Happy belated Valentine's Day everyone! I was too busy on Valentine's day to do a post, which is why it is 'belated'. However, it's 8:30pm at night and I'm feeling the need to let the words flow. So here we go!
Did you know that in the Constitution, political parties are never mentioned? 'tis true, I've read the Constitution myself! Did you also know that there are more than 2 parties in the United States? *goggles in disbelief* I know! It's hard to believe. I mean, we hear about those other parties, but we just don't really take them seriously! Because really, in the end, there are only two parties that matter: Democrats and Republicans. A dividing line between the people of the United States. Some say being in a party is just that...being in a party. It's all politics, right? But it's more than just that. It seems that Democrats and Republicans define not just political beliefs, but lifestyle choices. And so in the end, the Great Divide is set.
Now just so you know, I'm a Republican. There isn't an inch of Democrat in me, and if there is it is often overlooked by most folks, including myself. People don't even have to ask me to know that I'm a Republican. Why? Because they say I act conservatively. People who know me for awhile pretty much assume I'm Republican. And Democrats...Democrats are the liberals. The freedom fighters, so to speak. Do whatever you want, wherever you want, and that's the end of it. Democrats are the open-minded people, the ones who respect diversity and tolerance...right?
It's strange how the two parties are defined this way. And maybe not everyone considers Democrats 'open-minded' and Republicans 'conservative', but that's what I've always heard. And really, the two parties, with their definitions and lifestyles, go back much further than the creation of America. The French had their radicals and conservatives, and the English had their Royalists and so on. It seems that these two parties, these two types of people, have existed in division since the beginning of government.
I find it interesting, that's all, and something to discuss. The parties of America have changed over the years as far as politics, but the types of people associated with them remain the same.
But how, really, are Democrats/Republicans defined in America?
I have my own definition, if anyone would care to hear it. As far as the parties go, I keep it simply thus: Democrats accept people for who they are, regardless of who they are, even if that person is bad or does bad things (at least, bad in the eyes of some people). Because of this, the Democrats are widely loved by people who want to get away with what they do without repercussions, because the Democrats are open to everything. Republicans are conservative. They keep to the traditional beliefs (and the beliefs of Christianity) and give little leeway to new ideas (*cough* homosexuality and abortion and the like *cough*).
Economically, the difference between Republicans and Democrats is equal opportunity vs. equal outcome. Republicans take the former, believing to give people the ability to help themselves rise to the median. Democrats take the latter, believing in giving people everything they need to automatically be at the median.
I could go on, but really I'm more interested in hearing what other people think on the issue. What do YOU think of when you think of a Republican vs. a Democrat? Do you think the two parties have different life styles, or is it all just old feuds or something like that? I'm curious. Tell me what you think.
(P.S. as an added note, I apologize if I sound bias one way or the other. I don't try to offend people if I can help it.)
I was thinking about this topic as well. What spurred my thinking about the definition of republicans and democrats is the current presidential race. After reviewing the stances that the candidates have on each party. There isn't really much difference. The current candidate on the republican side which is in the lead(by alot) is: John McCain. John McCain is being more liberal then anything. In the last election, it has be noted that John Kerry(or one of his team members) actually asked McCain to be vice president. What kind of gets me angry is that McCain's stance is the same as Hilary's or Obama's. Shouldn't there be some guidelines to each party. I mean what's the point of even having two parties if the major candidates have the same ideas on all the issues?
+mspin
There is an easy way to sum up the difference between a Democrat and a Republican. If a man is hungry; a Democrat will give the man a fish and he'll eat for a day. A Republican will teach the same man to fish and he'll eat for a lifetime.
Ron James
The degree of difference between the two parties varies greatly depending on if you are talking about people who belong to a party but who are ideologically in the center of the political spectrum or if you are talking about people who belong to a party but are at the extremes of the political spectrum.
This year, the Republicans nominated a candidate who is very close to the center. There is not that much ideological political difference between McCain and a entrist like former Democrat like Joe Lieberman and McCain has frequently joined centrists (or even the far left like Kennedy and Feingold) from the other side and made common cause with them. It was entirely conceivable to see him running with or serving in a Kerry Administration and it was equally conceivable to image Lieberman serving in a McCain Administration.
On the otherhand, this year the Democrats nominated a candidate who is nowhere close to the political center. He has the most ideologically liberal left voting record and he has never joined with the otherside to push through tough or politically risky legislation. There was no speculation that he would be choosing a centrist Republican running mate.
From my personal perspective at the conservative and particularly libertarian right of the Republican political spectrum, McCain looks like a whacky socialist and Obama looks like a communist. I see more political difference between myself and McCain then I do between McCain and Obama.