# Which party "protects" the country better? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 29, 2009, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-party-protects-the-country-better/483576 "2009-01-29T17:10:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [January 30, 2009, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-party-protects-the-country-better/483576/21 "2009-01-30T03:55:55Z")
> [@wsbenge](#): > > I don’t see a significant difference in the Repulicrats. They talk difference, but it really isn’t there, by the time the voting is done … unless they are pumping smoke and using the polished mirrors. A right wing myth; they love to defend themselves by saying that the Democrats aren’t any better or any different. But the Democrats are. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-party-protects-the-country-better/483576/22 "2009-02-01T11:07:34Z")
A couple of nitpicks: > [@](#): > > **Algher** : Should we blame the Democrats for starting Vietnam, and the Republicans for ending it? > [@](#): > > **Algher** : Ford: We left Vietnam. We went into Vietnam with military advisors in 1956. Thirteen of them were injured in a bombing in 1957. The first American to die in Vietnam was one of these advisors in 1959. All of this was during the Eisenhower Administration. He is the one who articulated the “Domino Theory” which was the basis for our going in. A Republican was in office when the war ended, but it wasn’t Ford. It was Nixon. A cease fire was declared in 1973 and the last American troops came home that year. Nixon didn’t resign until August 1974. It’s easier when you are old and can remember dancing on the tables. > [@](#): > > **Bricker** : Zell Miller’s comment at the 2004 GOP convention rings true. He said he hadn’t abandoned his party; his party abandoned him. The man was an almost incoherent lunatic as best I remember and said that he wished that we lived in a time when men fought duels – that he would challenge Chris Matthews. He said this on live TV _to_ Chris Mattlews. He was kidding ; he was really angry. Chris was laughing. Now was this before or after we had refused to allow him to support the Democratic Platform and chained the ballot boxes when we saw him coming? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-party-protects-the-country-better/483576/23 "2009-02-01T12:00:21Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Zell Miller’s comment at the 2004 GOP convention rings true. He said he hadn’t abandoned his party; his party abandoned him. Republicans would be well advised to do the same. ---
**Author:** ![wsbenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b38774/32.png) [@wsbenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wsbenge)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2009, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-party-protects-the-country-better/483576/24 "2009-02-02T04:22:51Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > A right wing myth; they love to defend themselves by saying that the Democrats aren’t any better or any different. But the Democrats are. I tend to vote third party. I am sick of both. Watch what they do, not what they say. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2009, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-party-protects-the-country-better/483576/25 "2009-02-02T05:06:06Z")
And what the third parties do is absolutely nothing. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2009, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-party-protects-the-country-better/483576/26 "2009-02-02T10:37:09Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > If only we had had a Republican president in 2001, I’m sure he would have protected us from the September 11 attacks. nm ---
**Author:** ![BrandonR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@BrandonR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrandonR)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2009, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-party-protects-the-country-better/483576/27 "2009-02-02T13:42:09Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > And what the third parties do is absolutely nothing. Well it’s kind of hard to do stuff when you don’t get any votes and don’t get elected into office. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2009, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-party-protects-the-country-better/483576/28 "2009-02-02T16:19:37Z")
Granted, of course that’s the reason third parties don’t do anything. But if they did get elected, why should one think that they’d do any better than the big two? All we have on that is what they say, which **wsbenge** points out is not to be trusted. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2009, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-party-protects-the-country-better/483576/29 "2009-02-02T16:39:28Z")
[QUOTE=Chronos] If only we had had a Republican president in 2001, I’m sure he would have protected us from the September 11 attacks. [/QUOTE] If we were attacked in September of this year would it be Obama’s fault…or Bush’s? If the plan were in place and being worked on from before Obama took control? As for Dec. 7th 1941, Roosevelt was in charge for years before that happened, so it’s not exactly comparable. All that said I don’t really think either party is better at protecting the US from harm. Nor is either immune from fuckups of major proportions wrt getting us into foreign wars and adventures. Attacks like 9/11 or the Cole or earlier WTC attack during Clinton’s reign though have more to do with the worker bees who tend to not be from either party but who are there regardless of who wins or loses in Congress or the Presidency. THEY are the one’s who actually do the work of protecting the country. Mostly they do a pretty good job. Sometimes they fuck up and something slips through the cracks. C’est la vie. -XT ---
**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:** [February 2, 2009, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-party-protects-the-country-better/483576/30 "2009-02-02T20:56:53Z")
> [@xtisme](#): > > If we were attacked in September of this year would it be Obama’s fault…or Bush’s? If the plan were in place and being worked on from before Obama took control? If Obama had deliberately ignored warnings from the previous Administration, later warnings during his own Administration, AND ordered the already ongoing hunt called off on the people who would later be responsible - all of which Bush did - then yes, Obama would have a lot of responsibility. ---
**Author:** ![wsbenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b38774/32.png) [@wsbenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wsbenge)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2009, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-party-protects-the-country-better/483576/31 "2009-02-03T05:24:40Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > And what the third parties do is absolutely nothing. Very true. It is the way our constitution is designed, winner take all. Special interests fund both sides, fund the jockeys that ride for both stables. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-party-protects-the-country-better/483576.md?page=1)