# What are the differences between Democrats and Republicans? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 26, 2012, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-differences-between-democrats-and-republicans/638957 "2012-10-26T17:52:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2012, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-differences-between-democrats-and-republicans/638957/41 "2012-10-27T07:05:30Z")
Your distinctions are trivial or even non-existent. This is a message board - everyone here is only arguing. Nobody is killing or oppressing anyone else. How would you act if you were in a position to do something? Would you kill anyone? Probably not. But Karl Rove never killed anybody. But if you were in Karl Rove’s position do I think you’d treat Republicans the way he treated Democrats? Yes, I think you would. ---
**Author:** ![nion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c5a1d2/32.png) [@nion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nion)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2012, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-differences-between-democrats-and-republicans/638957/42 "2012-10-27T07:30:05Z")
I’ve come to the opinion (that grows stronger with each passing day) that political parties should be done away with altogether. Everyone always breaks into one of two factions, whatever the topic of discussion. Suddenly they are red or blue, the opposite is the enemy. I’d like to see a partyless system. You vote based on the person’s values and beliefs and nothing else. Any candidate identifying with any party of any kind will be cast out of office/the election. A pipedream I know. I just worry… The country hasn’t been this divided since blue coats and bayonets were all the rage in the federal army. ---
**Author:** ![Dereknocue67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6de8d8/32.png) [@Dereknocue67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dereknocue67)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2012, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-differences-between-democrats-and-republicans/638957/43 "2012-10-27T08:28:30Z")
Democrats have a sense of humor and Republicans are the cause. ---
**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2012, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-differences-between-democrats-and-republicans/638957/44 "2012-10-27T09:27:50Z")
Republicans are the “mean girls”. Often angry, a bit condescending, elitist, and disdainful of people that look or act differently. Not afraid to get into territory that is almost demonstrably false. Fox. Democrats are the nerdy girl that really makes a good point, but gets flattened every time someone aggressively challenges her. She is so deferential to reason and harmony, that it’s often unclear if she even wants the job or not. Centrists think that it’s cool for same sex people to get married, and that we should also pay down the damn debt and balance the budget, all while not burdening anyone on the \*care programs. Real thinking people see every issue as its own entity, make a decision, and then look at the next issue. I can be a fiscally conservative, social liberal, with a few mild libertarian ideas, but I can’t vote that way. I have to pick the lesser of two evils because our voting system inevitably funnels things down to a two party system which I ABHOR. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2012, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-differences-between-democrats-and-republicans/638957/45 "2012-10-27T12:08:56Z")
Republicans think in terms of “shoulds”. Fetuses shouldn’t be aborted, because mothers shouldn’t be having sex outside of marraige. And marriage should be about children, since otherwise what’s the point? And people should be allowed to do whatever they want in a free market, because if people get harmed in the process, well, they shouldn’t have allowed themselves to become so desperate that they’d be exploited. Or they should have done their due deligence and not built their house on a toxic waste dump. And poor people should be able to support themselves through their own efforts, and if you give them too help, they won’t. So you shouldn’t take the chance. Democrats think in terms of “is” and “are”. Unwanted fetuses are a reality; so what are we going to do about it? People are always going to want to get married regardless of gender and whether children are in the equation or not, so why not? The free market is always going to screw over someone and access to information and opportunity is not evenly distributed ; how do we prevent or mitigate against this? There are poor people in our society who are this way for a variety of reasons. What do we do to prevent or mitigate against this problem? Republicans use morality to guide their politics. Democrats use practicality. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2012, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-differences-between-democrats-and-republicans/638957/46 "2012-10-27T14:25:53Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Your distinctions are trivial or even non-existent. This is a message board - everyone here is only arguing. Nobody is killing or oppressing anyone else. Except in _my_ case apparently according to you, where I am evil. Just me. > [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > How would you act if you were in a position to do something? Would you kill anyone? Probably not. But Karl Rove never killed anybody. But if you were in Karl Rove’s position do I think you’d treat Republicans the way he treated Democrats? Yes, I think you would. Yeah, sure I would. :rolleyes: And I eat babies in my spare time. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2012, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-differences-between-democrats-and-republicans/638957/47 "2012-10-27T14:57:29Z")
> [@nion](#): > > I’ve come to the opinion (that grows stronger with each passing day) that political parties should be done away with altogether. Everyone always breaks into one of two factions, whatever the topic of discussion. Suddenly they are red or blue, the opposite is the enemy. > > I’d like to see a partyless system. You vote based on the person’s values and beliefs and nothing else. Any candidate identifying with any party of any kind will be cast out of office/the election. > > A pipedream I know. I just worry… The country hasn’t been this divided since blue coats and bayonets were all the rage in the federal army. This is not only a pipe dream, it makes no sense in a large democratic system in which power is not put in the hands on individuals rather than groups. An individual doesn’t have the power to execute policy alone; thus, it makes no sense to vote for a person based on perceived individual characteristics. We _need_ parties. Furthermore, to the extent that our party system is flawed, it’s because it’s a weak party system. We need a strong party system, in which a party can punish or eject a member for breaking ranks. That would offer voters more accountability, predictability, and confidence that a vote means something specific, rather than a mushy “I vote for the candidate, not the party,” which gives us nothing at all except a warm feeling in our pants. ---
