[Robert DeLong]

First, voters apparently feel that the conservatives and liberals are more competent when it comes to economic policy.

Should the above actually say: First, voters apparently feel that the conservatives are more competent than liberals when it comes to economic policy. ??

Otherwise, I do not understand that statement at all.

[ClearCase_guy]

The European definition of "liberal" (small L) is more in line with what we in the US consider Libertarian. That is to say: European liberals would tend to value liberty and smaller government somewhat more than Social Democrats would.

Of course, while I would view a European liberal as an ally, I think they would still fall short of what an American Conservative would really consider a sound political position.

[wolf78]

Otherwise, I do not understand that statement at all.

Used correctly, the term liberal refers to a small government, pro-liberty ideology, both socially AND economically (i.e. free-market). Somehow in the US the term liberal shifted and now refers to what is correctly called a "social democrat" (socially progressive, pro-union statist). Ironically, US libertarians are laissez-faire liberals. Originally "libertarian" referred to the left wing of the liberal spectrum, especially anarchists.

Wanna buy a milliard grammes of aluminium? ;)