“Devilstower” at DKos hits the nail on the head with this writing about the Republican Party. In a nutshell: Republicans are supposed to be for smaller government, but have increased its size and power over the people; they are supposed to be for fiscal responsibility, but have exploded the deficit and debt; they are supposed to be good at managing the military, but have decimated it in a series of massive strategic blunders while crapping on the soldiery; and they’re supposed to be tough on crime, but after Democrat Clinton oversaw a steep decline in the crime rate, it has started to rise under Bush.

Democrats might not be stellar at managing the military or keeping government small, but they are far better at it than Republicans; and while the Republicans suck at deficits and law & order, Democrats do a very good job. Democrats also are historically much better at creating new jobs as well, while Republicans have overseen an economy where well-paying American jobs have been shipped overseas, middle-class Americans have lower salaries and fewer benefits, and the tax burden is steadily shifted more and more onto the backs of the middle class.

Then there are also freedoms. Republicans are very big on freedoms, on protecting the Constitution, and making sure that government doesn’t infringe on our individual right to be left alone and not interfered with. But this administration has suspended habeas corpus, instituted warrantless wiretaps against U.S. citizens and claimed the right to do so universally without oversight, and can even arrest you and detain you without a warrant or any charges at all. You can be held indefinitely without charges or access to an attorney, and can even be declared an enemy combatant and stripped of your citizenship, on the basis of evidence that can be kept top secret and never reviewed by anyone. Are Republicans really OK with this, based solely upon the promise that the government will only use this against terrorists, cross their hearts?

And then there’s responsibility, honesty, and accountability, right? Republicans respect these virtues especially, don’t they? Except that the Republican Party has been horribly irresponsible, drowned in scandals and mismanagement whilst simultaneously shutting down ethics investigations while they were in power. Republicans have been steeped in financial criminality and cronyism, and when they are caught red-handed, they always blame somebody else and everybody else–and only when all of that fails, do they “bravely” step up and “take responsibility” even while they persist in claiming they did nothing wrong and it was still somebody else’s fault.

Republicans are also big on the bottom line, as I recall. On getting good results. Say no more. (Unless, of course, you have an extraordinary respect for underhanded political maneuvering.)

Again, Democrats may not be all that hot themselves, but in all of these areas conservatives claim to respect and value, they at the very least do a better job than Republicans, and in many areas do a far better job than the GOP.

So, exactly what conservative values are actually being upheld by Republicans? Doesn’t leave much, does it? Except for the question, if all of those things are important to you and you are voting Republican, then why are you voting Republican? Inertia?