I'm assuming those "many Americans" didn't vote yesterday?
Cajun, "conservative" and "Republican" are now not synonymous. If you want to indicate to me how the Republicans exhibited fiscal discipline, effective defense stragtegies and aversion to nation-building, a commitment to small government, and a respect for privacy over the past six years, please do so. I think, if you do the research, you'll find an vastly increased debt, a mess in Iraq, a bloated Federal government and an attempt to legislate family decisions. Since most of your political opinions seem to come from your dad, believe me when I tell you these are not your father's Republicans. They might call themselves elephants, but they voted like pigs at the trough.
I'm not criticizing conservativism as a platform, and certainly not your political views if you are, indeed, a conservative; I'm just saying the Republican party that was, until yesterday, in power, is not the party of Goldwater. Don't get fooled by team colors and cheering-- look at what the party is voting for and decide if it is what you believe. In other words, keep an eye on 'em!
Honestly, this'll be good for the Republicans-- they'll have to regroup and maybe actually get back to conservatism. Unless they are planning to become the party of the Christian Fundamentalists. In which case, my dear elephants, I'll hope a conservative party springs up for you all.
Cajun, if big government, borrow and spend, nation building and government regulation of morality is what you want, that's fine; it's what you want. I'm just saying don't tell yourself that's what conservatism is, because it isn't.
Though, if that is what you want, then you are most definitely a Republican, as the party stands today.
Not meaning to attack; just trying to clarify.
For that matter, there are oodles of Democrats who aren't "liberal." Party names and political theories are not always hand-in-hand.