I know nothing about politics...

The first step in any recovery program is admittance. Just like an alcoholic I don't know the problem until I actually admit it. To be frank and honest, I hate politics. I don't know why but I do. Perhaps it's because politics involves 299,999,999 other people who on average are not smart, not logical, and feel comfortable being so. I on the other hand hate using ignorance as an excuse for something that I am accountable.

If the information is available I will seek it out, for I have questions about who I am, what I do, and why I do the things that I do. It is not good enough for me to say "I know myself so I don't have to find out". I've found it dangerous to say "I don't know why, but my gut tells me..." It is obvious that if you're voting for someone and you have no concrete concept of why, then you really shouldn't be voting.

It all started to come to a head when I wondered "Why do I hope so adamantly that Barrack Obama is the nominee and not Hillary Clinton?" Am I sexist? Am I just a reverse racist? I began questioning whether I was a true Democrat, or just a Republican in disguise. Another conflict, I like lower taxes because it helps me keep more of my own money. On the other hand I think reducing taxes in the time of an insane national debt is very irresponsible. Am I what they call a "New York Liberal" or did I cross the line into "Neo-Conservative" and not know it? What exactly is a "Neo-Con"? I've used it so flippantly in the past without full knowledge of its implications.

Exploring these questions I fear may lead me to admit that I am not what I say I am. I may indeed be a Neo-Conservative or worse yet, a racist or a chauvinist.

However I fear that not knowing what I am or why I believe in what I do is somehow worse. It allows me to be a tool for someone else's ends. Acting while not informed makes me worse than George W. Bush. He is a man that clearly likes to act on his gut feeling and feels (mistakenly) comfortable that he can deal with whatever consequences result.

I think the best way to tackle this research is to first define in some way what a Conservative believes in and what a Liberal believes in. What I want to find out is:

What's the difference between a Conservative and a Liberal?

Why do they always seem to draw lines between themselves? Why do they fight when a compromise can easily get the job done?

Am I a Conservative or a Liberal? If not what do my values say I am? If I'm something in between is that truly a conflict?

Knowing at least that much I can then discover how I should vote to further my objectives. I hope you guys stay tuned while I take this journey.