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From my outside POV..I see (R) and (D) like Cats and Dogs..and just plain hate..demonize each other ..and never the twain shall meet... Both sides constantly undermining the other side ( truth isn't necessary) blame those nasties for everything..( whether or not they actually had control of everything or not LOL) But what truly gets me..WHY is it?..Politicians once elected..spend more time raising $$..demonizing the other side..and when does business..tries to undermine everything that the "Other Side" accomplished??? Nothing to progress ahead..make a difference?? Pass comprehensive bills, rethink OLD laws and upgrade..and yet..continually kick CAN DOWN THE ROAD for a few months..and it's the same OLD FIGHT !! It beyond ridiculous....
- Extremist voters of either party: I won't go into details, but suffice it to say extremists of any sort are dangerous, but the hatred and bigotry that has taken over the far-right is beyond the pale these days.
- Average voters of either party: Often misled or forced to vote for what they perceive as the lesser evil. These types are generally not ruled by insanity or hatred, but they are generally not represented in government because they aren't as easily manipulated with hot-button issues and what they really want (good jobs, etc.) would require some level of change and accountability from the people in charge.
- The leaders of each party: While the extremist voters of each party would tear each other apart if put in the same room, the party leaders of both parties benefit heavily from the system as-is, avoiding real change, kicking the can down the road, and raking in lots of power and money even as the system falls apart.
Both parties are funded by a tiny group of mega-donors.
Only 2.5% of the population contributes any money whatsoever to political parties and/or candidates.
An even smaller group, 0.1% of the population, contributes $2,500 or more during a given election cycle.
This becomes a problem because the donations of the 0.1% account for two-thirds of all campaign donations making it impossible for anyone interested in funding a campaign for public office to avoid selling-out to the donor class.
The donor class is a reality.
They are privileged, wealthy, connected and in control.
They like to keep taxes low for themselves, so they back Republicans who make low taxes for millionaires the centerpiece of their campaigns and they back Democrats who talk about raising taxes on millionaires but never do.
Office-holders who fail to toe the line will find themselves out financed by their next political opponent.
Those who do as the 0.1% demands will find themselves flush with campaign cash, and when they retire or are defeated, if they have been faithful to their greedy overlords, they will be further rewarded with do-nothing "consulting" jobs or board seats replete with salaries, benefits and bonuses that would make Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah blush.
Of course the purpose of rewarding sleazy sell-out politicians after they have left office is to show current office-holders that they too will be rewarded for their service while in office and that they really are writing their own checks by screwing their constituents and the United States.
It depends who you're defining as Republican and Democrat. When it comes to politicians, no notable difference exists other than who's funding them. That's essentially it. A few do act out of principles, at least sometimes, and this is where a difference can be seen.
While it's a fairly deep and complex issue given that we've somehow been convinced that two parties can represent every view of a nation of 300 million, the general difference comes down to economic values. Republicans tend to say minimal government oversight (not none) over the economy is preferable while Democrats say some is necessary to promote a general level of equality. Many people add in a 'social' aspect where Republicans are socially conservative and Democrats are progressive.
Personally, I view the social part to be bizarre. Both sides represent varying views on this. While economically, most Democrats and Republicans will find common ground with each other in their own party with some variations, the social aspect can be pretty broad. It's often mistakenly seen as Democrats restricting economic liberty while Republicans restrict social liberty, but neither is exactly true. I wouldn't say either party universally is best for either. The Republicans can assault economic freedom by taking money from big oil lobbyists and Democrats can assault individual liberty by proposing bans on firearms. The idea that one party supports one more than the other is preposterous. Both parties run on certain principles, both of which make good points and neither of which can be proven to be more accurate. Ideally, a balance would be had between the two and compromise would be made, ensuring more middle ground solutions would be had, however, we elect awful representatives and are basically told that those are our only options anyway.
A Republican sees something that needs to be changed so he changes it himself.
A Democrat sees something that needs to be changed and he wants everybody else to be required to change it.
An example of this would be the bathroom law. There was no special bathroom law in NC until the Charlotte City Council tried to force all businesses in the area to conform to what they wanted. HB2 came about when our NC Legislatures made a law to protect the rest if us from the Charlotte overreach. Then here comes their pals from D. C. to make the entire country do what Charlotte made a law to do and we were threatened to have our hard earned tax dollars withheld from us if we don't do it. MAJOR GOVERNMENT OVERREACH. Wish our congress had the courage to impeach these government bullies.
Last edited by NCN; 05-22-2016 at 08:25 PM..
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