Why are you a Republican/Democrat/whatever?

Emi-chan · 04-24-2006, 09:38 PM

I'm trying to pick a political party before the next election. (I was too young to vote in the last one.) I keep seeing good points of both sides (and completely random third options too haha). I think it's because I was in debate class and had to make cases for both sides of every issue and support them, so now every time I think of an advantage of something, I think of a disadvantage too. So why are you the political type that you are?

***Art*** · 04-24-2006, 10:48 PM

I am a registered independant, because I am tired of partisan politics and lies.

**Epaphras** · 04-25-2006, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Art

I am a registered independant, because I am tired of partisan politics and lies.

Ditto.

"BrooksB" · 04-25-2006, 01:06 PM

I'm also registered independent-- and here's why.

You should really focus on the individual candidates in question. See what each stand for, and think of how that relates to you personally. If you're a student, you may want to consider how that candidate views education. If you're a small-business owner, you may want to consider how that candidate treats commerce. This could go on for any issue.

If you have trouble weighing the difference between sides of an issue, list the good and bad of both sides and try to quantify them. That way you can see more clearly which side of the issue you like best.

jfahler03 · 04-25-2006, 01:50 PM

Good question...and a good idea for a thread...

I'm a registered Democrat as a result of multiple factors, mostly which weigh on what I consider a reliance of the religious right on the Republican party... and vice versa... which really really scares me.

Looking at your comments so far, I'll say that I don't like lies or greed on either side either, but looking at the most recent developments (e.g. the Abramhoff fiasco), we find that Republicans seem to be at the epicenter of the partisan balogna that goes on. I'm probably sounding way off base here, but I see the Republicans as a very greedy party focusing on itself.

For example, the way I see it, Republicans are interested in and defined by:

1) tax cuts (which mostly benefit the wealthy), along with their lassiez-faire philosophy of economics
2) a pro war/agressive foreign policy stance (which ignores other important players in the war on terror)
3) a "values" based social system, which seems to be focused more on less important issues (like keeping gays from marrying) than real ones (like getting people to be able to pay for their medical fees and feeding the poor)
4) a perverted idea of "civil rights" (which is full of rhetoric, and always weak on action)
5) lack of a support structure to their ideas regarding the banning of abortion (something I could agree with... but not when you're not funding day care centers and cutting welfare)
6) an ignorance of education issues - especially the equality required; take the property-tax system seen here in Ohio for example
7) countless other issues, usually revolving around social issues that I personally consider just as "moral" and "just" as issues surrounding marriage, abortion, etc... the Republicans seem to drop the ball in this area and wind up being very hypocritical in my view

I'm personally not a Democrat because of mass loyalty to my party. For example, I could see myself voting for a Republican that would agree to back up his promises and isn't scared of being critical of his party - take McCain for example. Likewise, I have problems with Democrats (like Hillary Clinton and her husband) who I consider "Democrat-lite". It sounds like I'm being circular for praising McCain for criticizing his party and not Clinton... but... I see politics as more important than parties against each other and better founded on moral principles.

However you vote your first time, Emi-chan, remember that it's your philosophies and beliefs that should guide your vote, not your party's. A lot of people seem to take misconceptions with parties... for example nurdy liberals like me will see the Republican as the fat oil tycoon that wants your money... and many other people (including many many Christians) will see the Democrats as a bunch of immoral hippies who think they can run the country better than you. Before I became a Democrat, I considered myself "neither" and voted mostly Democrat. However, with things that I consider vital (e.g. the war, the economy, etc), I personally think that change needs to happen in Washington...hence my involvement with the Democrats and membership with the Kent State College Dems.

jengoesup · 04-25-2006, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jfahler03

However you vote your first time, Emi-chan, remember that it's your philosophies and beliefs that should guide your vote, not your party's. A lot of people seem to take misconceptions with parties... for example nurdy liberals like me will see the Republican as the fat oil tycoon that wants your money... and many other people (including many many Christians) will see the Democrats as a bunch of immoral hippies who think they can run the country better than you. Before I became a Democrat, I considered myself "neither" and voted mostly Democrat. However, with things that I consider vital (e.g. the war, the economy, etc), I personally think that change needs to happen in Washington...hence my involvement with the Democrats and membership with the Kent State College Dems.

