Good morning!
I wandered aboard your board a couple of days ago and have already posted a couple of opinions.
I'm an old guy from Texas, former military (12 years), and currently work in the computer field (17 years). Given the choice between liberal and conservative, I would fall into the conservative default.
I would not so much say I chose to be a conservative as I have beliefs built up over a lifetime of experiences which have more in common with some of the ideas held by conservatism as a group. Fiscal responsibility, hard work, self-sufficiency and self-reliance, minimal government, maximum opportunity.
Equal Opportunity (an urban legend in my viewpoint) should truly be the opportunity to compete equally, and not doublespeak for preferential treatment and/or government sanctioned discrimination.
People are victims only when they chose to be victims - being a victim is simply a state of mind. I have had good things happen in my life, and bad things - that is just life. Deciding to be a victim is to decide to allow circumstances to take control, and that is not something I am prepared to do.
I earned a Masters of Science in Social Work (can you get more liberal?) and a Doctorate in Ministry (can you get more conservative?). I don't brag about it, or use them to beat anyone up. I have always said that when my degrees accumulate to a point that God is impressed, then I will expect others to be so, too. That day has not come, so I view my education as just another facet of my being - nothing great, just a tool that comes in handy at times.
I am middle-class in that I work skilled labor - more mental than physical. I work hard, seldom having less than two jobs over the past 25 years. As such, I am very sensitive as to how the government spends the money they take from me in taxes. I do not like to see my money go for worthless projects - and especially not for influence peddling and vote buying by politicians.
I do not trust politicians above county/parish level, as I firmly believe that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. I believe that charity begins at home, and should be the community's responsibility, not the government's.
I have four kids, and four grandkids. I love being a grandparent.
And lastly, I do not take it all too seriously. After all, in a hundred years, few if anyone here will be remembered. And those who are remembered, it will probably not be for something we would want to be remembered! Think of what you know about your great-grandparents. That is most likely the same amount of knowledge that will be held by others of you in a hundred years. So why sweat the small stuff?