# Why your party? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 4, 2000, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-your-party/17450 "2000-02-04T21:07:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Amazingrace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8edcca/32.png) [@Amazingrace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amazingrace)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2000, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-your-party/17450/1 "2000-02-04T21:07:00Z")
I’ve been curious. What specific beliefs do you have that make you want to be a Republican, Democrat, Libritarian, Anarchist, or whatever? Don’t tell me why your party is better than any other, just what are your beliefs that make you a member of your party. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2000, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-your-party/17450/2 "2000-02-04T21:24:00Z")
For those who don’t know, I am a Libertarian because I believe that, without exception, peaceful honest people should be free to pursue their own happiness in their own. ---
**Author:** ![Ursa\_Major](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a88e57/32.png) [@Ursa\_Major](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ursa_Major)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2000, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-your-party/17450/3 "2000-02-04T21:27:00Z")
I don’t belong to any organized political party…I’m a Democrat. ---
**Author:** ![Spiritus\_Mundi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c68b51/32.png) [@Spiritus\_Mundi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiritus_Mundi)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2000, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-your-party/17450/4 "2000-02-04T21:57:00Z")
I view all political parties as mechanisms through which indiduals substitute pat answers for serious thought about individual issues. None of them are worthy of support by an active mind. * * * - The best lack all conviction The worst are full of passionate intensity. \* ---
**Author:** ![Amazingrace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8edcca/32.png) [@Amazingrace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amazingrace)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2000, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-your-party/17450/5 "2000-02-05T00:10:00Z")
Lib, do you worry about the people who aren’t honest? What about them? How should we handle them? I’m not trying to sound mean or come down on you, I’m seriously wondering. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2000, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-your-party/17450/6 "2000-02-05T01:01:00Z")
AmazingGrace: What do you mean? ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2000, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-your-party/17450/7 "2000-02-05T01:17:00Z")
I belong to the [Peace and Freedom Party](http://www.peaceandfreedom.org/) (in California, USA) because I’m a socialist and a pacifist. Their party platform conforms with my beliefs on how a just society can be achieved. ---
**Author:** ![techchick68](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@techchick68](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/techchick68)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2000, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-your-party/17450/8 "2000-02-05T02:31:00Z")
Libertarianism, choice. Pro-choice on everything and live by the rights the Constitution guarantees. ---
**Author:** ![Satan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Satan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satan)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2000, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-your-party/17450/9 "2000-02-05T02:31:00Z")
I am a Libertarian as well. A moderate one, and I think a little more conservative than the guy who is named Libertarian, not that it’s a huge deal. Ultimately, I find the social policies that Libertarian ideals expound to be mostly in synch with my own. I do think that some of the more extreme Libertarians go a bit overboard on some issues such as foreign policy, education and the like. But I ain’t never gonna fiund a party that is as liberal as I am on personal rights issues, but as conservative as I am on matters fiscal and foreign (for the most part), and Libertarian is closer to reconciling the two IMHO. * * * Yer pal, Satan ---
**Author:** ![Amazingrace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8edcca/32.png) [@Amazingrace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amazingrace)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2000, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-your-party/17450/10 "2000-02-05T16:00:00Z")
Lib: Sorry I’m not making any sense. > [@](#): > > without exception, peaceful honest people should be free to pursue their own happiness in their own. I agree with you. But what about all the violent, dishonest people out there? How do the Libraltarians handle them? ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2000, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-your-party/17450/11 "2000-02-05T16:27:00Z")
Because I have good taste in beer, my roommate has good taste in dance music, and we don’t believe in making people bring their own bottle… Oh, that kind of party. Never mind. * * * Cultural elite and proud of it. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2000, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-your-party/17450/12 "2000-02-05T17:16:00Z")
