# Is There Really A Difference Between The Two Major Political Parties? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [September 17, 2021, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-really-a-difference-between-the-two-major-political-parties/950829 "2021-09-17T18:02:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Tatterdemalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/43a26b/32.png) [@Tatterdemalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tatterdemalion)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2022, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-really-a-difference-between-the-two-major-political-parties/950829/61 "2022-09-21T05:03:12Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > Raise the lake. So all boats float. A global warming reference? ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2022, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-really-a-difference-between-the-two-major-political-parties/950829/62 "2022-09-21T05:08:02Z")
As the lake rises, what happens to the boats that are tethered — by gender, skin color or general “otherness” — to very short anchor chains? ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2022, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-really-a-difference-between-the-two-major-political-parties/950829/63 "2022-09-21T05:48:02Z")
> [@FlikTheBlue](#): > > Democrats have their hearts in the right place (barring a few corrupt officials here and there), even if their heads aren’t always in the right place. Republicans have their hearts in the wrong place, so it doesn’t matter where their heads are It comes down to tbis: Democrats see themselves as servants of the people who derive their authority from the consent of the governed. Republicans see themselves as rulers of the people, who have been ordained by God to command those to whom they are superior. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2022, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-really-a-difference-between-the-two-major-political-parties/950829/64 "2022-09-21T15:30:05Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Republicans see themselves as rulers of the people, who have been ordained by God to command those to whom they are superior. They may act that way, but I doubt they see themselves that way. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2022, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-really-a-difference-between-the-two-major-political-parties/950829/65 "2022-09-22T12:55:27Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > They may act that way, but I doubt they see themselves that way. A lot of the religious ones seem to feel exactly that. And they make up a bigger part of the GOP elected officials every year. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2022, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-really-a-difference-between-the-two-major-political-parties/950829/66 "2022-09-22T12:58:51Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > They may act that way, but I doubt they see themselves that way. They definitely see themselves that way. They’ve endorsed the divine right of kings in all but name to justify why Loser Donald should be president. A significant percentage of Republicans and evangelicals believe that God decides the outcome of elections. Given the choice between the Constitution and Biblical Sharia, they choose the latter every time. They tried to overthrow democracy because they lost an election. They clearly don’t see the people as the source of their authority or the body they’re obligated to serve. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2022, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-really-a-difference-between-the-two-major-political-parties/950829/67 "2022-09-22T14:00:32Z")
I think part of what you see that made them look more similar than different 10+ years ago was that both parties tended to move toward the center as elections got less local. And in fact there were often situations where a Democrat from somewhere like Texas might be more conservative overall than a Republican from somewhere like Massachusetts. Typically the main policy positions have ostensibly been as follows (up until about 20: GOP/Republican: Basic conservatism- the notion that there needs to be a justifiable reason to disrupt the status quo was a big thing. Democrat: More liberal- the government, as the organization with the most money and the ability to actually enact laws, is the best vehicle for solving problems/fixing issues. Of course, this sets up a fundamental conflict- Democrats would say “This needs to be fixed”, and Republicans would say “No it doesn’t”, or “The cost isn’t worth it” or something along those lines. The problem is, that both sides have sort of diverged from the strictly political solving of policy problems. Republicans have gone off into thinking that maybe there should be change, only in the reverse direction- to make things the way they used to be, rather than confining themselves to resisting change. And the Democrats have gone from just trying to solve problems, to endorsing what amounts to a social change agenda as well. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2022, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-really-a-difference-between-the-two-major-political-parties/950829/68 "2022-09-22T14:10:07Z")
> [@bump](#): > > And the Democrats have gone from just trying to solve problems, to endorsing what amounts to a social change agenda as well. What’s the difference between these two things? Isn’t “social change” designed to “solve problems?” ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2022, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-really-a-difference-between-the-two-major-political-parties/950829/69 "2022-09-22T14:19:07Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > A significant percentage of Republicans and evangelicals believe that God decides the outcome of elections. Well, when Republicans win anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2022, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-really-a-difference-between-the-two-major-political-parties/950829/70 "2022-09-22T14:52:30Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > when Republicans win One Republican in particular: > **[About a third in U.S. see God's hand in presidential elections, but fewer say...](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2020/03/12/about-a-third-in-u-s-see-gods-hand-in-presidential-elections-but-fewer-say-god-picks-winners-based-on-policies/)** > > Few United States adults – just 5% – say God chose Donald Trump to be president because God approves of his policies. > …27% of U.S. adults believe Trump’s election reflects God’s will in the sense that the 2016 outcome must be part of God’s overall plan… ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2022, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-really-a-difference-between-the-two-major-political-parties/950829/71 "2022-09-22T21:30:26Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > Well, when Republicans win anyway. Anecdotally, I have a former coworker who was despondent on Favebook in November 2020 that God must have decided it was time for America to end and that was why He made Biden win. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2022, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-really-a-difference-between-the-two-major-political-parties/950829/72 "2022-09-22T21:35:12Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > I have a former coworker who was despondent on Favebook in November 2020 that God must have decided it was time for America to end and that was why He made Biden win. I would have a hard time not telling your co-worker that it’s all his fault for all that porn he watches. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2022, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-really-a-difference-between-the-two-major-political-parties/950829/73 "2022-09-22T21:50:23Z")
It insane verses sanity. That’s where we are. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2022, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-really-a-difference-between-the-two-major-political-parties/950829/74 "2022-09-23T14:21:27Z")
And if the sane are driven insane by their fight against the insane, then the insane win. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2022, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-really-a-difference-between-the-two-major-political-parties/950829/75 "2022-09-25T10:52:07Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Republicans have gone off into thinking that maybe there should be change, only in the reverse direction- to make things the way they used to be, rather than confining themselves to resisting change. And that’s why it’s incorrect to refer to Republicans as _conservative_. That behavior is _reactionary_. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-really-a-difference-between-the-two-major-political-parties/950829.md?page=3)