For me it is the norm. Making out really gets my motor running.  
Plus it is very good for your health!

im also respectful to a gent if i go in for a kiss and he isnt as enthusiastic about it.

It's about intimacy. Some of us choose not to kiss because it's the one thing that turns business personal. But some have no problem with it. We are all different.  
However being a person of your word matters much more...and not playing games and being honest is the most intimate thing one can do....just sayin

I am very affectionate, touchy-feely, tactile and I just flat out love physically connecting with others.

That said, kissing is very important to me.  Slow, sensual, seductive, lingering kisses which may turn into flirty, teasing pecks are an incredible turn on.  I enjoy it all!

However, if I'm with someone who smokes, it's difficult for me to enjoy the passion involved with kissing.  Mouthwash, toothpaste, mints and gum do help.  Yet, as a nonsmoker, I can always smell/taste the cigarette odor, and it turns me off to kissing.

Also, when I'm with a man with facial hair, I'm very sensitive to the texture of the facial hair, along with any fragrances that may be lingering in the facial hair.  So, if I smell any cigarette smoke type of aroma in his facial hair, I will be turned off to kissing him.  

It's a shame, because I do SO love eye contact, deep kisses and connecting on such a deep, erotic level.  The smoking thing ruins it for me

For us, kissing is the most intimate part of the process which is what gets the rest of the time to the next level. However, as some have pointed out, there are others (providers and hobbiests) where kissing isn't that important.  

The second question becomes, what is 'good kissing'? Perhaps that is a question for another thread?