No Republicans in Europe?

I have a deadline of December 1st for the first 25% of my new book, so I've not been posting as much as I could have.

I mentioned this about a year ago in this blog, but I have, in my entire time living in Europe, met precisely two Americans living over here who call themselves Republicans. Both of them stated that they hate the current Republican party in the US. So where the hell are the Republicans?

Where are the US Republicans in Europe?
Photo by DonkeyHotey

I've again done an informal poll and while I'm told that there are a few Republicans running about in the foreign service and I know that there are some Republican business people who've been sent to Europe by their companies, but what I'm trying to figure out is how many Republicans might be over here who:

• Came here of their own accord
• Stayed

I just can't find them. US Republicans, as a species, are on the endangered list over here in Europe.

Interestingly, I've met American expats of many other political stripes over here: Democrats, Libertarians, Socialists, independents (is that a stripe?), far-right wing nuts who refuse to call themselves Republican. You name it, we got. Just not Republicans.

Of course, this might have something to do with the US being the furthest to the right of the major nations. Republicans could be branded a "far-right extremists" over here (even the Libertarians wouldn't earn such a branding because they're socially tolerant).

I suspect that has something to do with why they're pretty thin on the ground over here, but at least one friend of mine suggested that it's because they're convinced that the US must be better than everywhere else, so why leave?

What are your thoughts on this? Do you know any long-term US Republican expats who didn't leave the US just because they were transferred by their company?