At long last there's help for people who don't understand the difference between Liberals and Conservatives. Allow Roland Merullo, novelist, and exquisitely sensitive and intelligent Liberal to explain it to you:

At their essence, conservatives are on guard, bristling, armed with a righteous anger, prone to mockery of their enemies, sure of themselves, unwilling to criticize America, especially by comparing it to anyplace else. The attacks of Sept. 11 only confirmed their world view: We are constantly at risk.

Liberals are mannered, sensitive, armed with intellectual cynicism, self-critical, eager to learn from other cultures, wanting there to be no pain in the world. The attacks made them sad and angry, too, but their reflex was more pensive than vengeful.

(Please check the link. I did not--could not--make this up.)