Hello there. Been directed here from the new members thread. I just have some very basic questions about some very basic things if anyone has a spare moment to try and answer them. I am from England and don't know an awful lot about American politics. 1. Is there a fundamental difference between Republicans and Democrats that can be explained in a few simple sentences, or is it more complex. 2. For a first time 'average' American voting in the 2016 Presidential election, which of these factors are likely to influence their decision: Who their family is voting for? Where they live? Which party they prefer? The policies of the candidates? The personality of the candidates ? Anything else? 3.Once somebody identifies with a party, are they likely to always vote for that party or do people change throughout their lives? 4. What do you think is the main reason that people who choose not to vote, choose not to vote? 5. Does political belief cause problems often on a personal level? Like would a passionate Democratic couple be disappointed if their child started dating a Republican? Well that's it for now. If anyone has any thoughts about any of these please add your input.
1) Depends on who you ask. Some believe that both parties simply bend to the whims of different special interest groups. That both parties simply move their goal post depending on the popularity of certain views at a given time. But yes, there are some obvious differences amongst the majority of respective representatives and party members on specific issues, i.e., immigration, gay marriage, etc. 2) All of the above. Unfortunately though, many do not thoroughly vet the politicians or policies they support. The whole ordeal has almost taken on the atmosphere of a sports event. Too many are simply taking a side (a team), and rehashing spoon fed talking points. 3) Changing party loyalty certainly isn't unheard of. Some change radically, others slowly. Some become cynics and migrate away from all of it, or go on to try convincing others that it's all bull****. 4) They feel their vote doesn't count, or wouldn't make a difference anyways. 5) It certainly could, especially amongst family, friends, and co-workers.
Some major difference between conservatives are liberals I've noticed are these: Liberals tend to congregate in cities while conservatives tend to be rural. Liberals have an entitlement mentality that conservatives do not. Throughout history people in cities ten to believe themselves to be more civilized than rural folk. Such as Rome calling Scottish barbarians, and anybody else, and tend to have a snobby elitist (which means I know better than you obey my authority) towards people. Entitlement attitude means that they want stuff without having to work for it, and they deserve free stuff, and that people have to give them free stuff and they don't have to work for it. They resent other people when they don't get free stuff. In Ferguson, we see looting of stores and people taking things like hair extensions and calling it protest.
1. The Democrats are the party of ever more government. The Republican establishment is in favor of slightly less government. The Tea Party is in favor of a whole lot less government. This is against the back drop of a tax code that is more than ten times as long as Tolstoy's "War and Peace" and is far more complicated and far less clearly written and represent well less than 1 % of regulatory overburden under which American industry operates. 2. That is an extremely difficult question to answer, My parents were life long Democrats. I'm a Tea Party Republican though I am not nearly in full agreement even with them. Put simply however if there is any reason other than the policies espoused by the candidate that you are voting for that candidate don't bother to vote because you're part of the problem not part of the solution. I disagree with ole. Bluboy on just about every issue there is but when he votes he votes for a set of policies not a pretty face and while I might think he is an idiot for voting for those policies he at least is paying the hell attention to what's going on even if he's wrong in his conclusions. 3. I cast my first vote in a Democratic Primary, Reagan started out as a Democrat. Both parties have there share of yellow dogs but at the edges there are a hell of a lot of people who simply aren't consistent in their choices. I knew character when I was living in Alabama who always voted Republican for President and Democrat for house and senate. He figured he was more likely to get left alone if the power was divided. He may have a point. 4, In the Main, what ever other excuse they may the real answer is that they just don't really give enough of damn about it to go find a polling place. 5 Got a cousin who is a socialist. Within a month after I got on face book he unfriended me.