^Amen. You really should just decide for yourself. Do some research and figure out what the core values of the upcoming candidates are and what the core values of the two parties are. To put it EXTREMELY loosely, the Democrats are mostly about an active government (controlling the economy, social and welfare reform), and the Republicans are more about a less active government (I think jfahler03 covered the basics of the Republican party pretty well). Note that there are other parties, like Populist and Libertarian...and also that nothing is black and white in each party. There are lefts, rights and moderates to every party. Actually I'd advise you to just register as independent for your first time: unless after doing research, you feel really strongly about certain issues and feel a need to join one party.

By the way, I will most likely be a Democrat or maybe independent when I register in the upcoming elections...can't wait to vote

Qingu · 04-25-2006, 03:17 PM

Democrat, purely out of practicality.

Things I am for:
• freedom of speech
• separation of church and state
• the environment/alternate energy
• science
• limited socialism/welfare

Things I am against:
• laissez-faire economics
• neoconservative foreign policy
• pandering to the insane religious right
• the Patriot Act
• the "war on terror"
• oil companies

So I would vote for Ralph Nader if I thought he stood a chance of winning. He can't, so I vote Democrat, even though they are lying scumbags too. The difference is the Democrats' lies are in the service of goals and ideals I support, rather than goals and ideals I feel sick about.

Emi-chan · 04-25-2006, 04:27 PM

What is the Populist party like? I know about Libertarianism but not about that.

Thanks so much, y'all! It is interesting to read the replies. They've been really clear/helpful!

About my own views-- I'm against abortion, but really concerned about the environment, and I care about helping people (I guess everyone does, ha, but I mean as far as policies go) and don't mind welfare, but I kind of like the idea of a smaller government overall. I don't care very much about gay marriage; I guess I think civil unions would be the best thing and then churches could decide for themselves what they recognize as marriage. (I do think that homosexuality is Biblically wrong, but I don't think that the government needs to make any rules about it.) I used to consider myself a Republican because everyone in my family is and almost everyone at my old school was, but now that I'm at college, it seems like a lot of people I know are Democrats and I definitely agree with them on some things.

jengoesup · 04-25-2006, 04:33 PM

Yes, college definitely has that liberalizing effect

I'd rather let someone else outline the Populist party, because I only really know what I've been taught in my gov't class. (My gov't teacher bascially ignored the curriculum and taught us incessantly about Plessy v. Ferguson and black civil rights (he was black himself)

He almost died when I didn't know exactly what the NAACP stood for; meaning, I didn't completely know the acronym. Now I know

).

jfahler03 · 04-25-2006, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jengoesup

Note that there are other parties, like Populist and Libertarian...and also that nothing is black and white in each party.

Yes...there are. My personal problem with voting for them, like Qingu mentioned, is that it rather unfortunatelly basically does nothing, aside from some sort of high abstract philosophical statement.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Emi-chen

What is the Populist party like? I know about Libertarianism but not about that.

As far as political parties, you can take a basic four square rule for the four major ideologies, something called the Nolan Chart:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nolan_Chart

Basically, the stronger you are on freedom in social issues, then you go "up" on the square. Social issues here deal with the government's say on things like homosexual marraige, religion, abortion, and practically everything else not covered by the other (economic) category. The stronger you are on freedom in economic issues, the father right you go. Here we either have lassiez-faire economics (that historically benefit the rich) or something closer to FDR's high amount of government intervention in the economy in the form of regulation, taxes, etc, and if you go even further - some may argue (especially those on the right of the spectrum when it comes to the economy) - then you get to socialism.

As far as what populism is, here we go... this is mostly from what I learned in my US Modern History course at school... the reason I'm going to be long winded about it is because I think it's best viewed in the context in which it became a big movement in America...

