I will try to write this post with clarity of thought, but I'm so frustrated I'm not sure I can put a coherent sentence together.

I used to be a Republican. I was raised Republican, just like I was raised Christian. In our house they were the same thing. Since living on my own and thinking for myself, I have gradually moved more and more moderate. It feels good, actually, to know my opinions are that of my own decision and design. They are a conglomeration of my personal beliefs and my life experience, and as such they will always be evolving.

Lately, and especially today after reading this article, I have felt my opinions shifting ever so slightly to the left of center. Not because I identify with the Democrats, but because as the days of the Bush administration and this current election campaign drag on, I identify less and less with the Republican party. The GOP has fallen out of touch not just with the people, but with their own ideals. And I can not and will not be a part of it anymore. I am fed up with the Republican party's obsession with and use of issues like abortion, gay marriage, and Muslim terrorism to appeal to an emotional, religious base for votes. These issues have no bearing on the day-to-day welfare of this country. Issues like Social Security, health care reform, ending the war in Iraq, and now the state of our economy - those are the issues I care about. Those are the issues that impact the lives of the people in this country every day, and those are the issues I vote on. The Republican party is ignoring these issues, and they are forcing me to look to someone else who cares about them. With each passing day, the Republican party shoots itself in the foot. I guess it's up to me and others like me to finally take the gun out of their hands...no 2nd amendment violations intended.

Dr. Larry Hunter better makes my point. (YouTube won't let me embed the video.)