# Republican? Why? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 19, 2003, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-why/156180 "2003-02-19T19:02:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Cessandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cessandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cessandra)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-why/156180/41 "2003-02-20T04:26:00Z")
Nogginhead, it’s mostly liberals I’ve met IRL who act like certains speech should be a crime. I said I could wager a guess at the claim, not that I’d make it myself. 😉 You’ll have to find someone else to argue against the ACLU, though. Personally (and my husband will be shocked when he reads this) I think that even disgusting perverts like NAMBLA have freedom of speech. Of course, I also think the government has a right to investigate anyone who publically associates themselves with such a group. I mean, they are essentially confessing to a criminal act, right? The government ought to have a right to look for evidence and lock these people up _if they’re really doing the things they talk about._ Balle\_M, what exactly is a “cracker brood sow”? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-why/156180/42 "2003-02-20T04:26:37Z")
I don’t think this thread ever had much of a chance in IMHO, as well-intentioned as the OP was. Off to Great Debates. ---
**Author:** ![Cessandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cessandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cessandra)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-why/156180/43 "2003-02-20T04:32:05Z")
Nogginhead, it’s mostly liberals I’ve met IRL who act like certains speech should be a crime. I said I could wager a guess at the claim, not that I’d make it myself. 😉 You’ll have to find someone else to argue against the ACLU, though. Personally (and my husband will be shocked when he reads this) I think that even disgusting perverts like NAMBLA have freedom of speech. Of course, I also think the government has a right to investigate anyone who publically associates themselves with such a group. I mean, they are essentially confessing to a criminal act, right? The government ought to have a right to look for evidence and lock these people up _if they’re really doing the things they talk about._ Balle\_M, what exactly is a “cracker brood sow”? ---
**Author:** ![Cessandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cessandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cessandra)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-why/156180/44 "2003-02-20T04:43:05Z")
Wow, I hit submit ONCE, walk upstairs to nurse my poor sick baby, and my post is somehow submitted four times? Poor hamsters. (Let’s hope this only shows up once.) ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-why/156180/45 "2003-02-20T05:00:10Z")
I think the servers are melting!!! Republican? Yes! Pro-life Personal accountability Smaller government, with the kicker being less taxes. Republicans seem to be less worried about what the polls say and try to do what they think is right by thier constituents. Democrats will say and do what it takes to get elected and stay there (bad? …sometimes). More seem to be two-faced. Have been using the minorities to get election support without making any real progress on the real issues that face the minorities (carrot dangling). ---
**Author:** ![Asylum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/53a042/32.png) [@Asylum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asylum)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-why/156180/46 "2003-02-20T05:43:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by An Arky \* > \*\*I’m not a republican, either, so I’m not so privy to the real reasons, but I think some of them were not cool or were insecure growing up and resent people who were/are cool and secure. I don’t quite have the words for it, but intolerance seems to loom large in the republican mindset. Lots of anti-sex, anti-creative-self-expression, anti-sympathy for the poor mixed in there. \*\*That’s kind of funny; 'cause I think that some Democrats were not cool or were insecure growing up and resent people who were/are cool and secure. Or to put it another way there are all types of people in the Democratic party just as in the Republican party. Just be honest with what you’re saying (that Republicans couldn’t get laid in HS) and don’t resort to the innuendo fallacy (you know, where when called on you respond “but I wasn’t talking about _you_ specifically”). And **nogginhead** , it wouldn’t kill you and others to hop over to the RNC website and look at what they say are the most important issues today and what they want to do about them. Yeah, there’s a lot of spin in what they’re saying, but at least you’re getting their full arguments straight from them and not bits and pieces filtered through some other source. [Current Issues](http://www.rnc.org/Issues) [Election 2000 Platform](http://www.rnc.org/gopinfo/platform) And for the record I’m an independent who leans slightly conservative overall with a severe distaste for all political parties and the two main ones in particular. ---
**Author:** ![oliversarmy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/eb8c5e/32.png) [@oliversarmy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oliversarmy)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-why/156180/47 "2003-02-20T05:50:20Z")
For most of my adult life, I’ve been a Democrat. I remember taking my high school girl friend to the Democratic primary in 1976 and