AmazingGrace: > [@](#): > > I agree with you. But what about all the violent, dishonest people out there? How do the Libraltarians handle them? Sorry, I don’t mean to be dense. But what do you mean by “handle”? I’ll take a stab at one possible interpretation. Libertarians (kindly note the spelling, by the way — it is remarkable that it is the only word you’ve misspelled in this thread, not once, but _twice_, and differently both times) handle violence and economic dishonesty with defensive and retaliatory force. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2000, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-your-party/17450/13 "2000-02-05T17:31:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by Libertarian: > Libertarians (kindly note the spelling, by the way — it is remarkable that it is the only word you’ve misspelled in this thread, not once, but _twice_, and differently both times) handle violence and economic dishonesty with defensive and retaliatory force. Does this mean that if someone steals your car, you go beat them up? Or do you cut off their hands? If you decide to cut off their hands, do their relatives then come after you for revenge? ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2000, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-your-party/17450/14 "2000-02-06T06:34:00Z")
Sounds like maybe you have libertarianism mixed up with anarchy. If someone steals your car, then you have the right to force them to restore you to the condition you were in before your car was stolen. ---
**Author:** ![David\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@David\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_B)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2000, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-your-party/17450/15 "2000-02-05T19:57:00Z")
Spiritus said: > [@](#): > > I view all political parties as mechanisms through which indiduals substitute pat answers for serious thought about individual issues. None of them are worthy of support by an active mind. Well said. Saved me a few words. I know people who support candidates from a given party simply because it’s their party. How moronic! I know a Repub who supported every GOP candidate, even though he was personally pro-choice and pro-gay-rights. I know a Dem who held fundraisers for a Dem gubernatorial candidate, even though that candidate was more conservative than the Repub running at the time (and the fundraiser was definitely not)! It was the name of the party that mattered, and that was all. To me, it’s the _person_ that matters. ---
**Author:** ![Konrad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f475e1/32.png) [@Konrad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Konrad)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2000, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-your-party/17450/16 "2000-02-05T20:10:00Z")
My stand on the issue: Don’t vote. It only encourages them. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2000, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-your-party/17450/17 "2000-02-05T20:32:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by Libertarian: > \*\*Sounds like maybe you have libertarianism mixed up with anarchy. > > If someone steals your car, then you have the right to force them to restore you to the condition you were in before your car was stolen.\*\* Perhaps I do have the two mixed up. What you are trying to say, then, is that you would use a government court system and law-enforcement system for reparation, similarly to what the USA has now? I would agree with that. ---
**Author:** ![Cooper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@Cooper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cooper)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2000, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-your-party/17450/18 "2000-02-07T03:44:00Z")
> [@](#): > > How moronic! I know a Repub who supported every GOP candidate, even though he was personally pro-choice and pro-gay-rights. I know a Dem who held fundraisers for a Dem gubernatorial candidate, even though that candidate was more conservative than the Repub running at the time (and the fundraiser was definitely not)! It was the name of the party that mattered, and that was all. Here in Kansas, we have a Republican Governor who is a Democrat. That is - he is registered as a republican but you look at his policies and its - Democrat! Of course, most people in Kansas are republicans for the same reasons they are christians - They Daddy Was! For the most part, this state is composed of Democrats who think they are republicans. There are certainly plenty of real republicans, and real nut cases (like those who packed the BOE and removed evolution from state standards - causing the government to begin motions to disband the BOE altogether…)but for the most part the moderates are in charge, like in most states. And the moderates of both parties are hard to tell apart. ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2000, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-your-party/17450/19 "2000-02-07T05:19:00Z")
Curiously, if you switch “Republican” and “Democrat” in Cooper’s description of Kansas, you have a pretty good description of Kentucky. As for me, I’m a registered Democrat, mainly because I have to be to vote in the primaries here. My actual views are probably closest to those of the Green Party, especially the emphasis on grassroots democracy and decentralization. Dr. J ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2000, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-your-party/17450/20 "2000-02-07T05:46:00Z")
I would join the [Labor Party](http://www.igc.apc.org/lpa/documents/program.html) if they were qualified here in California (I’m not actually sure if they’re qualified anywhere in the US). Instead I’m an ex-Democrat, currently registered independent. I find the Democratic Party too centrist and, no offense Arnold, but the Peace & Freedom people I met in college were just the biggest bunch of simpering twits I’ve ever met. I suppose I could join the Green Party but, I dunno, I just have an aversion to hippie liberal yuppie type people and I can’t shake that association (if any Green Party members here want to disabuse me of this perception, please feel free). There are no other qualified leftist political parties in Cali so for now I’m just going to stay independent. BTW, independent voters here **can** vote in anyone’s primaries, though I think the big parties have come up with some sort of scam not to count the votes of non-party members. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-your-party/17450.md?page=2)