Are political parties all the same? Are politicians?
In today’s extreme political climate, some people have told me that there is no difference between Republicans and Democrats, that all politicians are crooks and one is no better or worse than another. Do you believe that?
It may sound fashionable to say that, noble even. But is it true? Things are so bad in 2022 that you can lose your livelihood, your home, even your family if you hold the “wrong” opinion. Political Correctness has gutted the First Amendment, rendering freedom of thought a potential crime. Understandably, some people fear to oppose the ruling class. Even the FBI might come after you.
But truth is truth, facts are facts, and logic still exists (although rarely applied). The whole purpose of political parties is to advance a philosophy or agenda common to a group of people. Do you believe that Nazis and Communists are the same? Is Britain’s Labour Party the exact same as the Conservative Party or the Tory Party? Of course not. If that were true, why have political parties at all?
Republicans and Democrats are not the same. They have never been the same, and in today’s world they are more distinct than ever.
Political Philosophies
That is not to say that one party is always better than another. If you hold liberal views, you might feel more comfortable as a Democrat. If you lean conservative, the Republicans (or possibly Libertarians) might be more your style.
Historically, Democrats have sold themselves as representing the common man, the little guy, the working stiff. Republicans have generally been more friendly to business (which many interpret as “the rich”). There is some truth to all this. Republicans do tend to make life easier for business and corporations, while Democrats side with unions and labor. Does that make either of them bad? Not in nutshell, yet each party sometimes takes a position that hurts someone, somewhere.
Party politics can get downright nasty. In the heat of an electoral race, lies get told and people slandered. More specifically, half-truths get told, and they are the most insidious of all because, while they mislead the voter with false implications, they also contain a grain of truth.
Example: When Bob Dole was running for president in 1996, his opponents charged that, as a U.S. Senator, he voted against establishing Medicare (with the implication that he was opposed to medical assistance for seniors). Dole didn’t deny it, but he did explain it. According to Dole, when Medicare was first being considered, several plans were on the table and he voted for one that he believed was a better option.
Example: When Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich announced his Contract with America in 1993, his enemies floated a story that he had divorced his wife while she was dying of cancer (therefore making him a bad person). Gingrich also didn’t deny it. As far as I know, he never even addressed it. It wasn’t until he ran for president in 2016 that the truth, told by his own daughter, finally came out. Gingrich had not divorced his wife as she was dying of cancer. In fact, she divorced him…and…she was still alive!
Example: A California Democrat (I forget his name) was running for state office in the early 1990s. He was a well-fed gentleman with a tummy to prove it. A campaign ad by his Republican opponent showed him at a dinner of some sort. Not a word was said about his weight, but the video showed him with his jacket open, liberally feeding his face almost with both hands. It came across as demeaning and, frankly, it was a dirty ad.
What About Politicians?
Now that we have established that political parties operate on differing philosophies, what about politicians themselves? Are they all the same? Do you believe that? If you do, then answer me this—are all men the same? Are all women the same? All black people? All Asians? Jews? Hispanics? Are all business owners crooked?
It’s true that many politicians are in politics for personal gain. I always laugh when I hear a national politician complain about the “wealthiest one percent” not “paying their fair share” of taxes. Most politicians at the national level are themselves millionaires, many in the top one percent. Do they include themselves in that “statistic”?
While you may find it hard to believe, it’s also true that some politicians (possibly a minority) take the job because they actually want to do something positive for their country. I would place Democrat Tulsi Gabbard in that category, along with many Republicans (and probably some other Democrats I don’t know about).
So what happens when two politicians, one a self-interested money-grubber and the other an altruistic public servant, pick a party? Which party will they pick? The old saying that “birds of a feather flock together” now comes into play. I believe these two candidates will choose their party based on their personal goals. The altruist will look for a party more likely to help people than exploit them. The greedy candidate will choose a party more likely to make him rich.
And a rare handful will pick whichever party has a vacancy for an upcoming election. These often become known as “moderate Democrats” or “RINOS” (Republicans In Name Only), because their political philosophy doesn’t always match that of their chosen party.