telling her to vote for Carter. When her very Republican father found out, he almost killed me. In college, at very conservative university, I toed the Demo line, questioned and rebelled against anything remotely conservative. After graduation, I was in a job that exposed me to a great many politicians on both sides. I remained a staunch Democrat. I believed in the plight of minorities and the working class. As a matter of fact, I still do. I voted for Mondale, Dukakis and Clinton (twice). However, as I became more and more involved with people from the Democratic Party, I began to feel quite disillusioned. They said they supported minorities in public, but would ridicule them in private. They pandered to the working class and then dismissed them as rubes when they weren’t around. What really bothered me, though, was I saw that they were using these people for their own political ends (and, please, I know the Republicans do the same thing). And, ultimately, they couldn’t see the other side of any argument. But my experience made me re-evaluate my reasons for siding with the Democrats. I honestly believe, however trite, in truth, justice and the American way. I only saw lip-service to this with the Democrats. They hated the military, but I couldn’t. They would hold hands with African-Americans at political rallies and call them niggers afterwards. Working people were ignorant rednecks who could be counted on in labor votes, but were discarded when issues important to them were considered. I know this will fly in the face of many Democrats, but the Republican Party seems more willing to welcome people who can face adversity and make it own their own. When I look at the changing face of America, I see hope with the GOP, and the same old song and dance from the Democrats. I hesitate to say this, because in this day and age it should go without saying, but civil rights is an important issue that still needs to addressed. I will continue to work in the most effective way that I can to make this defining issue of the GOP. But, when it comes to treating people on an equal footing, I have to go with the Republicans. This is only my opinion from personal experience and I know many will have their own personal experiences that disagree. This only scratches the surface of why I left the Democratic fold, but I want to emphasize that respecting people was a major consideration. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-why/156180/48 "2003-02-20T11:14:42Z")
> [@](#): > > That’s kind of funny; 'cause I think that some Democrats were not cool or were insecure growing up and resent people who were/are cool and secure. Or to put it another way there are all types of people in the Democratic party just as in the Republican party. Just be honest with what you’re saying (that Republicans couldn’t get laid in HS) and don’t resort to the innuendo fallacy (you know, where when called on you respond “but I wasn’t talking about you specifically”). I can see how my admittedly poorly worded observation could be used for either party’s minions. Waht I was really trying to say is that I think that the harshness that I observe in the republican mindset (generalizing here) may stem from fear, insecurity and the like. Then I inferred the “uncool in school” thing from that. Armchair psychology, I guess. But I must add that I’m not particularly a democrat, so I won’t defend their policies/stances. In fact, I think the so-called two party system is too limiting, and insures that the status quo is preserved to an unpalatable degree for me. Libertarian? Feh. Green? Double feh. Reform? Maybe, if it weren’t overshadowed by Perotians. Crafter\_man, regarding my comment on chaos resulting from limiting the gov’t. role to the Constitution’s parameters: > [@](#): > > Total nonsense. We’re talking about the federal government here, not the state governments. The federal government should be smaller than the smallest state government, IMO… Well, if you don’t like taxes, you’d be pretty damn unhappy with that. It would cost the state more to provide some of the things the fed provides due to economies of scale, etc. Also, it would make states very unequal in the level of services provided. Some poorer areas would get poorer. Heck, you can see a little of this now, with the republican regime, onus is put on states more and more. Many can’t afford it and coupled with budget shortfalls, they’re left with poor choices between education and public safety, for example, with neither getting the funding needed. > [@](#): > > Democrats seem to love social spending. I’ll admit that I’m no Constitutional scholar, but I can’t find the passage that authorizes the government to keep cracker brood sows in malt liquor, lottery tickets, and fast food and put it on my tab. Thanks for backing me up there, Balle\_M. I think you illustrate what I’m trying to say about the republican mindset quite nicely. ---
**Author:** ![Balle\_M](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/13edae/32.png) [@Balle\_M](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balle_M)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-why/156180/49 "2003-02-20T13:03:21Z")
Cracker Brood Sow = Unemployed white trash popping out babies like a Pez dispenser. ---
