I believe there is some truth to people voting Democrat because they believe Republicans are evil.
That has been true as long as I can remember. Sixty years ago, a liberal I just met casually look perplexed as she knew I was a conservative Republican. She said something like "you are actually nice" as if a Republican being courteous and/or polite was unthinkable.
In that there is some legitimate concern. Republicans have a history of being too harsh on limiting social benefits and imposing religious beliefs. I don't care for the nanny state ideology. But there needs to be a degree of compassion in any civilized culture for people who truly need help.
Thinking that Republicans/conservatives lack compassion is a myth that Democrats have been able to sell for decades.
Conservatives generally feel personal responsibility should be encouraged and irresponsibility should be discouraged.
Opposing "The Great Society" was sold as an example of Republican indifference to those who suffer.
Yet, as time has shown, the Republican predictions of family breakup, government dependency, higher crime rates, etc. have come to pass.
The poverty rate was not reduced and the compassion was misplaced.
The Democrats sold the concept that they were the civil rights champions and Republicans are the racists.
If Johnson hadn't led Senate resistance to Eisenhower's 1957 Civil Rights Act that gutted it, the 1964 Civil Rights act would not have been necessary.
When Johnson found it politically expedient, he flipped and signed the 1964 act with 80% Republican backing.
As to compassion, years ago I pointed out that conservatives give more to charitable causes in both amount and percentage of wealth.
They donated more time to charitable causes including donating more blood.
My theory for this is conservatives tend to personally take action where liberals feel that is the government's responsibility.
Yes, I suspect the numbers reflect a higher percentage of church participation, but the results are compassionate.
There were leading members of the Republican party that fought hard to prevent us from being able to marry the person we were in love with.
I opposed gay marriage when it came to a vote in California.
My feeling, that the tradition of marriage shouldn't be compromised and that gays should have the ability to enter a partnership that would be legally similar, was only part of my reasoning and probably would have been overridden by the arguments supporting gay marriage.
However, my biggest concern was that once gay marriage was approved by the state, they would have a tool to incorporate and promote their lifestyle in schools where children are too young to come to grips with emotions they have yet to feel.
Obviously, the concern has been proven to be correct--much more than I had feared.
I still can't believe my girl and I, both born and raised in Chicago, are living the country life now. From big city to the burbs to 3 acres and a farm house.
I hope you enjoy the country life. I hope the obstacles for you to have a family are not so formidable that you can't fulfill your desire.