Democrat Philosophy
So what are these political philosophies that I’m talking about? First of all, keep in mind that not every politician is always in lockstep with his or her party, so these philosophies are general in nature.
Billing themselves as the “party of the people”, Democrats claim (and many no doubt believe this) to represent the poor, the downtrodden, the persecuted, and the misunderstood. Their philosophy is largely based on emotion and as a result they tend to ignore (or dispute) that people can help themselves if given the opportunity. Democrats love programs for the poor and disenchanted. Many of these programs really are helpful, but my objection is in the way they are applied.
For example, I don’t know anyone (although I’m sure they exist) who thinks welfare is a bad idea. When someone is down on their luck, out of work, homeless, or whatever, they need assistance. Welfare was designed to help those people, but it was designed as a safety net to support them until they can get back on their feet. It was never intended (or should not have been intended) as a lifestyle. Due to illness, age, or disability, some people do need welfare for the remainder of their lives; but young people, healthy people, able people, should be supporting themselves, not living off the sweat of others. Democrats make generational welfare possible, even attractive, and the result is a bloated system that helps no one.
You’ve heard the old saying that “If you give a man a fish, he can eat for a day. If you teach a man to fish, he can feed himself for a lifetime.” Democrats hand out lots of fish, while Republicans are more likely to pass out rods and reels. But when you pass out a fish, someone has to pay for it, and that often means higher taxes on those who fish for themselves.
And, of course, when people depend on you for their lifestyle, they will vote for you every single time.
Republican Philosophy
Not all Republicans are good people, but even the worst of them aren’t nearly as bad as Democrats and the national press make them out to be. Republicans are generally conservative, and unfortunately most of them are also religious (that’s good for the voting numbers, but sometimes they drive me nuts with their Jesus talk). Republicans are more likely to be patriotic, to respect the law, and uphold the Constitution. Republicans believe that the United States, with all its flaws and shortcomings (of which there are many), is still the greatest nation in the history of the world. The proof is everywhere, but if you have any doubt, ask yourself why immigrants from around the world are willing to break the law and risk their lives just to get here.
Nobody breaks into Russia or North Korea.
Republicans believe in self-reliance, that each person should have the opportunity to forge his or her own destiny. Wealth is created by hard work, not government assistance, and while many people do need government assistance, it should not be the preferred option for those able to fend for themselves. Republicans (and Libertarians) believe in low taxes, low inflation, and minimal government interference. In other words, the stated goals of the U.S. Constitution.
Republicans know that a strong economy is good for everyone and are more likely to cut taxes than Democrats (the last Democrat president to cut taxes was John F. Kennedy in 1961…did you know that?). Republicans believe in capitalism because it generates prosperity, and the proof is visible everywhere you look. Even poorest people in America are filthy rich compared to the poor in other countries.
Republicans are more likely to join the military because they believe in freedom and sometimes you have to fight to preserve it. Ironically, every major war fought by the United States in the 20th Century began with a Democrat in the White House. Starting with World War I, Woodrow Wilson was president. For World War II, it was Franklin Roosevelt. Korea was Harry Truman’s decision. Vietnam happened under Lyndon Johnson. The first Gulf War was initiated by Republican George H.W. Bush, but it only lasted three months and can hardly be called a major war.
In a nutshell, even though some Republicans are corrupt, they know what works and what doesn’t, and are invested in prosperity and success.
Other Considerations
Democrats love to demonize corporations as not only immoral, but somehow unAmerican as well, ignoring the fact that, by definition, public corporations are owned largely by stockholders…which means private citizens. Democrats don’t seem to understand, or at least refuse to acknowledge, that poor people don’t hire other poor people. If you have a job (and you don’t work for the government), it’s very likely that you work for a person who has more money than you. He or she may not be rich, but if they don’t turn a profit, your job is toast. If their words and actions mean anything, Democrats hate for business to turn a profit. (This gets into the area of socialism, which will be covered in another article.)
