I ran a business for a few years and I conducted internal inspections of franchisees for another period of time. It is my experience businesses need regulation otherwise the owners will put the consumers and themselves in jeopardy. However it is also my contention that some regulations and regulators are insane. So regulation is a good thing, but on the specific level there are major problems with the regulations and especially the regulators.

 

8. Minimum wage; My big problem with minimum wage is that it prevents employers from hiring marginal work. But the other side is that business will cling to whatever that minimum wage is and if you increase it you will increase the benefit of most workers. If businesses would pay rates fair to the work done than I would push for no minimum wage, but in this real world that doesn't happen. Either way you go someone will exploit it. As an employer I never hired anyone including teens at minimum wage, I personally found it unconscionable to hire full time employees at levels they couldn't pay for the most basic things while I myself was doing very well.

9. Gay marriage; I don't care, you want to marry another dude have fun, you want to marry your horse have fun, you want to marry your TV have fun. One of these days I'm going to look into why government sanctions marriage at all, perhaps there are good reasons, but my initial feeling is the government probably doesn't need to recognize marriage at all and it should be up to the religious institutions.

 

10. Gun ownership rights. I don't like guns but I respect the fact that it is my problem and not yours.

What are some other issues that think that help serve as a barometer of where a person stands on the political spectrum?

 

 

Private school membership in the KHSAA.

Reading the little back and forth on another thread about whether Rockmom is a liberal or a moderate got me thinking: Do you consider yourself to be on the left, the right or a moderate in the middle and what issues do you use to determine your status?

 

To me some of the key determining issues are (in no order of significance):

 

1. Death penalty;Pro

 

2. Steeply progressive income taxes and the belief that the rich should be forced to give back more to share with the poor;I think we should do away with income tax altogether and implement a sales tax. That way everyone is taxed on what they buy, not what they earn.

 

3. Estate taxes;Totally against.

 

4. Abortion;Pro Choice - with limitations.

 

5. Welfare programs (including increased govt provided/paid health insurance);Welfare should be totally re-vamped. It should include an education/job training component that is required to get any assistance. Never should it become a way of life.

 

6. Privatized social security; Pro

 

7. Degree of Govt regulation of business; Minimal involvement of govt.

 

8. Minimum wage;There should be one.

 

9. Gay marriage; andCivil Unions are Ok with me.

 

10. Gun ownership rights.Pro gun ownership. Limits on types of guns (assault weapons) and strict background checks and renewal license policies.

 

What are some other issues that think that help serve as a barometer of where a person stands on the political spectrum?

 

 

Overall I'm for the government being minimalized.

I don't value these in this order, I just didn't feel like changing anything when I copied it.

 

 

1. Death penalty; As someone who tends to be a pragmatist where possible I don't necessarily feel this is an effective deterrent in regards to civilians. Now in military courts that is up to them to decide however the possibility of innocence is really too much for me to feel as though we could let this continue. The exceptions being for cases of treason and a few other cases.

 

2. Steeply progressive income taxes and the belief that the rich should be forced to give back more to share with the poor; Don't particularly like that idea. People should not be forced "give back" to the poor. That should be something handled by the private sector. Churches and other charities are better suited to helping the poor and in all likelihood are more effective at doing so.

 

3. Estate taxes; Yeah, don't like that one either.

4. Abortion; This is one that in my opinion should be left up to the states and not the federal government.

 

5. Welfare programs (including increased govt provided/paid health insurance); I don't like welfare as it is and I would like to see something more along the lines of helping people learn trades while on it in order to get off it as soon as possible. Medical care should be limited on this to only needed things, nothing cosmetic or superfluous and any excessive usage of Controlled substances would need to be checked in on as it is easy to become dependent on them while under government care.

 

6. Privatized social security; I would like this as an option. The current transfer payment system now is really a waste and I never really liked the idea of it continuing. When FDR enacted the S.S. act it was not intended to stay in place for as long as it has.

 

7. Degree of Govt regulation of business; As little as possible, only things I really thing the government should be doing here is to enforce contracts, and enforce safety standards for employees.

