Funny, I used to consider myself a republican, but the party has taken such a huge step away from what I valued as a republican, that I couldn't count myself among them anymore. My first 8 years of voting, I voted R when I was in doubt. I still consider myself more republican than democrat, but I've noticed that republican politicians aren't any good at running the country. They are too polarized in opposite directions, contradictions within themselves. You got the religious right, who claim to be all about jesus, and then you've got the "fiscal conservatives" which is just a euphemism for rich white guy who wants a tax break. Now you've got the tea baggers co-opting the party just to tank the government in order to build their theocracy... it's become quite the cluster, devoid of much rationality, compromise, or logical thinking. I miss the old school republicans, like Bush 1, and Reagan. These new school republicans are just self serving blowhards.