I come from a republican mother and a democrat father. I'm trying to find out which party fits me best,because

Question

2008 will be my first year voting...........but

Why are republicans seem to vote against environmental issues. 70% of republicans voted against environmental bills in the senate....

For example: Fred Thompson wants to drill inside the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

Answer 1

Try the politics test it will tell you which party you're closer to.
http://www.okcupid.com/politics
But decide for yourself don't let anyone else tell you who to vote for.

Answer 2

These are the core differences between the parties. In your example, the government role of protecting the environment would be one that Democrats support, while Republicans believe that environmental controls hamper business.

Republicans believe that a free market can provide almost everything that a civilization needs in the most efficient manner possible, and the government should stay out of its way. Many republicans also believe in Social Darwinism, in which the poor, ill, and elderly should suffer the consequences of their condition without assistance as a way of strengthening society and serving as a example for others. Republicans have recently joined with social conservatives that wish to bring back governmental enforcement of moral issues.

Democrats believe that unrestrained capitalism has caused great harm on society in the past and business needs to be held to responsibility by laws, much the same as people. They believe that because the disparity of power between a corporation, or great wealth, and an individual worker is so great, the government must protect the interests of the individual.

Answer 3

Republicans don't vote against environmental issues because they are against the environment. Most likely it's because of other issues attached to the bill that determines their vote. But, most people will tell you that Republicans are more "pro-business" which might put the environment in the back seat. The best thing for you to do is to research each party's platform and see which issues appeal most to you. Personally, I'm leaning more and more towards being an independent (which will exclude me from voting in the primaries) simply because I feel the two current major parties have become a MAJOR dissapointment. But that's just my opinion.

Answer 4

If you trust corporations to do what's right, you're a Republican.

If you trust people, via government, to do what's right, you're a Democrat.

Just remember that the only motive a corporation has, as an entity, is money. Therefore, other things go by the wayside -- environment, people's health care and living standards, community preservation, et cetera.

The opposite side is that many think government becomes too large and intrusive if allowed to. Think about which party has made the government larger in the last 50 years, and to what effect.

Johnson, a Democrat, enlarged welfare programs, which helped many people pull themselves out of bad positions. Some people say this created a "culture of dependency", but there isn't any evidence this is so.

Reagan cut taxes to the rich dramatically, and yet ran huge deficits to spend much more money, most of it on the military. Some say this bankrupted the Soviet Union, but others say the Beatles and TV did more to bring down the USSR than Reagan.

Clinton, a very business-friendly Democrat, cut the size of Washington bureaucracy, reformed welfare to move people off it faster, and balanced the budget.

Bush has taken that balanced budget and created the biggest deficit in history. He ignored the intelligence handed to him by the previous administration and told the CIA "hands off" on the Saudis and the Bin Laden family.

When that came back to bite him in the *** (killing 3,000 Americans in the process), he used it as an excuse to suspend basic Constitutional rights, take unprecedented power into the executive branch, and then lied to take us to war in a country that was not a threat, spending more than a Trillion dollars in the process. Yet, he says he wants to be fiscally conservative by vetoing a bill that spends $35 billion over the course of several years to help sick kids.

Bush's secretive administration held energy policy meetings with people they will still not reveal, and had memos that split up the oilfields of Iraq in a "post war" scenario, even BEFORE September 11, 2001.

Republicans deny global warming is occurring. But if it is, they say, it's natural and we don't have an effect on it -- despite what 99% of scientists in the field say.

They avoid any serious risk/benefit analysis of the situation because they know they'd lose. Instead, they just point out any hypocrisy they find on the other side.

Republicans generally want to teach "intelligent design" as science (despite its complete lack of scientific evidence) and allow prayer in school, and the Ten Commandments in courthouses. When they mention that, you might want to ask which of the many versions of the Ten Commandments they mean, and whose prayers will they recite. If we have a Mormon president, should all the schoolchildren be taught that Jesus came to America after he died, and that they get to be God of their own planet to be when they die?

If you don't believe in God, will they just let you not participate in the prayer in school? Good, because that's an easy way of singling out who to dislike when they're the same color you are.

Allright ... I am ranting, but you catch my drift.

Answer 5

Two very important things to remember while reading here.

