Can you change?

[12thMan]

The simple answer to the question for me is, yes I can change. However, my feet are planted squarely within the Democratic party. I grew up in D.C., and I love this city with all of my heart, so I come from a "blue state", so to speak. So my views and political leanings were obviously influenced by my environment.

As far as values go, I'm conservative on some issues and I'm liberal on some others. I believe in an individual's right to bear arms, but I also believe in individual privacy and that a woman should have the right to choose what's best for her body and mental well being, not the government. I believe in basic human rights, whether you're a prisoner at Gitmo, someone in China working at sweat shop, or some kid getting beat down by a cop in S.E. D.C. It's just fundamental to who we are and why we are the greatest nation on earth. The minute we start inching to the right or left, little by little, on these basic truths we begin to compromise that greatness.

Could I vote for a Republican, hell yeah! But I've yet to be inspired by the party, the leaders and the brand of leadership they've put forth over the past decade. Say what you will about Bill Clinton, but we enjoyed prosperity during his presidency and he did pass the torch with a surplus. Say what you will about TARP, but the program has been a success and we've only used $495 billion of the $700 billion. Truth is we need to cut some taxes in some areas and raise some taxes in some areas. We need to cut government in some places and expand government in some places (see BP oil spill and Wall Street reform.) So the Republican cookie cutter solution - this or that- not this and that doesn't work for me as a concerned and engaged citizen, and it certainly doesn't address the long-term systemic and complex problems that we face as a nation. If cutting taxes and government were the solutions to everything I'm sure George Bush, as inept as he was, would have figured that out and passed Obama a surplus. I just have to believe that. But governing and leading isn't that simple in this era. Besides, taxes were cut -- twice-- under Bush and the economy still spiraled into a deep recession.

But yeah, I can change!