A Little History
The Democratic Party was originally called the Republican Party, but sometime in the 19th Century its name was changed. The Republican Party replaced the old Whig Party, which was left over from colonial days. Abraham Lincoln was the first Republican president, and the party was founded on the abolition of slavery. In those days, if you were a Republican, you were also likely an abolitionist (which makes the Democrat claim that Republicans are all White Supremacists sound as absurd as it really is).
From the Civil War onward, the two parties fought just as opposing parties always fight. Each side brought something to the table and battled for their point of view. That was the status quo until around 1990.
In 1988, Democrat Gary Hart ran for president. Allegations surfaced during the primaries that he was having an affair with a woman named Donna Rice. Hart, a married man, denied the allegations and challenged the press to investigate to their heart’s content. They did exactly that, and photographed Hart on a yacht with Rice on his lap. His campaign was over and he disappeared from the public consciousness shortly after.
In 1992, Democrat Bill Clinton ran for president. (The first time I saw him at a presidential primary roundtable discussion, he struck me as a con man, a used car salesman. Goofy, giddy, insincere…and I haven’t changed that opinion.) Well before the primary elections, Clinton was accused of having an affair with Paula Jones. The reports were credible, and I thought, “Clinton is toast. It’s Gary Hart all over again.”
But something had changed. The Democrats had turned a corner between 1988 and 1992. They rallied around Clinton and he became the next president. This was a major shock to me because just one year earlier, after the first Gulf War, President George H.W. Bush had an approval rating over 90%, higher than any president in history. Yet Clinton defeated him (thanks to Ross Perot, who ran as a third-party candidate and siphoned off 19% of the vote).
Clinton made a mockery of the presidency. What had once been the most respected office in the land now became a joke. Sex scandals abounded (including allegations of rape) and for the next eight years (yes, he was reelected in 1996) Americans endured a scandal a week (literally), to the point that one could no longer keep up. Travelgate, Nannygate, Whitewatergate, Monicagate…it became embarrassing to be American. And Hillary Clinton was just as bad; elected to nothing, she suddenly launched her own career as some kind of “fixer”, going after the health care industry to remake it according to her own vision. Thankfully, she was blocked by Federal law when someone pointed out that she had no authority to do the things she was doing, and the health care industry got a reprieve that lasted until Barack Obama gutted it in 2009.
A Hard Left Turn
In the political spectrum, there is left, right, and center. In the United States, the right wing is usually conservative, the left wing is more liberal, and the center is a little of both. Political extremes are always dangerous. The extreme right is usually religious or nationalist in nature (Islamic terrorists would be considered extremely right-wing, for example, or the Catholic church in the Middle Ages). As for the left wing, you can’t get much further left than communism, with socialism hitched to the bumper.
Soviet Russia—the U.S.S.R.—was extremely left-wing. So was Mao’s China (and China today, along with Vietnam, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, and a few others). When I hear left-wing, I automatically think of communism. Religious kingdoms are generally right-wing (the Islamic world, for example, and not just the radicals). Religion tends to lean right.
Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Party is generally considered to be right-wing, but I have reservations about that. Yes, Hitler was fiercely nationalistic, but his party was named National Socialism…and socialism is left-wing. Many observers consider Hitler to be left-wing, though I am undecided on that point. (And for the purpose of this article, it doesn’t matter.)
American liberalism has always been a little left of center, but in the 1990s it took a hard left turn. After Al Gore failed to steal the 2000 election from George W. Bush, the Democrats went crazy. Today, 22 years later, they are certifiably insane.
Political correctness surfaced in the 90s and nobody seemed to notice that it was a communist (or totalitarian) idea. You could no longer say certain things; words that had been around forever were suddenly taboo…such as “retarded”. If you were a public figure, you took a hit for everything you said (or had ever said) that offended the most obscure hermit living at the South Pole. It didn’t matter what you said or how you meant it, you could lose your job, your livelihood, even your family. Today, in 2022, political correctness has America in a death grip. If you have an opinion, keep it to yourself.