1) Always do your own research and find your own answers. Many people will try to swing you to their side of the fence with false information, half-truths and some all-out lies. BOTH sides of the fence engage in this...dems and repubs.

2) The Y!Answers community (at least in this sub-forum) seem to be some of the most partisan people I've ever seen or read about. In other words, regardless of what is said or done, their party can do no wrong in their eyes. Again, this pertains to both sides.

One of the things you can do with the particular issue you mentioned (or any for that matter) is to seek out as many sources as possible. Remember, there is no detector on the Internet that will tell you how accurate the information you're reading really is. It is up to you to cross-check all of your own information if you want to find the truth.

My opinion is this. Republicans SEEM to vote against environmental issues for many reasons, most of which include not having ll of the information available. For instance...the wildfires in California that took place recently, burning over 500,000 acres. Many people feel that you should be allowed to cut out a lot of the underbrush that acts as tinder for a wildfire if it's on your own property. Environmental groups have banned this. While it will protect the natural feel and look of the woods near someone's house, it is endangering their lives. This is a silly policy and should be revised.

Drilling in ANWR is a huge thing as well. It'll get very complicated if you read into who owns what up there, but many believe that there is a vast amount of oil up there underground. Some believe that at $3.00 a gallon, a war with the Middle East and no end to rising oil prices is a good enough reason as any to start drilling up there for oil. However, many also feel that digging into a wildlife refuge is wrong. This particular one is over 20,000,000 acres (Manhattan is 20,000 acres by comparison) so I feel that the estimated 1,000 acre footprint is a very small price to pay for energy independence until we can get off of oil forever. It's infeasible now to do so, so instead of buying oil from our enemies in most instances, why can't we just be self-sufficient?

Another thing many republicans see is a window of opportunity to create more taxes and fees. For example, taxing higher polluting companies more than cleaner ones. To the best of my knowledge, that's not happening, but many believe that it can (especially with how this government seems complacent with spending OTHER peoples' money)

Either way, in the end, disregard just about everything you read here and do your own research. I'm not saying it to try and be mean, I'm trying to let you know that the only way you can truly have an independent thought when it comes to politics is to find the answers yourself.

Answer 6

The environmental concerns of drilling are extremely exaggerated. You should vote for Thompson or whichever Republican is nominated. The national security issues are more important right now anyway. You can choose between the Republicans carrot and stick approach or the Dem's carrot and piece of candy approach to everything.

Answer 7

There are countless bills that are considered by the Senate...not merely five or six based on the issues that the American public are interested in. There are plenty for them to vote on and most of their votes on fiscal and social issues would contradict voting in favor of environmental funding. It doesn't have anything to do with hating the environment. It just doesn't always hold the biggest place in the area of funding.

Answer 8

Well, you just have to examine your values. I consider myself a Democrat, but I come from ultra-Conservative parents. Hopefully without being biased, I'll try to name the values important to each party:

Republicans:
Security
Work ethic
Patriotism
Capitalism


Democrats:
Peace
Equality
Education
Environmentalism

While the radicals of either side tend to abhor them, both parties highly value Free speech, Liberty, and Charity.

As for your vote, the two Candidates I feel support their party values and moral values are Ron Paul from the Republicans and Barrack Obama from the Democrats. I'll vote for whoever gets the nomination. And I'll probably vote Democrat unless it's for Hillary Clinton. She's a fake.

Answer 9

The best thing is to go to each party's web site and read their platforms. Then decide which one you agree with the most. But don't assume you have to be either one or the other. You can always choose to be independent and split your vote between the two.

Answer 10

Dottie - regardless of who your parents vote for - it is up to you to make the decision on your own and I'm sure your parents will respect whatever decision you make. You don't have to be strictly Democrat or strictly Republicans....you would be wise to look at each candidate and study each candidate and then vote for that candidate based on his/her views on the issues that closely match your own views and opinions.

Here is an excellent nonbiased, nonpartisan site that has good information on the issues and how each candidate who is running for President has declared what they believe.

www.ontheissues.org

Answer 11

I grew up in a similar household. My Father is conservative and my mother is Liberal. Both of my parents are moderates, though, and we all agree on 80% of the issues. Vote for the candidate. The Extremists are ruining this country (see CH...this type of rhetoric is divisive).