Populism was a movement that was much larger around the turn of the century, during a time the nation saw the real effects of lassiez-faire capitalism that was in the interest of big business. During this time, we see technology allowing for vast industrialization requiring the lower and lower middle classes of people (which, especially in urban areas outnumbered the middle and upper by far) to work in the factories. Because of the lack of government intervention, companies tried to turn an easy dollar in many many ways... whether it's bad business ethics on the stock market, consuming everything in your path as far as competition (see goldenchild's paper about this in the Distributism thread), or ignoring the needs of your workers. A major thing as far as the development of the movement goes here is the needs of the workers... people were just starting to form effective labor unions, and because those unions weren't protected by the government they usually failed. Forget trying to get a good dental plan with your factory, if the factory didn't fire you for being late one day then you were lucky.

Populism formed as a response to protect the average American worker while at the same time it held up what it considered important traditional values. Because this time really didnt care about "social" issues in the broad sense we see them today, it was mostly a given. Since then, the term has gone for people who are socially conservative and want more regulation of society(like Republicans) and economically liberal and want more government intervention (like the Democrats).

As far as its relation to Libertarianism... personally I'd be the president of a Populist political party before being caught dead being involved in a Libertarian organization.

Quote:

but now that I'm at college, it seems like a lot of people I know are Democrats and I definitely agree with them on some things.

I agree with jengoesup on the "liberalizing" thing to an extent... it just depends on where you go. It happened to me, only after I decided to look at government with less of a "my interests only" sort of viewpoint.

Grasshopper359 · 04-25-2006, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jengoesup

Yes, college definitely has that liberalizing effect

The funny thing is that I didn't become more of a centre-right person until after I'd joined the Army. Usually, it goes the other way - people become right wing, but I started off right-wing, and became more centrist in my views. But the factors that were responsible were quite similar to post-secondary education: increased research, debates, and in addition to that, mixing with people from different social backgrounds. Back on topic.

I think that there are two things that voting should never be: a pre-programmed action - checking beside a candidate because "my family's Liberal, and we always vote Liberal" and; a knee-jerk reflex - voting for one party just to get rid of the other. If you're voting for a party or candidate, it should be because the recipient of your vote most closely reflects your personal ideals. It's one of the few situations in which it's perfectly acceptable to be a little selfish. Maybe it's a little too idealistic for the real world, but that's how I see it.

Danny · 04-26-2006, 11:06 AM

I think I might be still registered with the Constitution Party. I need to change that sometime before 2008.

I usually count myself among the Democrats, for the following reasons:

I don't think abortion is the end-all, be-all, single most important issue there is, and even if I did, I have a more moderate opinion on it than either party offers.
I'm strongly pro- free speech and do not think the government should have the right to deem any type of speech "bad" or "vulgar" or "obscene." (The left falters here on certain points, like wanting to ban or more heavily regulate violent video games, but at least they weren't trying to ban the desecration of our flag.)
I'm strongly opposed to lassiez-faire capitalism and would like to see stricter regulations on big businesses, a tiered tax system, and free health care for anyone who requires it. Not that the Democrats stand for all of that, exactly, but they come a lot closer than the Republicans.
I want to see equal rights given to our homosexual citizens, and I'm sick of Republicans talking about being pro- "family values" when what they really mean is "anti-gay."
I'm strongly for the separation of church and state.
I think protection of the environment should come before the bottom-line of some corporation.
I think we need to work hard and fast toward alternate energy research and wane ourselves off of oil-dependency fast, and the Republican party has a long history of being anti-science, and a more recent history of being oil-crazy.
I want to see an end to the death penalty, and further prison reform aimed toward rehabilitation (or humane isolation where this is impossible) and less focused on "punishment of the wicked." (Not that this is exactly a Democrat position, but again, they come closer than the Republicans.)
I want to see marijuana decriminalized and ultimately legalized. (Not a Democrat position, but they come closer.)

JerryLove · 04-26-2006, 11:35 AM

Ditto pretty much every one of those. Add:
- Fiscal responsability (not spending more than you make)
- Freedom of behavior among consenting adults (do I need to mention some of these laws)

Of course, I also have a few positions in line with the republicans (I think gun control is using both hands), and an awful lot that no one seems to endorse (or have thought of).