Red State / Blue State | An election season blog

In the December 2001 edition of the Atlantic, David Brooks wrote an essay titled "One Nation, Slightly Divisible," in which he suggested that America is divided largely into two political cultures, one "red" and one "blue." His idea is based on those electoral maps in 2000 that colored majority-Republican states in red and majority-Democratic states in blue. Brooks' witty essay pictures the red-state voter as trending rural, a salt-of-the-earth type, concerned with individual liberty and family values, whereas the "blue" voter trends urban, more of a book-reader, a Beltway-savvy intellectual, the environmentally conscious soccer mom or dad.

Cliches? Maybe. But Brooks does have his finger on two very strong currents in the American votership. It's not that Pennsylvania is a "blue state" or Alabama is a "red state." It's that our two political cultures don't talk to each other much, or even know much about each other. To bridge that gap, we've brought together two "red" voters - John Franklin and Cynthia Sneed - and two "blue" voters, Terri Falbo and Timothy Horner. Each week, they'll ponder and debate the issues arising in the election campaign. The hope is that they'll model an intelligent discussion, a great big conference room where red and blue sit down together.

Joe Franklin, Red Stater

Question Number 5: What makes you a conservative? What are the values that underlie your allegiance to your chosen form of political belief?

Conservatism has been my way of life since its beginning. My heritage is from conservative Christian parents and fore-parents. The values instilled in me by my parents consist of an honest day's pay for an honest day's work; if you don't work you won't eat; "waste not and want not"; if it's broken, fix it; don't throw it away; and pay as you go. All these values lead to a conservative way of thinking. If conservatism is instilled in your thought processes, how can one think otherwise when it comes to politics?

I am not aligned with any political party. I have voted in Democrat and Republican primaries and then voted a split ticket in the General Election.

I have never made a direct contribution to either of the national parties. I have however contributed to a few candidates from both parties. I can find weaknesses in both parties, but have more difficulty identifying with the liberals (Democrats).

My conservative belief has lead to my feeling that government has grown way beyond its fiscal responsibilities. I do not feel that the government owes me anything. It appears to me that most liberals think otherwise.

My home state, Alabama, has historically been a Democrat state. Progress and industrial grown began in this state in my early adulthood at or about the time that the state gravitated toward a two-party system. This too has influenced by conservative thinking.

My moral values prohibit my identification with some of the liberals' thinking on issues such as pro-homosexuality and abortion (suggesting that tax money be used to pay for such). I don't know if these are issues for any branch of government. However,
they have been made an issue!

My family background, my personal observations and experiences have contributed toward the development of my political conservatism. Even though I have acted foolishly at times in my personal life - I am no liberal!

posted at # 8:21 PM