# Why mommy is a Democrat. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 7, 2006, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-mommy-is-a-democrat/351722 "2006-04-07T14:51:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-mommy-is-a-democrat/351722/41 "2006-04-07T17:07:27Z")
> [@Mr. Moto](#): > > Of course not. It is a duty owed to God and the children both. > > But for instilling religious and political values, the best thing to do is to live up to them and set an example. Books like this aren’t a substitute for the hard work that this entails. Duty? DUTY? Ferfuckssake. It’s an option. Like taking 'em to Disney World. ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-mommy-is-a-democrat/351722/42 "2006-04-07T17:07:32Z")
> [@Muad'Dib](#): > > You can’t tell me that Ted Kennedy hiding under your bed is not a terrifying thought. Depends… is he wearing pants? ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-mommy-is-a-democrat/351722/43 "2006-04-07T17:13:20Z")
Well, you can always let [Jimmy Carter teach your Sunday school class](http://atlanta.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A57592) > [@Mr. Carter](#): > > “I was teaching a Sunday school class two weeks ago,” he recalls. "A girl, she was about 16 years old from Panama City [Fla.], asked me about the differences between Democrats and Republicans. > > "I asked her, ‘Are you for peace, or do you want more war?’ Then I asked her, ‘Do you favor government helping the rich, or should it seek to help the poorest members of society? Do you want to preserve the environment, or do you want to destroy it? Do you believe this nation should engage in torture, or should we condemn it? Do you think each child today should start life responsible for $28,000 in [federal government] debt, or do you think we should be fiscally responsible?’ > > “I told her that if she answered all of those questions, that she believed in peace, aiding the poor and weak, saving the environment, opposing torture … then I told her, ‘You should be a Democrat.’” Yes, Mr. President. All Republicans are war-mongering, exploitative, polluting, torturing evil demons. However, I am with you that there’s no difference when it comes to fiscal respnsiblity. Sigh. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-mommy-is-a-democrat/351722/44 "2006-04-07T17:15:10Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > Duty? DUTY? Ferfuckssake. It’s an option. Like taking 'em to Disney World. > [@Sal Ammoniac](#): > > Depends… is he wearing pants? I think these responses would work better if combined: “Duty? DUTY? Ferfuckssake. It’s an option. Like wearing pants.” ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-mommy-is-a-democrat/351722/45 "2006-04-07T17:17:58Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > Yes, Mr. President. All Republicans are war-mongering, exploitative, polluting, torturing evil demons. However, I am with you that there’s no difference when it comes to fiscal respnsiblity. Sigh. Not all Republicans are these things, but in large measure they express support for such things. (See poll numbers of support for Bush among Republicans, and see also a lack of opposition to Bush among the rubber stampering Republicans in congress.) ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-mommy-is-a-democrat/351722/46 "2006-04-07T17:18:33Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > Duty? DUTY? Ferfuckssake. It’s an option. Like taking 'em to Disney World. If you believe in God and worship him, then it is a duty. If you don’t, then it isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-mommy-is-a-democrat/351722/47 "2006-04-07T17:22:16Z")
> [@Mr. Moto](#): > > If you believe in God and worship him, then it is a duty. If you don’t, then it isn’t. Wow, you believe in God and yet consider it a Duty to Worship “him”? Is this duty better or worse than doing taxes and taking out the garbage? You make it sound so wonderful. 😃 Jim ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-mommy-is-a-democrat/351722/48 "2006-04-07T17:25:35Z")
I was speaking of the specific duty to raise your children within your faith. ---
**Author:** ![gooftroopag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gooftroopag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gooftroopag)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-mommy-is-a-democrat/351722/49 "2006-04-07T17:26:54Z")
> [@JohnBckWLD](#): > > NASCAR’s more entertaining than beat poetry. Scary thing, I know more Republican daddy’s that are in to poetry than Democrat daddy’s. May be an isolated condition though, I am in Texas afterall. Honestly, the answer to the question of the missing daddy is easily summed up in the following skit. Allow me to set the stage. It’s a clear sunny day, the sun is shining, the birds are chirping and the first day of squirrel school for little Bobby-BrownTail (because everyone knows squirrels are called Bobby). Little Bobby is excited and rushes off to class to learn his teacher is Bobby-Schwarzenegger. Enter Bobby-BrownTail as he teachers begins… Bobby-Schwarzenegger: We’re going to play a wonderful game called…“Who is my daddy and what does he do?” Okay, we’ll start with Bobby-BrownTail, who is your daddy? Bobby-BrownTail: I don’t know! ☹ ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-mommy-is-a-democrat/351722/50 "2006-04-07T17:34:33Z")
As a Democrat, I think the OP’s book is fucking stupid. Even as a joke, it’s not funny, and I’ve seen better art from elementary school kids. ---
**Author:** ![Taber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ac91a4/32.png) [@Taber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taber)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-mommy-is-a-democrat/351722/51 "2006-04-07T17:34:59Z")
Is anyone surprised that the Democrat book is, on the face of it, a warm positive telling of Democrat principles, with passive aggressive swipes at republicans in the background, while the republican book is a full on attack, explaining why liberals are scary? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-mommy-is-a-democrat/351722/52 "2006-04-07T17:39:44Z")