 

8. Minimum wage; I don't really like the idea of it being mandated, but I can understand it being there.

 

9. Gay marriage; Up to the state, but as I have said before I don't really feel that "marriage" licenses are really relevant. There should be civil unions for all and marriage ceremonies for the religious types with the only government benefit being for the production of children.

 

10. Gun ownership rights. Important for me. I am all for the laws that are currently on the books being enforced. Assault weapons, as most uneducated on firearms know, are not widely available to the public as it is. The only way to own an assault rifle(something with select-fire and fully automatic fire) is with a class III license which requires registration with the ATF and keeping a running tally of any and all ammunition expenditures in the event that they want to come and check at any time. It is expensive and difficult to get. Most people that have them are gun store owners. When most people talk about "assault weapons" they really are thinking of guns that look mean.

Reading the little back and forth on another thread about whether Rockmom is a liberal or a moderate got me thinking: Do you consider yourself to be on the left, the right or a moderate in the middle and what issues do you use to determine your status?

 

To me some of the key determining issues are (in no order of significance):

 

1. Death penalty; I would currently oppose the death penalty. This is a reversal of prior stances for me. It comes in large part due to the number of fabricated cases, overzealous and/or unethical prosecutors, and lying witnesses that I see on a daily basis. However, on this issue I fully understand and respect the opinions of others in favor.

 

2. Steeply progressive income taxes and the belief that the rich should be forced to give back more to share with the poor; I am totally opposed to the inequalities of this policy.

 

3. Estate taxes; I oppose them, believe they are anathema, and would zealously and virgorously support their repeal.

 

4. Abortion; I believe Roe v. Wade wa wrongly decided, that evidentiary values are now such that it can and should be overturned by the precedental factors enunicated in Casey, and oppose any and all legislation respecting abortion.

 

5. Welfare programs (including increased govt provided/paid health insurance); I support a limited role of the government in aiding the poor, but only with well-defined criterion. I oppose most forms of government support of businesses, including small business loans. I don't approve of the government being in business, including the loan business.

 

6. Privatized social security; I strongly favor proposed versions of this.

 

7. Degree of Govt regulation of business; Government has a duty to look after the health, safety, and welfare of its citizens. However, the application of this duty has been grossly overbroadened.

 

8. Minimum wage; I can't think of the first reason why we have it and would repeal it.

 

9. Gay marriage; I vigorously oppose any law respecting it. You may insert Carrie Prejean's response for the rest of my answer. However, the pictures of me when I was 17 aren't nearly as good.

 

10. Gun ownership rights. It would have to be an inordinately narrowly-tailored law for me to even consider supporting any law or regulation impacting gun acquisition or ownership in any way. I generally favor the convicted felon not owning a handgun laws, but would even de-limit that to violent felonies. If an ordinary citizen wants to own a bazooka, that doesn't bother me.

 

What are some other issues that think that help serve as a barometer of where a person stands on the political spectrum?

 

My thoughts above.

Reading the little back and forth on another thread about whether Rockmom is a liberal or a moderate got me thinking: Do you consider yourself to be on the left, the right or a moderate in the middle and what issues do you use to determine your status?

 

To me some of the key determining issues are (in no order of significance):

 

1. Death penalty; For, but with reservations.

 

2. Steeply progressive income taxes and the belief that the rich should be forced to give back more to share with the poor; Silly notion, strongly against

 

3. Estate taxes; Strongly against.

 

4. Abortion; I believe it is an individual choice and should be legal.

 

5. Welfare programs (including increased govt provided/paid health insurance); Totally against.

 

6. Privatized social security; I'm against SS in general, but if we are to have it, it should be privatized.

 

7. Degree of Govt regulation of business; Very minimal to none.

 

8. Minimum wage; Don't need it.

 

9. Gay marriage; and I'm cool with it and believe it should be allowed.

 

10. Gun ownership rights. Own whatever you want.

 

What are some other issues that think that help serve as a barometer of where a person stands on the political spectrum?

Drug and prostitution legalization and censorship are two issues that come to mind.

 

Btw, good thread LN.