[CaptainHaplo]

I know what your getting at. But ultimately I can be nothing but an "independant constitutionalist". As such - its not about "right or left", its about the merits of each issue, and what the constitution and common sense say about it.

For example - I have a personal opinion about homosexuality and gay marriage. While I have called people who are gay "friend", and meant it - I do not agree with the idea of gay marriage. However, what is more important is not my personal opinion - but rather the reality that no federal government has the legal authority to authorize or restrict gay marriage to its citizenry, without specific constitutional actions occuring. Specifically, because the Constitution does NOT empower the federal government to put its nose in the marriage business, it becomes a "States Rights" issue. As such, each State has (or at least is supposed to have) the authority to make its own laws about what it will or will not recognize among its own citizenry. Only if 33 of the 50 states by public referendum agree to ammend the federal constitution does the federal government really have the right to lay down a "blanket" policy. So regardless of what I or a federal politician things, its only up to the states. That stand doesn't put me on the "right" side of the issue, or on the "left". My personal opinion would be "to the right", but I could not in good conscience promote federal action based upon it. The stance also doesn't put me in "the center".

I like being outside the conventional political box - and judging by the ever increasing numbers of voters who are registering (or often changing their affiliations to) independant, alot of other folks like being outside the box too!

Bout time if ya ask me. Too many politicians looking in the box and trying to figure out what portion of its contents will vote for em just based on the letter beside their name.