I can acknowledge when the more libertarian-leaning Republicans promote specific ideas I agree with (marijuana decriminalization, more open borders). I think the problem now is that those guys are way, way outweighed by the Palin types, and there are just as many if not more Democrats who also hold the same views.
Gilly, what I see in Palin is an especially fierce know-nothingism. A jock-like disdain for nerds who actually care about policies and facts and nuance. We're not electing the professor in chief but that attitude scares me.
This sums it up for me pretty well too, yesno. In addition to agreeing with libertarian-minded Republicans, I've also supported moderate or liberal Republicans in the past, where the Democrat who was running was basically corrupt or incompetent (e.g., Marion Barry, an Ohio Attorney General whose name escapes me now). Or in instances where a Republican was really more of a competent technocrat than a conservative -- e.g. Mike Bloomberg, who was a registered Republican until earlier this year, when he registered as an independent.
The problem with Republicans for me has become their commitment to far-right ideology 24/7, disavowing the Republican moderates in their midst, and particularly the dominance of the party by social conservatives. Oh, and their efforts to make the tax structure more regressive. I can't say I'm so thrilled with Democrats all the time that I'd never support Republican candidates in the future with more moderate positions.
Don't get me started on Palin. It's already been said above in this thread anyway, and more eloquently. And there's an old Jacques Tati movie on. A perfect antedote to the humorless politics thread.