Are conservatives simply 25 years behind the curve?

[Cosimo]

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Again, the poster made a sweeping generalization about Red and Blue states and I presented evidence that disagreed with it. You are welcome to dispute my post, but please back up your argument with something other than conjecture.

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I will ackowledge that the implied point (that the division is on strict state bounds) might be incorrect. Yet:

The sweeping generalization is what this thread is about. The specific point I was trying to get across was that those that receive welfare vote Democrat.

Most people vote for tons of mostly inconsequential reasons. I'm talking real people; the people that I live with, work with, hang out with, talk to. The voter is an environmentalist, the Democrats have a greener platform, therefore they vote Democrat. Or, the voter is a homophobe, the Republicans are against gay marriage, therefore the voter chooses Republican. Yet even in these simple cases, actual people will factor in dozens of minor beliefs, random polls, television anchors, newspaper editorials, that party over at the Wilson's last month, ad naseum into their voting choice. Any attempt to generalize a group that large and varied is going to get many partial matches.

What does it mean to be Republican? Is there any one definition that encapsulates everyone that has ever voted for them? No, of course not. And to some degree, who cares? This is a question of historical analysis. And is that really the question that was asked? Are we talking about conservative philosophy? The current Republican platform? Conservative commentators, politicians, or voters? The Republican platform of the 1950s? Bleh.

I think a better question is: what is the proper form of government? This isn't the thread for that, so I bow out. Bickering about whether or not conservatives have antiquated beliefs... who cares?