I'm a conservative because:
more below the fold
I believe the government is not welcome in my kitchen, let alone my bedroom
I believe that the failure to preserve our natural heritage for our children ad theirs betrays the very essence of conservatism
I believe budgets should be balanced
I believe both in national sovereignty and our right to defend ourselves when attacked
I agree with our founding fathers that all people possess inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
I agree with our founding fathers in the separation of church and state
I agree with our founding fathers in freedom of thought, and the freedom to express one's thought
I believe in individual responsibility, to oneself, one's family, ones community, one's nation and one's world
I'm a conservative because, in many ways, being conservative makes sense. That being said, and my main point, is that we need to come up with a better term for Republican right-wingers.
Calling the folks at Bushco "conservative" allows them to frame their behavior in a vastly more positive light than it should be. Very little of their behavior is truly "conservative" (hell, "Republican" as in, favoring a republic, is too good for them) and we need to stop letting them get away with using that term for themselves, and more importantly WE HAVE GOT TO STOP REFERING TO THEM AS SUCH!
We also need to develop a term that the SCLM and even DLCers could feel comfortable using. I mean as colorful and descriptive as such terms as "Repug" or "wingnut" are I seriously doubt we could get Dr. Dean or Dennis Kucinich to use them, little less Joe Lieberman, or Tim Russert (though Maureen Dowd and Molly Ivins might be interested).
Anyway I'm opening the floor to suggestions and if we get a nice, meaningful selection I'll post a poll. Again the question: "Conservative" is a waaay too positive frame for what the Republican party truly stands for, what should we call them?