You can tell when you're talking to a real Republican who is not enamored of Bush. These are the current sore points:

- Immigration policy (amnesty) This is usually number one, and you can tell a real Republican if he starts ranting for twenty minutes on this.

- Doesn't cut spending.

- Hasn't been tough enough on some social issues.

However, damn few Republicans think Kerry is going to be an improvement in any of these areas.

If someone starts running down the Democratic talking points ("tax cuts for the rich, Iraq, against gay marriage" etc.), you're probably not really talking to a Republican.

If a Republican has a problem with the gay marriage amendment, you can bet the issue is amending the Constitution, not support for gay marriage.