Ideals that exist within political parties are nothing new.
Democrats are coined liberals and their party is known to support: expanded social welfare spending, cuts in military spending, increased regulation of business, a variety of consumer and environmental programs, minority and working class rights, increases in the power of the federal government, increases in taxes.
Republican party members are called conservatives and they support: high levels of military spending, cuts in social programs, tax relief for middle/upper class voters, tax incentives for businesses, conservitive religous agenda, decreases in the power of the federal government, fiscal conservatism.
It seems like even though the parties are stereotyped into two tidy factions many politicians are going outside their little boxes and moving into the opposite territory. Some examples of this include:
What does this mean? It means that those of us that check the box on our ballot to vote either all Democratic or all Republican are doing ourselves a disservice. As politicians move further from the principles of the political parties that they belong to we can no longer hope to have our values protected by taking a firm stand on either side of the party divide, which is okay since most people probably don't agree or disagree with each party 100% on issues anyway.
The best thing to do is to look at all the candidates for all the branches of the government and weigh their merit individually; this is the only way to ensure that we are furthering the type of government we want to have.
It sounds time consuming to be that involved in politics, and a lot of people live with the belief that their vote won't make a difference one way or another. Believing that is a self fulfilling prophecy, because if you don't cast a ballot then your vote CAN NOT possibly make a difference.
Democrats are coined liberals and their party is known to support: expanded social welfare spending, cuts in military spending, increased regulation of business, a variety of consumer and environmental programs, minority and working class rights, increases in the power of the federal government, increases in taxes.
Republican party members are called conservatives and they support: high levels of military spending, cuts in social programs, tax relief for middle/upper class voters, tax incentives for businesses, conservitive religous agenda, decreases in the power of the federal government, fiscal conservatism.
It seems like even though the parties are stereotyped into two tidy factions many politicians are going outside their little boxes and moving into the opposite territory. Some examples of this include:
- Former President Bush (Republican) pushed the limits of presidential power beyond all of it's former standards, increasing federal power to a new high.
- The mostly Republican nominated Supreme Court has been accused of showing a lot of judicial activism over the past decade, which is generally considered liberal.
- Both party presidential candidates last election promised to decrease the United States role in the middle east (decreasing military spending), not just the Democratic candidate.
- Both President Obama and former President Bush, who are from two different political parties, have increased government spending substantially which is something only President Obama's party should have supported under established party values.
- John McCain, a Republican Senator who has ran for president twice in the last decade, has a track record of siding with liberals more than conservatives. It's almost like he is an under cover agent for the Democratic Party, or maybe by being a Republican but acting like a Democrat he tries to be all things for everyone (which doesn't work).
- Senator Joe Lieberman, a controversial Democrat, has sided with conservatives on issues like the Iraq War, the death penalty, and gun control. He has infuriated his party by voting unreliably and at one time even ran for senate as an independent candidate.
What does this mean? It means that those of us that check the box on our ballot to vote either all Democratic or all Republican are doing ourselves a disservice. As politicians move further from the principles of the political parties that they belong to we can no longer hope to have our values protected by taking a firm stand on either side of the party divide, which is okay since most people probably don't agree or disagree with each party 100% on issues anyway.
The best thing to do is to look at all the candidates for all the branches of the government and weigh their merit individually; this is the only way to ensure that we are furthering the type of government we want to have.
It sounds time consuming to be that involved in politics, and a lot of people live with the belief that their vote won't make a difference one way or another. Believing that is a self fulfilling prophecy, because if you don't cast a ballot then your vote CAN NOT possibly make a difference.
1 comment:
Wow, you definatley are more informed than I when it comes to our government and its workings. I've always watned to become involved, but I feel overwhelmed with all there is to know. Am I republican? Am I Democrat? Am I Independent? All these questions and views, and I have to pick a side. There is so much spin and corruption in the world of politics that it makes me sick to even think about it. You seem well informed and have good ideas.
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