**Author:** ![Will\_Repair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a698b9/32.png) [@Will\_Repair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Will_Repair)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-why/156180/50 "2003-02-20T13:14:35Z")
A short and somewhat dated [history of political parties](http://www.purepolitics.com/politicalhistory.htm). Includes comments on Washington’s farwell address and Huey Long’s populorum tonic. > [@](#): > > Reagan & Bush sr. ran up 3 trillion in deficit with government spending over 12 years, and Clinton ran up 2 trillion over 8 years [This graph link](http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/030204/161/370et.html&e=1) to budget deficit isn’t working, [news.yahoo.com](http://news.yahoo.com) seems to be down so I can’t confirm it is the right graph. If the right one, the graph shows the budget deficit and how it _was reversed_ by Clinton. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-why/156180/51 "2003-02-20T13:53:30Z")
Actually, reversed by the Republicans in Congress. Note that Clinton’s proposed budget during the time that his party controlled Congress increased the deficit. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Balle\_M](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/13edae/32.png) [@Balle\_M](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balle_M)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-why/156180/52 "2003-02-20T14:43:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by An Arky \* > \*\*Thanks for backing me up there, Balle\_M. I think you illustrate what I’m trying to say about the republican mindset quite nicely. \*\* You’re more than welcome. I notice, however, that apparently due to time/space constraints you failed to quote my views on charity which might run counter to your little thesis. Purely an overight, I’m sure. ---
**Author:** ![Balle\_M](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/13edae/32.png) [@Balle\_M](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balle_M)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-why/156180/53 "2003-02-20T14:44:23Z")
Err…that should be “oversight”… ---
**Author:** ![Will\_Repair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a698b9/32.png) [@Will\_Repair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Will_Repair)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-why/156180/54 "2003-02-20T15:01:10Z")
**Shodan** , a Republican Congress is a something I hadn’t fully considered, as well as a Democratic Congress during Reagan’s administration. However, Reagan had power of veto that he did not use, especially after his condemnation of Carter’s rising deficit, his key point of the pre-election debates. Looking into it a little more I [found this](http://www.house.gov/budget/papers/deficittmln.html) that supports your argument quite well. [This somewhat similar statement](http://www.house.gov/hostettler/Issues/Hostettler-issues-1997-02-28-clinton-budget-critique.htm) only reminds me of Bush doing the same thing, pushing the burden onto the states. [This](http://www.ncpa.org/oped/bartlett/nov3098.html) is a more even handed opinion on whether it was Clinton or Congress that balanced the budget. I can’t decide which way [this one leans](http://gi.grolier.com/presidents/aae/bios/42pclin.html) (Do you disagree that the graph shows that the deficit did not increase as described in the statement of “Reagan & Bush sr. ran up 3 trillion in deficit with government spending over 12 years, and Clinton ran up 2 trillion over 8 years”?) [Bottom line](http://www-hoover.stanford.edu/publications/digest/983/brady.html) ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-why/156180/55 "2003-02-20T15:17:20Z")
Balle\_M: > [@](#): > > I notice, however, that apparently due to time/space constraints you failed to quote my views on charity which might run counter to your little thesis. That’s because I don’t have any particular issue with that part of it. What I did take issue with was your offensive characterization of welfare recipients (I guess that’s what you’re talking about). It demonstrated what I consider to be an underlying theme in (some people within) the republican mindset, resentment of the poor and misogyny. Forgive me if I misconstrued the term “cracker brood sow”; is that a term of endearment for you? ---
**Author:** ![december](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/838e76/32.png) [@december](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/december)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-why/156180/56 "2003-02-20T15:21:49Z")
I became a Republican because of becoming disenchanted with the Democrats. I was raised a liberal Democrat. I switched to Republican at age around 30. I am pro-choice, but the Supreme Court controls the right to abortion, so abortion is not a major issue. My reasons for switching may have been related to spending 1963-68 in Berkeley, where I saw leftists at their worst. Here’s what turned me off the Democrats. [ol][_]Anti-American elements have too much power in the party. (E.g., my Berkeley colleagues.)[_]They cling to social programs that need fixing for the sake of the program more than the “beneficiaries.”[_]Democratic foreign/military policy has been awful since the days of Lyndon Johnson. The Democrats used to have a reallistic “Scoop Jackson wing,” but that’s pretty much gone.[_]Democrats are too beholden to the plaintiffs’ attorneys, at a time when tort reform is urgently needed.[_]Democrats are too beholden to the teachers’ unions and educational establishment at a time when education reform is urgently needed. As a result, Democrats oppose move that could actully improve education for the individual student like vouchers, home schooling, and ending ineffective approaches like bilingual education and much of “new math.”[_]Democrats support the cult of “victimology,” which has done so much to harm blacks, native Americans and other minorities. This goes along with their support for lawsuits and burdensome micro-regulations.[_]Democrats have shown no leadership in fixing Social Security and Medicare – programs that will run out of money at some point absent major reform.[_]Democrats have less interest than Republicans in controlling wasteful government spending.Democrats have weakened their traditional support of free speech, as is shown by their support for Campaign Finance Reform.[/ol]In short, the Democrats actual (rather than espoused) performance and goals are my reason for switching parties. The Republicans are far from perfect, but I think they’re generally better. ---
