Why do certain people think that the Democratic party is only about protecting abortion, gay rights...?

Question

and socialism?
http://www.alisonwheeler.org.uk/orguk/beliefs

http://www.democrats.com/

Answer 1

Those are the "wedge" or "hot button" issues. They're easy to understand (for or against), easy to sell, and very emotionally-charged. Although I love diversity and have more empathy for the Democrats, they come across as so diverse that they seem to have unity beyond "we're not them". Therefore, the Democrats don't appear to be solid on the more complex issues such as the economy, immigration, foreign policy, etc. What may well be very viable plans for those issues come across as little more than an individual candidate's highly theoretical "best guess". That's just my opinion though.

Answer 2

Thos are the topics that get the most ink. They are lightning rod topics, just like being anti abortion and gay marriage are becoming more Republican topics.

Which to me is odd because if you look back pre 1980s you didn't see this fervent a push to back either plank. Maybe this is the fallout of have the religeous faction slowly taking over, something Barry Goldwater used to warn against back in 1964.

Answer 3

Up until the last election, those 2 subjects were front and foremost in their campaigns. I don't believe you will see too much this time. They want to talk about "THE WAR". In the last election they were somewhat derailed by the gay marriage issue and they were not prepared to change their campaign strategy at that late of a date. They believed "THE WAR" was their ticket in. There is every indication that the late change of subject did not work to their favor. This election is all about "THE WAR" and woe to the person or group who tries to change the subject. Sure, you will have other scraps thrown out there, Hillary's Med Insurance, Obama's tax cut, etc. But don't expect a lot about gay marriage and abortion. It didn't win the last 2 elections and it wont win this one.

Answer 4

because it is. i actually agree with democrats about gay rights. but the abortion and socialism i absolutely disagree with them on. the democrat party might as well just change its name to the socialist party, or the communist party, either one would be honest. i mean what else is the democrat party about? are they about supporting the military, increasing military spending, or fighting terrorism? i dont think so. the moment i hear a democrat talking about those issues and how important they are is the same moment i start voting democrat.

Answer 5

We know they are much more than that, but those are the big three of their platform.

We know they also would like"

Gun control
Change the constitution in the courts instead of amending it.
That anyone in the minority has more rights than the majority.
A weak National Defense to free up more money for social programs.
Appeasement to terrorist.
Flag burning OK, prayer not OK
Global Warming is man made, and we need to have Carbon credit offsets to get it under control.
A spotted owl has more value than a persons right to a home.
Wealth redistribution so that we have economic equality, (this one cracks me up when we they claim we don't have racial equality yet, how long would this take and cost.)

So technically we understand that the democrats are about a whole lot of issues that we disagree with. We do agree on a couple of items, clean air, and clean water. We all would like to breathe and drink.

Answer 6

Originally (most of the 20th century) the primary focus of the Democratic party was liberal issues such as civil rights, personal freedoms, freedom of choice, etc.

Recently, in the past 20~30 years, it became more focused on social welfare programs and other forms of socialist regulation of business "for the greater good" -- and kept up the remaining civil liberties issues more out of habit than anything else.

Answer 7

There are plenty of democrats that are pro life and anti gay.

But most of them are for 'equal justice'. Sounds good until you find out how they want to go about it.
They want to make the best of us more equal to the worst of us and that just isn't going to work. That's socialism, tried and failed.
Look at the democratic party platform and the CPUSA agenda and you will see that there is little departure between the two.

Answer 8

Your link takes you to a "Liberal Democrat" site for the United Kingdom. The Democrats in the US are defined by their members, who are a rag tag bunch of folks.

Answer 9

The 2 main talking points I've heard from all the democratic nominees this year have been:

1) Nat'l Healthcare

2) Raise Taxes

They are not offering plans for hardly anything else.

Answer 10

Hmmm, let's see . . .

Perhaps it's because the Democratic Party is in bed with, and taking huge quantities of money from:

Abortion Rights groups
Gay Rights groups
MoveOn.org
Socialists
Communists
Illegal Immigrant "rights" groups
Big Government groups
Anti-Military groups and causes
Left-wing fringe groups
etc.?

Perhaps because all we hear about from their mouths are liberal/socialist causes? Increasing Government intrusion into and control of our lives? Increasingly confiscatory taxes to be redistributed from those that have to those who don't deserve? Gay marriage "rights"? Centralized command and control of EVERYTHING based in Washington, DC?

"If it looks like a duck, and walks like a duck, and eats like a duck, and quacks like a duck, and craps like a duck, and flies like a duck, well then, it MUST be a duck."