It has always been true that voicing your opinion might offend someone, but today it’s almost a violation of law. I predict that in another decade we’ll see criminal prosecution for expressing an unpopular opinion (a proposal has already been made to hand out jail time for “climate deniers”). Ironically, those on the left can say whatever they want and be celebrated for it, no matter how many millions of good Americans find it offensive. (That is actually a good thing, but it’s a freedom that should be available to everyone, not just the Left.)
The last thirty years have seen a radical shift in the Democrat party; they have consistently adopted views that are counter to American culture, and every variety of America-haters have gravitated to the Democrats. This doesn’t mean there aren’t millions of good Democrats, but it does mean that the party itself is willing to accept any point of view that will gain them votes.
Questions?
If you doubt any of this, ask yourself a few questions:
Why do the Democrats want to enfranchise convicted felons? Felons are not allowed to vote, but if the Democrats succeed in giving them that vote, who do you think they’ll vote for?
Why do Democrats flaunt immigration law (even championing “sanctuary cities”)? When Federal law dictates that illegal immigrants should be deported (just like every other country in the world), Democrats resist, calling deportation “racist” (even if the violator in question is white). Instead, Democrats insist on giving them food stamps, education, free health care, and voter registration at the DMV (how many illegal aliens vote in every election…and whom do they vote for? Take a guess!)
Why do Democrats want to lower the voting age to 16? The Constitution originally mandated a minimum voting age of 21, but in 1972 Democrats managed to get that dropped to 18. (As a result, in California, ambulance drivers no longer had to be 21 to get an emergency vehicle license. I had the pleasure of riding in the back of an ambulance with an 18-year-old at the wheel while we sped down the freeway at 115 miles per hour. The patient was critical, but we had a much better chance of saving him if we didn’t plummet off the road in a fiery crash.)
Why do Democrats want to offer free abortion to underage girls without notifying their parents?
Why do California Democrats block irrigation water for our vast Central Valley farmlands? The water runs from the mountains to the ocean and nobody seems able to stop it; meanwhile, our many reservoirs are running dry and farmlands are lying fallow. Do Democrats believe that food originates in grocery stores? (Maybe those in San Francisco do.)
Why do Democrats insist on shutting down American oil production in favor of buying oil from Venezuela and Middle-Eastern countries who hate us? In 1941, we were selling oil to Japan; today we have to buy oil from the Arabs (oops! Was that racist?).
Why do elected Democrats with armed bodyguards vote to defund police departments?
Why are Democrats weakening the war against crime? In California, thousands of prisoners have gotten early release, ostensibly due to overcrowding, but is that the real reason? We now have something called “no-cash bail”, which means after a suspect has been arrested and arraigned, he or she is released without bail. How many of those people do you think will show up for their next court appearance?
Why do Democrats want to rid the nation of personal weapons, meanwhile hiding behind their gun-toting bodyguards?
These are only a few questions—there are thousands more, and I will raise some of them in other articles on this site.
Conclusion
The Democrat Party, once considered liberal, has now become totalitarian. Not even Democrats can break the rules. If a prominent Democrat makes a statement that runs counter to party doctrine, they don’t get a pass—they get hammered (just ask Tulsi Gabbard.) If you are a Democrat, you are only allowed one opinion—the party line. Freedom of thought is not only discouraged, it’s condemned. All you have to do to realize this is pay attention.
There is no longer a desire for debate. In today’s political climate, the object is annihilation, and if citizens don’t fall in step, they become targets. Piss off a Democrat administration and the IRS may turn up on your doorstep. That’s totalitarian, folks.
Republicans have their flaws. There are plenty of Republican officials and spokesmen that I don’t like, but as a group they are no worse than any other group. The Democrats, on the other hand, have stopped even pretending to be open-minded. When you listen to Democrats talk, they all say exactly the same thing. Exactly…the…same…thing.
When every single individual says exactly the same thing, what you are hearing is religious dogma. The Democrats, for whom my parents voted many times, have become a cult.
Private Thoughts 