This is exactly the wedge that has come between my mom and I. We were best friends before the election. I mean seriously, best friends.

But she believes that this type of Republicanism actually existed at some point in the past.

So I sat her down and said, "When?"

Not during any of the three Bush administrations.

Not during Reagan.

Not during Ford... or Nixon... or...

In fact, this Republican ideal has ONLY ever existed under one man: Bill Clinton.

He took four of the Republican pet programs, gave them a new name, and pushed them through as "centrist Democratic policies."

In our lifetime, there has not been a true Republican, who believes in fiscally conservative policies. They always fall apart when it gets to healthcare, women's choice, equal rights, or what people do in their bedrooms. The Republicans keep claiming to want smaller government and more fiscal responsibility, all while creating ridiculous, unsupportable, and overbroad legislation that is directly in contravention of sound fiscal policies.

Take health care. A healthy populace goes to work more often, does more work, and doesn't place an unreasonable burden on the public infrastructure. So making sure people have good birth control, pre-natal care, cancer testing/prevention, health education, and nutritious meals at school are all fiscally responsible (read: conservative) policies!

It's fucking annoying... my Mom - and this author - seem to believe a type of Republican has existed that is a complete fiction. A fantasy.

Grr.