Actually, I'm okay with my party's worldview, I'm not crazy about some of the leadership.

I agree with the other party on some of the issues, but the majority of issues I'm with my own party.

YES! Most of my friends are liberal, really liberal (three of them are social workers!) so even though I don't consider myself solely a Republican, I am always having to either shut up or be prepared to start an argument of all against one.

Funny thing is I deal with the same problem talking to the few Republican friends I have, just not to the same extent.

thats cuz republicans are better

Ok having grown up minutes from the Reagan Ranch in an extremely Republican city and county I grew up having to keep my political views to myself. I was a democrat then and except for elections I was fairly quiet or closeted.

Cut to 12 years ago, i move to SF thinking that I was the most liberal democrat ever. Nope in SF I am freaking conservative. Damn near fascist. The level of ridiculousness of BOTH parties in SF is so disgusting that I dropped my democrat affiliation and registered as an Independent. I was going to switch to the Green party but their platform is wonky in my view.

Both parties to me offer very little in the way of good ideas or good effort and they both love and thrive off being divisive and wasteful.

Of course in changing parties up here in SF I am on the verge of losing friends but then again if they were only friends with me because I was a democrat I don't want them.

Heck, my oldest nephew thinks he's a a very liberal democrat that is until he comes to SF to visit then he says he feels like a conversative too. He starts railing against the NoCal misguided thought that people have no personal responsibility for their actions or deeds (so called progressive democrats) or that the government should legislate the way that people live their lives and personal/religious/sexual issues should be open to the public except for when people don't want the government to have any say - but of course they still want the government handout (that would be NoCal republicans view).

I have been a lifelong Democrat, and dedicated to social justice. I was and still am one of those that thought overthrowing Saddam Hussein and his two twisted sadistic sons from power in Iraq was the right thing to do. (I do agree that Rumsfeld mishandled the war). Iraq has been debated to death, so lets just all agree to disagree on this subject. I am probably unique, or close to it, because I am pro life, and an “atheist”, as I do not believe in an immortal soul or life after death, nor am I anti-religious, and have no problem with God, Ten Commandments, etc. in the public domain. I am a fiscal conservative that believes each generation has responsibility to live within its means, and has no right to live beyond those means, passing the bill down to their decedents. At some point some subsequent generation will have to severely lower their standard of living to pay for the past generations profligate ways. I think in times of economic growth taxes must go up, just to establish a reserve for times that the economy contracts and taxes are there to be reduced to minimize the length of that contraction. The economic business cycle can not be eliminated. I am also a radical when it comes to inheritance taxes. They should be “confiscatory”, subsequent generations, should not live off ancestors money ad infinitum. All foundations should have a sunset date, and which point all unused funds go to the national debt. There has to be a real cap on expenses and salaries of those foundations, so they are not a place to hide the family fortune (Think Rockefeller Foundation). I now consider my self an independent.

I don't affiliate with any party but I probably should seeing as I'm more liberal on all the major issues. I just don't want to get caught up in the us vs them mentality, and I admire the people who can belong to a political party and keep an open mind but that's just not me. So staying neutral.

I think it's much stranger to agree with every party doctrine than to have some opinions that don't fit with what a Republican or Democrat is 'supposed' to think. Personally, I don't have enough 'Republican' or 'Democratic' ideas to consider myself a member of either party. But I agree with Cao's basic sentiment that we'd be a lot better off if we didn't worry so much about parties.

I agree with party principles most of the time, but there are quite a few actual members of the party I'm not a fan of (because I suspect they do not actually believe in those principles).

It's unfortunate when people let parties decide their opinions for them. When someone's opinions line up square with a party, it's more than likely party membership to blame.

The thing I hate (which I know I would be guilty of myself) is just saying he's in my party I want him to win. Sometimes that's not the best candidate.

I'm registered with a party simply so I can vote in primary elections. While I lean more towards Democrat views, I don't blindly support every candidate in the party just because. I try to look at individual issues and candidates when voting. The two party system is both limiting and very culturally dividing.

i'm not american but i'm liberal in some views and conservative in others.

I like my party's leadership and worldview, but I feel like I am closeted at work. I work in an industry that is very conservative, and I have found myself more than once trying to say something true but possibly misleading like, "I can see why so many people love Sarah Palin!"