**Author:** ![Thurgood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@Thurgood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thurgood)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-why/156180/57 "2003-02-20T15:49:13Z")
**Republican?Why?** Because deep down, I long for someone to lower taxes, brutalize criminals, and rule me like a king. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-why/156180/58 "2003-02-20T17:22:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by An Arky \* > **Crafter\_man, regarding my comment on chaos resulting from limiting the gov’t. role to the Constitution’s parameters: Well, if you don’t like taxes, you’d be pretty damn unhappy with that. It would cost the state more to provide some of the things the fed provides due to economies of scale, etc.** I don’t care if it’s “more efficient” for the fed to provide some services. I will gladly accept the inefficiencies of state governments doing the work in exchange for more freedom. > [@](#): > > \*\* Also, it would make states very unequal in the level of services provided. Some poorer areas would get poorer.\*\* Who cares? Is it the federal government’s responsibility to ensure “poor areas” don’t get poorer? I don’t think you understand _why_ we have a federal government and what its responsibilities are… ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-why/156180/59 "2003-02-20T17:33:17Z")
I vote Republican simply because they are certainly the lesser of 2 evils. I have my differences with them, but when faced with the prospect of a slap in the face or a kick in the nuts, I’ll take the slap. I hate the way some Republicans rally against taxes, then support sales taxes to build stadiums for their rich sport team owning friends. That really pisses me off. I also believe in medical marijuana and allowing small amounts for recreational use (and remember folks, I’m a cop). But other than those 2 issues, I can think of little I have in common with Democrats. While I’m not rich, I do make a heck of a good living. The more of my tax exemptions grow up and move out of the house, the more concerned I am about income tax cuts. The Dems are more concerned about taking my money and giving it to people who made the wrong choices in life. My kids are as white as can be. Not their fault. They were born like that. the Dems seem to think that being a member of the majority is cause for discrimination via programs like affirmitive action. With all the birth control available over the counter, I find no reason for anyone to be irresponsible, then murder their unborn child (unless of course the mother is in great danger. Then it’s self defense). More Republicans than Democrats agree with me. I believe that the Founding Fathers expected, at very least every male, to be armed and trained with the most effective weapons available, and have the right to own private arms. While George Bush is not exactly the friend to gun owners some think he is, he certainly is not the gun grabber most Dems are. I could go on and on, but I have to get back to work. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-why/156180/60 "2003-02-20T17:54:24Z")
To quote **Crafter\_Man** : > [@](#): > > I don’t care if it’s “more efficient” for the fed to provide some services. (Underlinging mine) and > [@](#): > > Who cares? Is it the federal government’s responsibility to ensure “poor areas” don’t get poorer? (again, underlining mine) THAT’s more what I’m referring to about the republican mentality, not the argument over what the federal government’s role per the constitution. And yes, I know about the federal government’s role per the constitution. I’m saying that in this day and age, there’s a lot more to governing this country than the authors of the constitution conceived of in their day and age. Plus, I would offer that I’m NOT if favor of some huge, paternalistic beaurocracy. I AM in favor of having things that benefit the citizens’ (ALL of them) well being (health care, education, child welfare, etc.), as citizens being well makes for, well, better citizens, and IMHO, a better country. If I could be assured that these things could happen through private sector efforts, I’d be thrilled. But that just doesn’t happen to the extent I believe it needs to in real life that I have observed. I’d like to know what percentage of the Bush tax rebates people spent on charity. That would give me a better idea how well privately-based giving works. Anyway, after further thought, I don’t believe it’s constructive for me to be actively contibuting to this thread, not being a republican, since the OP was looking for republicans’ opinions. Apologies to all for that. I’ll answer whatever is asked of me here, but I won’t further stir the pot with my commie pinko views. 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-why/156180.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-why/156180.md?page=4)