Why is the Republican Party losing voters to Democrats?

Question

Could it be because they have created massive deficits, weakened American prestige abroad, alienated allies, have failed to reduce terrorism (instead it has drastically increased), increased big brother surveillence over the American citizen, and engaged in a culture of corruption, perhaps?

Trends in Political Values and Core Attitudes: 1987-2007
http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=312

TJ,

The Republican Party used to be a purely northeastern liberal party. Seems to me that they were the real Lincoln Republicans and the RINOs (Republicans In Name Only) are all the southern confederate flag waving conservatives that have since taken over the party.

Answer 1

The Republicans are losing voters because they are going back to their roots.

The Democratic Party goes back to the "Anti-Federalists," who ironically called themselves "Republicans" and were led by Thomas Jefferson. They supported small government and won the Revolutionary War, the Constitutional Convention, and for most of the 19th Century (until they abandoned principle in the Dred Scott court case). They first adopted the name Democrat during the Jackson administration in the 1830s. After Grover Cleveland, the last true liberal to be president of America, the Democrats flip-flopped into a big government party and changed the definition of liberal to mean its opposite.

The Republicans started out as the Federalist Party. They were led by the Monarchist Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton attempted to take over the country unsuccessfully at the Constitutional Convention (which he instigated as a coup attempt), but he then helped to ratify the Constitution, realizing that it had insufficient checks and balances to stop him from getting his big government, even though it was unconstitutional. Even though the Federalist Party (along with their Monarchist president John Adams) would be kicked out of power in 1800, they appointed one of their partisans, John Marshall to run the Supreme Court and he proceeded to hijack the Constitution for 30 years and provide most of the justification for big government (he even once accused one of the Framers of not understanding the Constitution in McCullough v. Maryland, which was a case in which he should have ruled that the Bank of the United States, a spiritual predecessor of the Federal Reserve, was unconstitutional and that Maryland had every right to charge the illegal bank an exorbitant fee to print its notes). Even though the Federalist Party fell apart by 1820, it soon reinvented itself as the Whig Party, which was led by Henry Clay, one of the top warmongers responsible for the War of 1812 in which the British burnt down the White House and destroyed records in Virginia. The Whig Party never got elected, except when they ran a Democrat as vice president and had faded by the 1850s. However, the Republican Party soon replaced the Whigs and elected Abe Lincoln. Lincoln violated Civil Liberties more than any other president in history (he arrested newspaper owners, state legislators, and Sen. Clement Vallandigham, leader of the Democrat opposition; he also signed an arrest warrant, never served, for Chief Justice Taney of the Supreme Court, the Chief Justice who actually interpreted the Constitution the most accurately of any in history, with the exception of the Dred Scott Case). Lincoln printed fiat money in direct contrast to the Constitutional requirement that all money has to be gold or silver (which the government now routinely violates with few complaints). He also passed an Income Tax, which was unconstitutional (until the 16th Amendment). Lincoln instituted the first "draft" in the history of the United States, which was blatantly unconstitutional even before the 13th Amendment and even more so now. After the Civil War, the Republicans illegally added the 14th Amendment into the Constitution (it was never properly proposed and was only ratifyed by the states under force). Then President Grant packed the Supreme Court when the court properly ruled that fiat money was unconstitutional so that the decision could be reversed a year later. The Republicans even stole an election in 1876 (it was won by Samuel Tilden, but Rutherfraud Hayes served his term as president). Then they passed "Civil Service Reform" in the 1880s, creating the federal bureaucracy and getting rid of rotation in office (which Jefferson and Jackson had strongly supported to prevent corruption and which has since been smeared as the "spoils system"). Years later, when FDR was elected and started violating the Constitution left and right, the Republicans became the party of small government. Their victory in the Congressional Elections of1946 and repeal of the price controls (such as a "maximum wage") ended the Great Depression. However, they nominated a big government conservative in 1948 and lost as a result. In 1952, Eisenhower decided to run as a Republican merely to prevent Sen. Robert Taft from being elected. When the GOP finally nominated a pro-small government candidate in 1964, the media and the big government conservatives smeared him throughout the campaign (not to mention the warmongering neo-con Lyndon Johnson who was bombing Vietnam while accusing Vietnam war opponent Barry Goldwater of wanting to cause a nuclear war). In 1980, the Republicans won on small government rhetoric with Reagan, even though Reagan never really reduced the size of the government at all. Ever since, they have failed to nominate a supporter of small government and they refuse to support Ron Paul, even though he is the only candidate on the GOP side who has a chance to win.

