Republicans on MetroJacksonville?

[rainfrog]

I'm surprised to see someone say that this board is 70%, 90% liberal from their perspective. Of all the internet forums I've lurked on or participated in the past 12 years, this one seems to have a higher fraction of right-leaning participants of any I've been on, especially considering its focus (generally more liberal topics of sustainability, urbanity, multi-modal transportation, etc.) I'm not saying that surprises or bothers me, because I would expect a Jacksonville forum to reflect it's more conservative populous, and from my perspective, this forum does that. It's a good balance here. It just also brings other voices to the table, which might be in contrast to the off-line life one could have in Jax or elsewhere in the Bible Belt, that is, surrounded only by the discourse of people on the same end of the spectrum. But that's maybe the culture clash between a regional isolation and the great stew of viewpoints found on the more nationally and globally exposed internet. A forum that is really and truly a majority left-leaning... is a much different beast from this board! Trust me on that! On such, there is no debate to be found... just agreeing.

[hillary supporter]

ive thought that jacksonville.com was far more right conservative than any concerning Jacksonville.

[fieldafm]

Would you care to say why you strongly support the republican party or have such a dislike of the democratic party?

I think you may be hearing(or more accurately reading) only what you want to hear.  I wrote that I will vote for a Democrat over the most powerful Republican in the state, considered voting for Hillary Clinton, will not be voting for Rick Scott, and specifically said 'I view issues and challenges facing our society/country/state/city as either being right or wrong... not left or right.'  Nowhere did I say I had 'such a dislike of the democratic party'

To me, there is right and wrong.  You don't have to have a certain marking on your voter's registration card to be on either side of right or wrong.

Im in favor of immigration reform, unions, the environment, lifting of the Cuban embargo, against the death penalty, against mandatory prayers in school(disclaimer I went to Catholic school), etc... and all sorts of things that would be considered 'Democratic issues'.  I'm kind of like a bookie... 49% of the time on one side, 51% the other side.  It just so happens that the 51% leans to the right.  In fact, until two years ago my voter card read independent since I was 18.

The reason I changed this to 'Republican' was actually due to my grandmother and 'social issues'.
My grandmother used to speak of equality constantly... and always talked about the 14th, 15th, and 19th Amendments.  All major pieces of social legislation that were all focused on living up to the ideal that America was founded on equality for all.  You can debate all you want about what the original slogan meant(all men are created equal=did they mean only free men, no women, etc) but the promise of America has and always will be equality and opportunity.  All amendments sponsored by and pushed through by Republicans.

Also, IMO the most important equal rights issue of our time is education and this is an issue I lean strongly to the right on.  I could give statistics upon statistics that prove education is a common denominator in a variety of social inequalities.  I had the fortunate opportunity to hear Mel Martinez speak on this very issue once... specifically about having quality education for all and how the opportunity to obtain that education and subsequent self-discovery could transform people from very humble beginnings into doing very great things.

There is another very personal reason... but this is the basis of why I consider myself a Republican... but I vote on the basis of an independent study and understanding of an issue, not what a party line says I should vote for.

The two politicians I admire most are John McCain and the late Jack Kemp.  Neither are exactly the prototypical 'Republican'.  And frankly, there are several issues I don't agree with them on either.  I could actually go on for days about how McCain once screwed over the pilot's union over a labor contract dispute several years ago.

[hillary supporter]

Thanks for your honesty in your reply. Also, for your specifics. You sound very open minded in your approach to support the candidate you choose. I know you will choose carefully your choice for next years mayor.

[Cricket]

There are more registered democrats than registered republicans though the number of democrats may be skewing lately to independents. So I can understand why that would be reflected on MJ. Although I can understand why people who are self-sufficient would vote republican or democrat, I have a hard time understanding the logic of voting for the republican party if you are socially and economically disadvantaged since the party with the social programs is the democratic party. Granted, there are other reasons other than socio-economic concerns that pulls someone to one party or the other.