TrueSong, I did not know you worked NASCAR

I feel politically closeted among a lot of my friends who are rabid, consevative christians. I'm an evangelical christian too, but have "very" liberal views compared to them. I hate when people assume that your political views are in line with theirs. What they don't realize is that mine are thought out and hard won. I'm Greek and debate is in my genes , but most of the time I keep my mouth shut, because the "debate" gets too nasty.

Grandpa do not ever speak the word NASCAR in vain!

I too am an atheist but I worship the oval track and turning left over and over again until a winner is declared.

Can we get AMEN wackdoodle?

wackdoodle :rotfl

Boogity! Boogity! That's about as close to amen as I can get.

Grandpa have you seen my page? I loves me some NASCAR.

Right now I on NASCAR.com fiddling with my fantasy picks. Kind silly cause all I do is turn Dale Jr on over and over again.

Most of my friends are on the liberal half of the spectrum. I have always enjoyed their input when discussing politics. I think the thing we agree apon is that we are friends first, and political adversaries second. Well, actually, we are golf adversaries second, Cribbage adversaries third... You get the picture. The bottom line is, politics is fun to discuss, but it shouldn't be the driving force in your friendships.

I don't think there should be/has to be a dischord between what your heart and head say, they're not bound by something like party affiliations.

At this point in time, it would take a hell of a lot [something close to apocalyptic] to make me switch party affiliations. I don't disagree with parties, I disagree with people. I like the way the party I affiliate most with is now [with a few exceptions], more of their worldview is on point with what I believe. Of course I don't agree with EVERYONE about everything, but there's not nearly enough on the other side to make me switch.

I am totally okay with my party, and its worldviews, although i disagree with some of its leadership sometimes.

This reminds me of that Chris Rock joke--

Everybody's so busy wanting to be down with the gang. "I'm conservative", "I'm liberal", "I'm conservative". BS! Be a person! Listen! Let it swirl around your head. Then form your opinion. No normal, decent person is one thing, okay? I've got some sh!t I'm conservative about, I've got some sh!t I'm liberal about. Crime, I'm conservative. Prostitution, I'm liberal!

Registered Democrat but I haven't voted that way in a while. My views have gotten more consevative as I get older. I believe in a woman's right to choose (with the exception of late term abortions) and I think you should be able to marry whoever you want. I vote for the candidate, not the party.

I'm with em, I don't indentify with either party or their leadership and don't consider myself to be anything other than me. I vote for the person and based on specific issues I'm concerned about at the time and not because someone belongs to a certain party.

No, I do not feel like I am in a political closet. My beliefs and views are on the democratic side. At the same time,I will not support just any democratic candidate; I have to fully believe in them, their viewpoint and what they will do for our state or country. If I do not see them fit for whatever-office, I am willing to look and read-up about the other side's candidate; you cannot make an informed choice without knowing both politicans. Sometimes a candidate on the opposite party leans more toward your views, while your parties choice may be farther away.

I actually dislike both parties leadership. I am registered a Republican and proud of it. Not closeted in any facet. But My sister likes to say she is an "independent" but everything she says is liberal. I feel a lot of people do like to hide under the "independent" umbrella. Simply because they don't like being labeled.
I am a strong fiscal conservative, but have some liberal social leanings. In a national election, I, 99% of the time, will vote for the Conservative candidate. In local elections, I have voted for many democrats. This last election cycle, I voted Libertarian. I am in California and voting for McCain surely would have been a wasted vote any how.

Oh and I would say that over 3/4 of my friends are some of the most liberal people I have met. 2 of my best friends are true socialists. I feel that political views should not get in the way of friendships. And would never let that get in the way of rewarding friendships.

i am a dem...living in SF with crazy san francisco values...but I think the teachers union is ruining public education. there i said it, the teacher's union is a bad bad thing and it should seize to exist...how very conservative of me.

im a democrat but pro-life, so yes. oh, and i'm tough on crime too.

I'm a Republican who supports gay marriage. I guess mainly because I'm not a religious Republican at all, so my views on gay marriage are strictly personal. Everything else I do agree with my party on.

I have always been a Republican and I happen to be a singer so I'm in a business where I could really get black listed if I was open about my conservative views. However now that Obama is f*****g up the country I am really angry and have no intention of keeping my politic views to myself. Liberal views will turn this country into Europe and if I can help it I'm not about to let that happen so thank you President Obama; You have officially pissed me off to the point where I don't mind telling you to suck it no matter who I'm around;)