There is a meme in this country that being "conservative" is good, and that the opposite of conservative is "liberal" and that is bad.
A related meme is that Republicans are Conservative and Democrats are Liberal. While there are many meanings to the words "liberal" and "conservative" most Americans, I submit, think of those terms in this manner:
from http://dictionary.com/search?q=conservative :
con·ser·va·tive
Moderate; cautious: a conservative estimate.
Tending to conserve; preservative: the conservative use of natural resources.
from http://dictionary.com/search?q=liberal
lib·er·al
Synonyms: liberal, bounteous, bountiful, freehanded, generous, handsome, munificent, openhanded
These adjectives mean willing or marked by a willingness to give unstintingly
Using these meanings of conservative and liberal, which I think are representative of common usages, and considering just the budgets (and yes, there are many other aspects one could consider) for some recent Republican and Democratic presidents, who is more Liberal and who is more Conservative?
Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton had balanced budgets. Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush had large budget deficits.
Here is my Liberal/Conservative scorecard for these four for their fiscal performance:
Jimmy Carter - Conservative
Ronald Reagan - Liberal
Bill Clinton - Extreme Conservative
George W Bush - Flaming Liberal
Using these (normal) definitions, when it comes to the federal budget I am conservative. And I want a President that is fiscally conservative. That is why I want a Democrat as President and not some wild-eyed, budget busting Liberal Republican like Bush.