text: what political party do you belong to and why? i am an american independant.which for me means i can go either way on the issues and the politicians.i am a moderate with liberal leanings on some issues.i did not vote for bush-both times but would vote for mccain.i am for gay rights and womens rights and human rights.i am for gun rights and belong to the nra.i am for the death penalty and i am for strong anti ilegal immigration...you? none. i, too, am an independent. i refuse to pigeon-hole myself to fall into one group or the other when both are filled with lying crooks. i tend to lean on the liberal side socially and the conservative (not neo-con) side fiscally.   i am for any rights guaranteed by the constitution and the declaration of independence. this includes the "all men are created equal" part. gay rights, women's rights, minority rights, the right to bear arms, freedom of speech and religion - all of these were directly or indirectly mentioned in these documents, which form the basis of our society.   i am for the death penalty if it is used fairly and is non-discriminatory.  i am for welfare if it is a temporary assistance program and not a lifelong handout.   i am for a balanced budget. every american needs to balance their budget, why can't america?  i am against foreign intervention and foreign aid, except where our national security is at risk, or for humanitarian purposes. i am opposed to torture and “extraordinary rendition”, because it lowers us to the level of terrorists. i am opposed to the us denial of geneva convention rights to prisoners-of-war.   i did not vote for bush, and would not vote for mccain, either. i used to like mccain before he started "stumping" for the man who insulted him, calling him a "senator-for-sale" and saying he abandoned fellow veterans. i lost all respect for him after that. i have said i might vote for murtha or kucinich, but, truthfully, i have yet to see a candidate who is worthy of the job.