**Author:** ![Brynda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Brynda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brynda)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2012, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-differences-between-democrats-and-republicans/638957/48 "2012-10-27T15:08:36Z")
> [@cormac262](#): > > Republicans: “me and mine” > I have earned (or inherited) all that I have, and I’m entitled to every penny of it. Anyone who is less fortunate simply hasn’t tried/worked hard enough. > Therefore: > > - small government “don’t try to restrict how I can increase my wealth” > - screw social programs (leeches don’t deserve help - they’re just lazy) > - scare the rest of the world so that “they” can’t affect my wealth/sources of wealth > > Democrats: “I’m willing to help those less fortunate” > I may not be rich, but I am doing well enough or “better” than others, and I can’t abide allowing so many to suffer. > Therefore: > > - bigger government to control the “haves” from having “everything”, and to support social programs > - favor social programs to help those who need it > - help the countries that could use it, but not force “america” down their throats I totally agree, which is why it seems so damn backward to me that Republicans claim moral superiority. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2012, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-differences-between-democrats-and-republicans/638957/49 "2012-10-27T16:55:10Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Except in _my_ case apparently according to you, where I am evil. Just me. You managed to get a lot wrong here. I never said you were evil. I said you have a fanatic unreasoned hatred of conservatives and are full of intolerance of conservatives. I specifically said you don’t kill or oppress people on this board. Nor did I ever claim you eat babies. And I didn’t single you out. It’s not “just you”. My point was the exact opposite in fact. You want to think you’re different from the people you argue with but I’m saying you’re just like them. ---
**Author:** ![diggerwam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/919ad9/32.png) [@diggerwam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diggerwam)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2012, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-differences-between-democrats-and-republicans/638957/50 "2012-10-27T18:16:34Z")
I believe in science. I’m socially liberal. I have no place in the current republican party. It wouldn’t be too hard for them to get me to consider voting R. ---
**Author:** ![Keweenaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Keweenaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keweenaw)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2012, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-differences-between-democrats-and-republicans/638957/51 "2012-10-27T18:57:20Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > > [@Keweenaw](#): > > > > Here is a interesting [infographic](http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/blog-html/leftvright_US.html) on the subject. > > Do you find that helpful or informative? I don’t. I found it interesting and relevant to the topic. I make no claims for it’s accuracy. The family portion seemed to explain some of my childhood friends’ current republican leanings. > [@drewtwo99](#): > > That infographic is one of the worst things I’ve ever seen in my life. I didn’t intend for it to have that effect. It doesn’t appear to be significantly slanted to the left or right to me. What about it bothered you so much? ---
**Author:** ![Hershele\_Ostropoler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e47c2d/32.png) [@Hershele\_Ostropoler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hershele_Ostropoler)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2012, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-differences-between-democrats-and-republicans/638957/52 "2012-10-27T19:38:54Z")
Democrats generally favor justice over equality over freedom, Republicans the reverse order. Though the respective mainstream of both is pro all three overall. ---
**Author:** ![Hershele\_Ostropoler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e47c2d/32.png) [@Hershele\_Ostropoler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hershele_Ostropoler)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2012, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-differences-between-democrats-and-republicans/638957/53 "2012-10-27T19:45:08Z")
The infographic accords with what I perceive about liberals and conservatives, which means it’s probably slanted left. Democrats are to the left of Republicans (in aggregate). Neither party is really liberal but liberals who are involved with ither are overwhelmingly Democrats, and Democratic policies owe more to liberalism and less to conservativism than Republican parties do (by early 21st-century American standards) ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2012, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-differences-between-democrats-and-republicans/638957/54 "2012-10-27T21:43:42Z")
> [@Hershele\_Ostropoler](#): > > Democrats generally favor justice over equality over freedom, Republicans the reverse order. The Republicans are anti-freedom. They want the wealthy elite to have all power, and be able to crush and exploit people as they wish. They just define “freedom” as “the freedom of the powerful to crush and exploit the weak, and the freedom of the bigoted to persecute their victims”. > [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > You managed to get a lot wrong here. > > I never said you were evil. I said you have a fanatic unreasoned hatred of conservatives and are full of intolerance of conservatives. In other words, evil. > [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > And I didn’t single you out. Yes you have, in this thread. Repeatedly. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-differences-between-democrats-and-republicans/638957.md?page=2)