2006-10-27 10:46:42 · 15 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Politics
Alex B. PhD: Your name may rhyme but you are a moron as you missed the point entirely.
2006-10-27 11:06:11 · update #1
I absolutely agree.
To be honest I've always found the US political system to be incredibly restrictive in general. European politics allows much more political choice and far less political labeling. I think we use the terms "right wing" and "left wing" in the same broad sense as you use republican or democrat, but those broad opinions are not forced into political parties.
The phrases "Republican" or "Democrat" place certain stereotypes in my head. Republicans as right wing religious nuts and Democrats as "soft" left (the Democrats would hardly be considered left-wing at all in Europe). Obviously - that cannot possibly be accurate. I find it very hard to believe that Americans do not actually have the huge range of political beliefs that people in the rest of the world do. But the terms you use encourage that stereotyping.
Trying to pigeonhole that variety into two very tight labels restricts political expression and is detrimental to the political future of America as a whole. People like Joe Lieberman have little in common with people like Howard Dean or even people like Michael Moore. Grouping them together into broad caucuses forces people to make generalisations and forces a polarisation of political opinion.
America needs a more multilateral political environment, one where two parties don't have all the power and where political power is not so clearly dependent on financial power. The massive amounts of money thrown away on US campaigns ensure that only certain interests are represented in the US system. People are forced to state that they are republican or democrat, because they are only given this restricted choice, when it doesn't represent who they are or what they believe in in any way.
I don't see it changing though. There is no political will among the elite to make change happen.
2006-10-29 00:10:32 · answer #1 · answered by the last ninja 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Yes! Extraordinarily so!
I usually tend to favor the politicians who defy their label or resist going along with the herd. I respect men (and women) who have a strong sense of morality of their own, without being dictated to.
I usually will lean toward the Republican party, but not always. There are a lot of Democrats I respect deeply.
You usually hear people say that they're fiscally conservative and liberal on the social issues-- I'm the other way around, socially conservative and fiscally liberal. I think I may be the only one.
I think this is why I like politicians like Lieberman and Giuliani.
2006-10-27 17:49:55 · answer #2 · answered by Lanani 6 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Yes, terribly. I would like to create another party, something like the "Opportunists" or "Smorgasbord" party...that way, I could take the things I like from this party, that party, the other one too. I disagree with Republican, Democrat, Independent, Libertarian and other party platforms when taken as a whole, but bits and pieces from each appeal to me.
2006-10-29 13:29:12 · answer #3 · answered by Nightwalker 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
And when you try to peel them off they always leaves that sticky residue behind.
Seriously though... politics in general are so polarized these days. Each party champions itself as being a catchall for either conservative or liberal values and you have to align yourself in one camp or the other. Then there's the political commentary in the media with all it's polemicists and outraged wind bags.
2006-10-28 09:20:39 · answer #4 · answered by opifan64 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yes, I do. Hardly anbody agrees with either party 100% of the time. I'm liberal, but I don't consider myself a democrat. There are some things that the republican party does that I agree with.
2006-10-27 17:49:39 · answer #5 · answered by robtheman 6 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Naah, then the republicans wouldn't have much to do creatively. They enjoy making up alternative spellings. Demorats, democrankies, demonrats, etc...
2006-10-27 17:53:11 · answer #6 · answered by notme 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I find party affiliations to be restrictive of mental developement. Labels are just plain stupid. Remember Hitler and his gold stars for Jews? Same thing. We don't need to be African-American. We don't need to be Irish-American. We need to be American.
American is the only lable we need.
2006-10-27 18:00:00 · answer #7 · answered by sjsosullivan 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
No, I think that the parties are so similar now that the names are too inclusive. I think that they should name themselves the Liberal and Conservative parties, and have party platforms that reflect those ideas.
2006-10-27 17:54:15 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
No. but I'd never wear one of the labels. Bad fit, incompetent design.
2006-10-27 17:58:50 · answer #9 · answered by Muscat 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Yes they are always trying to improve the world.
Don't pollute Don't deforest Don't genetically alter live stock.
Why can't they leave us alone??
Go big Red Go
2006-10-27 17:52:30 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