When searching for a label to slap on a politician or political thinker, we have a tendency to simplify the issue by dropping them on a one-dimensional line of Liberal "leftness" or Conservative "rightness". Sure, this shorthand approach can be useful, but it can also lead to some big misconceptions regarding many peoples' true political ideologies. To further confuse the issue, the major parties have also been simplified in a similar way, with most people assuming that all Democrats are Liberal (a.k.a. Progressive) and all Republicans are Conservative.

If we take a look at more modern political taxonomies, however, which expand into two and three dimensions, we discover a much more accurate view of the political landscape, crawling with not only Liberals and Conservatives, but also Libertarians, Anarcho-syndicalists, Authoritarians, Totalitarians, Paleo-conservatives, and New Labourers.

What most people don't realize is that our current administration is heavily influenced by a philosophical cadre called the Neoconservatives, which are Authoritarian (focused on big government in fiscal spheres, big business, and limited social freedom), not Conservative (focused on limited government in fiscal spheres, big business, and limited social freedom). This leaves many traditionally Conservative Republicans in a peculiar position, feeling the need to support their party, yet baffled by decisions that the leadership is making.