[Wacca Pilatka]

The beauty of this site as far as I'm concerned is that labels are pretty unimportant.  I'm sure a lot of people on here vote for the same political party as me most of the time, and I'm sure a lot don't.  But almost everyone on here is strongly on board with common sense solutions that should (and on this site, usually do) transcend political party.  I think the injection of party labels into the conversation tends to detract from the fact that the vast majority of us can agree on most of the prevailing discussion topics on here as to Jacksonville's problems and to their logical solutions.  Identifying with one party or another doesn't and shouldn't mean either pro- or anti- rail or urban core or whatever have you (though I can understand how that stereotype could be drawn based on the city as a whole or national leadership).  I definitely side with one party over the other, but have never found this board to be overly friendly or hostile to either party, and with the issues at hand party is nothing but a distraction from the goal.  (Yes, the explicitly political or social issues threads can get hot, but I just stay out of those.)

[fieldafm]

But almost everyone on here is strongly on board with common sense solutions that should (and on this site, usually do) transcend political party.  I think the injection of party labels into the conversation tends to detract from the fact that the vast majority of us can agree on most of the prevailing discussion topics on here as to Jacksonville's problems and to their logical solutions.

+1!

[hillary supporter]

There are more registered democrats than registered republicans though the number of democrats may be skewing lately to independents. So I can understand why that would be reflected on MJ. Although I can understand why people who are self-sufficient would vote republican or democrat, I have a hard time understanding the logic of voting for the republican party if you are socially and economically disadvantaged since the party with the social programs is the democratic party. Granted, there are other reasons other than socio-economic concerns that pulls someone to one party or the other.

Exactly, Cricket. And those social programs that are not only defined by democrats , but routinely opposed by republicans , are essential building blocks for the development of ANY metropolitan area. Including MetroJacksonville!
Also fieldafm, im curious why you omitted the 24th amendment in defining your republican historical influence.
The 24th amendment was passed because of the ineffectiveness of the 14th and 15th amendments. By democratic leadership, adamantly opposed by the republicans. Its one of the strongest social amendments in the constitution.

[fieldafm]

24th amendment=poll tax elimination?  I don't see how that's relevant to me whatsoever... seeing as though I would have been opposed to a poll tax.

I wasn't alive in the 50's and 60's, but from what I understand... support of a poll tax was much more racially motivated than politically motivated.  Mississippi or Alabama(one of the two) rejected it, and several Southern states never ratified the 24th.

And if memory serves from the American History course I took way back in 1994, the equal protection clause spelled out in Amendment 14 is the basis for most Supreme Court cases that support the 24th... so it sounds like the 14th was a pretty decent piece of legislation if you ask me.

If you're talking about something else, then please forget my post lol.

[JeffreyS]

There are more registered democrats than registered republicans though the number of democrats may be skewing lately to independents. So I can understand why that would be reflected on MJ. Although I can understand why people who are self-sufficient would vote republican or democrat, I have a hard time understanding the logic of voting for the republican party if you are socially and economically disadvantaged since the party with the social programs is the democratic party. Granted, there are other reasons other than socio-economic concerns that pulls someone to one party or the other.

Exactly, Cricket. And those social programs that are not only defined by democrats , but routinely opposed by republicans , are essential building blocks for the development of ANY metropolitan area. Including MetroJacksonville!
Also fieldafm, im curious why you omitted the 24th amendment in defining your republican historical influence.
The 24th amendment was passed because of the ineffectiveness of the 14th and 15th amendments. By democratic leadership, adamantly opposed by the republicans. Its one of the strongest social amendments in the constitution.

Exactly democrats spend money on America and Americans . Republicans spend money on multinationals and nation building after their wars.

[hillary supporter]

My apologies to fieldafm, i associated the civil rights act of 1964 with the 24th amendment which was incorrect, I stand corrected.

[Wacca Pilatka]

I know something else everyone definitely can agree on...

Avatars of kittens playing the guitar.

[urbanlibertarian]

Is cute crap more of a Democratic or a Republican thing?

[Wacca Pilatka]

Cats playing instruments should be universal and transcend party lines.

[hillary supporter]

Is cute crap more of a Democratic or a Republican thing?

Definitely democratic, and liberal.
Thanks Wacca Pilatka for the cats meow!