> [@Mr. Moto](#): > > I was speaking of the specific duty to raise your children within your faith. I was mostly teasing you, but as an Agnostic, by your way of thinking, should I dissuade my kids from ever joining a religion or just prepare them to look at any church they may take up pragmatically and with critical thinking? I am unlikely to ever join a Church, but my kids might find something lacking in my approach to life and look into various faiths. I wouldn’t dissuade them {too much} from it. If they make such a decision I would lean towards Unitarianism, reformed Judaism, Quakers or maybe Episcopalian {I was born in RCC and left very young}. I don’t want to force my lack of belief and faith on them. I don’t want to produce mindless drones is the less polite way of putting it. I fully expect my kids to someday disagree with my views on politics and religion. I just hope not on Baseball. Jim ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-mommy-is-a-democrat/351722/53 "2006-04-07T18:27:08Z")
> [@sturmhauke](#): > > I’ve seen better art from elementary school kids. Were they Republicans? ---
**Author:** ![JohnBckWLD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-mommy-is-a-democrat/351722/54 "2006-04-07T18:30:55Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > Were they Republicans? Were they starving? ---
**Author:** ![Greathouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greathouse/32/2992_2.png) [@Greathouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greathouse)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-mommy-is-a-democrat/351722/55 "2006-04-07T18:31:28Z")
Why is there a homeless black man in a trenchcoat and ball cap in every picture? ---
**Author:** ![Muad\_Dib](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-mommy-is-a-democrat/351722/56 "2006-04-07T18:35:26Z")
> [@Sal Ammoniac](#): > > Depends… is he wearing pants? I dunno, but he is under there with Hillary and a donkey. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-mommy-is-a-democrat/351722/57 "2006-04-07T18:47:09Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > Is religious indoctrination bad and pretty cowardly of parents? Bad? That’s two questions, really. The first is, “is that religion right?”, and i’m not going to get into that; however, I would say that for a religious parent the answer is yes, so that part is understandable. The second question is “even if the what you are imposing is correct, is indoctrination right?”, and to that I would say no. Indoctrination implies a special effort to change or mold someone’s mind, and the most important “right” I think people should have is choice. Indoctrination by it’s very definition tries to influence a person’s choices, so I would have to say indoctrination is bad in all cases. It may be _understandable_, but it’s bad. Cowardly? Most definetly. To me it sends the message that the parents do not believe that the message of God (or chosen deity) is not enough on it’s own to compel their children to believe in them; or that they believe if left to their own choices their child may not come to believe in God. By not allowing their child to make their own choices, based on what they believe, and so risking that their child will not have a relationship with whoever upstairs, by instead making an especial effort to twist and alter (their own view of) reality, smacks to me of cowardice. Again, it’s understandable; I imagine if I believed in God, I would want my children to also believe, and the temptation to do whatever I could to help them believe would be strong - nevertheless, it is a cowardly route to take. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-mommy-is-a-democrat/351722/58 "2006-04-07T19:01:05Z")
> [@Revenant Threshold](#): > > Bad? That’s two questions, really. The first is, “is that religion right?”, and i’m not going to get into that; however, I would say that for a religious parent the answer is yes, so that part is understandable. The second question is “even if the what you are imposing is correct, is indoctrination right?”, and to that I would say no. Indoctrination implies a special effort to change or mold someone’s mind, and the most important “right” I think people should have is choice. Indoctrination by it’s very definition tries to influence a person’s choices, so I would have to say indoctrination is bad in all cases. It may be _understandable_, but it’s bad. > > Cowardly? Most definetly. To me it sends the message that the parents do not believe that the message of God (or chosen deity) is not enough on it’s own to compel their children to believe in them; or that they believe if left to their own choices their child may not come to believe in God. By not allowing their child to make their own choices, based on what they believe, and so risking that their child will not have a relationship with whoever upstairs, by instead making an especial effort to twist and alter (their own view of) reality, smacks to me of cowardice. Again, it’s understandable; I imagine if I believed in God, I would want my children to also believe, and the temptation to do whatever I could to help them believe would be strong - nevertheless, it is a cowardly route to take. But isn’t ANY religious training indoctrination? By telling your children they have to attend church with you, you’re making a special effort to change and mold their minds. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-mommy-is-a-democrat/351722/59 "2006-04-07T19:08:32Z")
I think the book is great. With all the unhealthy influences out there (Fox, Limbaugh, Hannity, etc) kids today need to learn what it means to be a Democrat. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-mommy-is-a-democrat/351722/60 "2006-04-07T19:13:15Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > I think the book is great. With all the unhealthy influences out there (Fox, Limbaugh, Hannity, etc) kids today need to learn what it means to be a Democrat. Whoosh me if needed, but tell me are you serious? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-mommy-is-a-democrat/351722.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-mommy-is-a-democrat/351722.md?page=4)