Keedy, I've described myself as a "fiscal conservative" and a "social moderate". If someone asks me my political preference, I typically answer "independent" or "somewhere in the middle".

I clearly prefer fiscal conservatism--hard right, real conservatism--something we haven't seen coming out of the U.S. Congress in more than twenty years. But I lean left on some of the social issues. I'm neither hard line pro-life or pro-choice. I don't like willy-nilly abortions whenever a woman wants one, but I support stem cell research. I believe that every American should have some form of health insurance. I'd prefer that the free market figure out a way for that to happen, but it hasn't and so I support some form of government-sponsored health insurance. Our education system is a disaster. We are falling farther and farther behind the developing countries every day. Our economy and our very way of life will suffer as the result. The local school districts haven't gotten it done. So I support intervention by the federal government. We need tort reform in order to eliminate the litigation costs that substantially increase the cost of virtually every product or service we buy each day. I'd like the states to do that, but they haven't. I guess that leaves the federal government to address the issue of a dangerous and costly litigious society. And yes, I believe that the federal government should be more active in regulating businesses that are fundamental to our way of life. Our banks should be safe for us to deposit our money; our food should be free from things that will make us sick; products we buy should not kill us; people should go to work with the confidence that their workplace is safe; we only have one planet to live on--our government should protect that environment, even if our fellow Americans and businesses won't.

So...which party do I support? Which candidate(s) do I vote for?

I think I truly am an independent and will vote for the candidate whose campaign promises embrace most of what I believe is right. No candidate will support everything I think is right, so I'm willing to settle for most of what seems to be needed for our country. I'd love to say that the free market would provide solutions to all of the issues I've mentioned. But it hasn't and no one has expressed any confidence that it can or will in the future.

So again, what am I? Who do I vote for?