The GOP might just lose out in the Future

I'm part of the young generation that everyone on this thread so far seems to want to bash...and I tend to agree with you. I've been extremely politically active since before I could legally vote, and my husband (he is 28) and I (23) vote in every single election, every year. You say that gay marriage and abortion doesn't seem to be important with this generation, and I disagree. Both issues are extremely important, but even the young conservatives I know believe in a woman's right to choose (some of them aren't so friendly on the gay marriage issue, however). What I'm trying to point out is that the issues are important, but even conservatives tend to be changing views on the issues. Society as a whole is leaning toward the "live and let live" philosophy, and I think this is something both conservatives and liberals fall short of promising. Like a poster said above, liberals want to control what products you use, a business's right to market to potential customers (think kids and cereal), and yet conservatives tend to want to control marriage, what women can do with their bodies, etc. Both party tries to control moral issues rather than leaving those issues to the public to decide. Personally, I belong to the Libertarian party, but I tend to vote for candidates and issues that I think both have a chance to pass and are at least a stepping stone in what I believe to be the right direction. I am conservative when it comes to business and government (as well as financial issues, etc.), but I am closer to liberal when it comes to social issues (if it doesn't hurt me or affect the way I live, why do I care what someone else does?). What I would like to see happen in the political U.S. is for other parties to rise and become contenders in races both presidential and non. Neither major party is currently an option for me.

You make a valid point. The far right social conservatives make it appear they want the government to control our personal lives, contrary to their small government rhetoric. But as the next generation comes of age the social conservatives will probably have less voice in GOP politics. What bodes unfavorable to the GOP is the rapidly changing demographics where Latinos and minorities will have far more voting power.

The GOP has already lost my vote this time around and for this very reason. They seem to equate conservatism with giving up all the rights that we have achieved since the 1950s; and. right now, I think that is more important than their claims about spending less money because both parties have lied about that in the past.

This infighting really was inevitable when republicans threw fiscal conservatism in the trash after the year 2000. After 6 years of republicans running record deficits, I think a lot of the fiscal conservatives started grumbling, but weren't ready to fight the establishment. Then, after democrats got control and quadrupled those record deficits I think it reinvigorated fiscal conservatives to fight to take back their party hence the forming of the tea parties. I agree that social issues in general should not be the focus of government and I prefer candidates that talk about problems that are the government's job to fix rather than ones that are the people's job to deal with. I disagree with you on abortion because I feel that's a situation that involves ending a human life and should not be treated as birth control, or, per Nanci Pelosi and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, population control. Even so, it shouldn't be at the forefront of a campaign as there is no way for a president, or even senators and congressman, to change it. The supreme court invented the "right to abortion", so only the supreme court can undo it and even then only after a challenge. Gary marriage is 100% not the business of the federal government so there's really no good reason for any president, senator, or congressman making that a campaign issue. They have as much power over it as they do speeding tickets in North Dakota or hunting licenses in Wyoming.

The young generation as a rule isn't quite as active in politics. In fact, they have the absolutely lowest percentage of voters when compared to every other voting group out there. Yes, the social issues are important. But you also have to remember a few other things. This group is the one getting hit the hardest by unemployment rates. While they may support gay marriage and abortion, it still doesn't change the fact that there aren't any jobs. That's a problem that's not going away any time soon. Infighting in Political Parties happen all the time. This rift isn't any different than when the Democrats were fighting. It is normal and it is actually good for a party.

I think it is a matter of who you ask. I think social conservatives will tell you there is no in-house divide, where as fiscal conservatives will tell you there is. In my opinion the social conservatives are generally the people who most people would classify as the far right. Now you can say that is a generalization, but I am just calling it how I see it. I think most people will tell you they have no problem with fiscal conservatives as long as they don't take things to far as to cutting our spending. We need to cut back our spending on many things. As much as the right does not like President Obama, he does have a point when he says, "we need to use a scalpel not a knife." You really have to be careful with these things because you do not want to go overboard on what makes our country run effectively. Granted it has been hard to tell what actually does make our country run effectively lately, but you do not want to make it worse. With that being said, From an outsiders point of view, there is a big difference between a social conservative and a fiscal conservative. Social conservatives go more with their emotion than logic. They seem to want to bring the country backwards in time where as the rest of the country wants to go forward. They seem to have a hard time looking at others peoples point of view. Then asking themselves, "is this really the best way?" Fiscal Conservatives in my opinion seem more like the moderate types. The logical part of the Republican party. The people I feel sorry for because their party that they love is being held hostage by the far right. Which is hurting their chances at retaining young Republicans because now a days kids deal with a much more diversified culture. Where many older Republicans did not experience that as much. They go to college and know gay people and hang out with many people from different races and get a very broad outlook at life. Plus when you get older, people just seem to find their own social group that they fit in best with, and do not venture far from it. Which makes it harder for them to see other peoples perspective because their group pretty much thinks the same way. Which is also why I think this is why many social conservatives hate public schools. This way they can shelter their kids from forming their own opinions that differ from what they taught them. Again probably a generalization on my part but I call it like I see it. I am sure there are other reasons too, like not wanting them to get caught up in the wrong crowd. The thing is though, if you teach them right early on, they will be strong enough to make the right decision. That is the great thing about young people. They see things with a fresh view. They do not know how cruel this world is yet. They think they do, but have no idea until they experience it for themselves. I Think if we all looked at life the way most young people look at it. We would be a lot better off. They haven't had a chance to be corrupted by society yet.

I disagree mostly. First point, alot of this generation leans toward Ron Paul. But in defense of your argument, Dr Paul believes that the government should not involve itself in these issues. The remaining members of this generation are most likely not to vote. They will be busy occupying parks - depending on the weather and or their parents houses. Very rarely does this age group vote and they did in the last election and are seeing what good that did... As they get jobs and have to be productive members of society(), they are deciding that keeping their money is more important. Your statement, the Generation M people which aren't nearly as concerned with what people are doing in there own personal live Then get the liberals out of it as well. The social engineering, the telling us what to eat, the flow of our toilets, and the light bulbs we use.....