Political parties give voters a place to hang their hats.

The Republican party is clearly defined as the party of white, anglo-saxon born again protestants that favor big business interests and are still resentful that they never got laid by a cheer-leader while in high school.

Hell, they had to be cheerleaders, like G.W.Bush and Trent Lott.

Every one else fits into that disorganized mish-mash of diversity that makes up the Democratic party. Democrats come in all different sizes and shapes, colors and religions, divergent socio-economic strata. This is precisely what drives Republicans crazy--they can't present a sterotypical Democrat, because one doesn't exist.

On the other hand, Democrats are driven nuts because they can't tell "the Republicans what the "good" is. Demos see the good as an individual thing where one size doesn't always fit all.

One of the defining characteristics of conservatism is the belief in absolutes and there are no absolutes in liberalism.

So yeah, Republicans tend towards conservatism. And yeah, Democrats tend towards liberalism. What is operative, and overlooked, is the word "tend."

Keep in mind that you are dealing with people and they have their own individual traits, tendencies, aspirations, and foibles.

This is why being a Democrat is so comfortable, no dress code, no means test, no initiation fees to pay.

Publius