The problem is that both parties support big government, big deficits, wars to make America less safe in the name of making it safer, a police state, and handouts for themselves and their cronies. At the moment, most of the media and both parties are going around telling people that all is well and that there are no economic problems and no foreign policy problems. However, the reality is that unless we get rid of the IRS, the Federal Reserve, the Patriot Act, and the idea that we should attack other nations if we feel like it, we aren't going to be very well off. We aren't a world power anymore and it is because of 150 years of big government that we are in this situation. Unless we return to the Constitution (or otherwise transition to Anarcho-Capitalism), we aren't going to be a very strong country in the near future.

Answer 2

I think young voters of today have been conditioned over the course of their lives to think a certain way. They've been bombarded all their life with liberal political correctness. In other words, they have been told what to think, what to accept, and how to live. Once they are completely on their own and away from PC lies, they realize that their opinion counts. Some will snap out of the PC mind control and become more aware of what the real world is all about. That's when they move to the good side.

Answer 3

all the above reasons are correct. but the other reason is that Republicans don't want to inherent all the problems they created. the war and the wars that is pending, IE; Iran. Iran has helped republicans before IE; Iran/Contra and letting go the hostages right after election. hostage crisis hurt Carter for re-election. they illegally gave Iran weapons for hostages and to Contra. if one learns about the Iran's revolution will know that Hezbollah was strengthen by the republicans to divert their revolution ,IE; giving Saddam the green light to attack Iran. this gave advantage to Hezbollah since Iran couldn't go into a civil war then and Hezbollah slowly recognized all the opposition leaders and killed them off. Hezbollah was not that strong yet. long story short they strengthen them and the Al Qeada in Pakistan. they have no respect on the laws that Congress passes IE; not sending weapons to Contra. anyways, Iran will be a hair in the nose of anyone who is the next president, specially if Democrat. Republicans make sure of that and then we will be blaming the Democrats. that is an educated guess and i have been always correct so far. i Can see their chess game and how it is set up. conspiracy!

Answer 4

I am actually quite pleased to see so many Repbulicans in denial about this. It was this denial that resulted in the pants kicking they recieved in 2006 and will occur again next year.
They speak of "far left" agendas when the most extreme proposal from the Dems in this campaign has been to ensure every American has health insurance. They label anyone that disagrees with the current administration RINOs and ignore all polls.
2008 is looking very very easy - not that we will be complacent.

Answer 5

the last good republican in office was eisenhower. republicans look up to reagan which i really laugh about. since eisenhower the republican party has grown to serve the rich and lobbyists and don t care about the people or what is good for this country, seems people are finally realizing the history of both parties.

Answer 6

Or could it merely be that they have grown weary of this war and bought into the democratic promises made in the last November elections? Remember - "A new direction?"
With the numbers that are being generated in recent polls concerning approval ratings for both the congress and the Whitehouse, I'd have to say both sides of the isle are not exactly scoring any touchdowns of late.

Answer 7

For all the reasons you mentioned. They are increasingly looked at as being too extreme - the Republican Party can thank the neo-cons for that gift. Here's some more info on this:

Wave of Party Switchers Hits Republicans
Citing extremism, more GOPers are joining the Democrats
http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/2823...

Moderates in Kansas Decide They're Not in GOP Anymore
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/con...

Citing extremism, more GOPers are joining the Democrats.
http://www.truthout.org/cgi-bin/artman/e...

Answer 8

All of the Above. Vote Ron Paul if you hate the IRS, wars in for foriegn jerks, illegal imigration, the fake inflation the federal reserve (a private bank) charges for use of its (not our) dollar.
And ummm looking at his voting record.

Answer 9

well, maybe but many of the REAL Conservatives i've talked to are joining the Libertarian Party now that the GOP has become a pathetic tool for the despicable Constitution shredding neoCONs.

i miss the REAL Conservatives. i seldom agreed with their priorities but they had honor and America's best interests at heart.

Answer 10

Democrat, or Republican it makes no difference. They are picked by the same people. it is kind of like pro wrestling the winner is picked before the contest.