You might be a sane conservative...

Bruce Bartlett, David Frum and Reihan Salam, leaders of the "sane" conservative movement in North America

If you have friends that are left of centre, radical centrist and right of centre. You seek to learn from them all and they are not a challenge nor a threat to your worldview.

You understand that politics is NOT religion.

You believe as  a public official that you believe  that reaching across the aisle is not a dirty and abominable thing. In fact it is beneficial for the democratic process.

If your are public official you understand the concept that those who are your political opposition are your opponents but not enemies.

Though you like to see taxes lowered (when it can be payed for) and if they need to be increased---on a slower and rarer basis, you are mature enough to recognize that tax cuts are not the panacea to all economic ills. In fact if implemented wrong, it causes more harm than help.

That conservatism is more than a fetish with the works of Ayn Rand mixed in Christian fundamentalism.

That if you are a conservative person of Christian faith, you understand perfectly clear that  it is either Jesus Christ or Ayn Rand---but you can't have both.

You understand that conservatism is more than mindless, uncritical thinking, submission to unfettered markets. You believe that conservatism is about,  faith, family, country and community, not unfettered markets that destroy all of these.

You understand that the free markets and big business  are not synonymous. Also you believe North America (Canada and the U.S.)  needs a hell of a lot of the former and a lot less pandering to the latter.

You understand that cutting the social safety net for the less fortunate in society will eventually lead to greater erosion of the middle class. You also understand that with capitalism YOU need more consumers, not less. Willfully disempowering people does not do society good in the long run.

That FACTS do matter! If the facts do not match up with you ideology, you're not afraid to say your wrong and make course corrections. Oh yes, you are not afraid nor against science.

You may at times angrily but  respectfully oppose the policies of U.S. President  Barack Obama but he is not The Anti-Christ, Facist-Communist-Islamicist demon  conjured up by your louder, aggressive brethren on the right. 

That the  supposed beauty of lack of beauty of  the President's wife, Michelle Obama, has no relevance nor consequence on the state of the nation. Her ideas and them alone should be held to highest scrunity when it comes to national policy.

As a Canadian, you have a respect and admiration for your Prime Minister Stephen Harper but you recognize he's not a rock star nor the infallible Holy Father.

I am sure I can think of more and YOU can think of more. I will definitely write down more when more ideas come to me. Looking forward to hearing what you can come with!