(Tongue held firmly in cheek) Some of my best friends are Conservative and/or Republican. I am a Libertarian, not because I disagree generally with Conservative principles, but because, in my humble opinion, Conservatives have lost their way. They still talk the talk, but don't walk the walk, so to speak. One major problem with modern Conservatism is that by and large, it is conserving socialism! This is perhaps best shown by the approval shown in Conservative circles for President Bush's politically motivated capitulation to the liberal (read Socialist) agenda, ostensibly to deprive them of useful issues in November. It's a pyrrhic victory if we "win" by enacting the liberal agenda for them! I live in San Diego County, and work as a Computer Software Engineer and Network maintenance technician. My formal education includes a BA in Mathematics and an MS in Computer Science. I am also self-taught in Economics, favoring the Austrian-school approach as exemplified by Ludwig von Mises, Friedrich Hayek, Henry Hazlitt, and many others. To my Conservative friends, if you nave never read Hayek's "Road to Serfdom", you have missed the boat.