As for spending, I relish the Republicans recycling their old ideas of smaller government (who picks up the responsibility-private for profits with no limits on what they want to charge), deregulation (getting government out of the way-it worked well on Wall Street), and cutting spending (pulling the safety net for the elderly and sick i.e. Social Security and Medicare).

Sounds like a winning formula. Government works when it provides a for the basics for a free and healthy society. If I didn’t have to worry about losing my employer health care, I could have started my own business. I wouldn’t have to worry about going bankrupt if someone in my family has a health problem. I can afford to move into a district with great public schools, even if I don’t make a lot of money, etc.

With all the examples of successful systems in place all over the world, proud Americans refuse to listen to outside voices because of American Exceptionalism. Until we take the best of all the world offers, and make it our own, we will continue to have the ideological divide.

Take care.

Your writing here shows why I’m more of an economic moderate than an economic conservative, and definitely not an economic libertarian (of the purest type anyway).

I think for a long time it’s been shown that while the American people generally want the government out of the way on day-to-day life issues and economy, there is an expectation of help when the people think it is needed.

Call it the influence of the New Deal or the Great Society if you want, but that’s how the world is now. The conservatives who think we can go back to a time before these two eras is frankly hoping for a utopia, as you said.

On foreign policy, I think you’re spot on. We saw what we got when we tried to force our point of view on Iraq. We got heavy resistance. I think any solution really has to be done on their terms and their culture, not ours. What works in the West may not work in Iraq, and other things might. I don’t think democracy in the Middle East is unattainable, but it must be done in alignment with how they live their lives. Which may or may not turn out differently than democracy here in the West.

MOre often the political calculus seemed do those who don’t need the governments help (and therefore don’t want to pay for it) provide more votes than those who want it. As much as conservatives decree “class warfare” they need to avoid sending a message that doesn’t inadvertantly encourage class warfare. Case in point: McCain’s message on tax increases. Not the ways in which he had to redefine “over $250,000″. Was that a redefinition of who’s “not rich” or was it an attempt to convey that “rich or poor has nothing to do with it”.

As far as foreign policy it seems the core discussions (beyond adequate intelligience, prep and prosecution of the war) are:
1) How much will self interest drive our foreign policy (as opposed to “moral high ground” issues like “spreading democracy” or “human rights”)?
2) How do we reconcile a desire to “pull back” with the reality that we are the one true “superpower”? Afghanistan has demonstrated the we seem to be the only signficant military power that can muster a consistent AND persistent effort ot prosecute a military action.