Evan...I'll try to make this as non-confrontational as possible. You are a very smart guy, but well....I think you might want to go back and re-think some of the things you've said here. (And John Ryan just made a point I was going to make)...

First...your typical "rank and file" conservatives are a mess of contradictions. Same thing applies to liberals. Each side views a specific set of rights and freedoms as untouchable, and all others as negotiable with the state. But in my experiences, more people move from liberal to conservative as they grow older, instead of vice-versa.

On the McCarthy hearings - many from both parties and both sides were involved with that.

On gay marriage....while I don't have a problem with it, this issue has been elevated far higher than it really deserves. I hardly consider this a "major" issue.

I classify people according to their views on the role, function, and size of government. Tags such as conservative and liberal just don't cut it.

Kevin