Is it a rule of nature that causes Dems & Reps to have so little in common?

[mwb970]

I'm struck by how opposite right-wingers are from me. They like NASCAR. They like country music. They like Limbaugh. They hate Obama. They're against women's rights and gay rights. They're even against stem-cell research.

So what I'm wondering is: is it inevitable that if there are two political parties, they will be polar opposites, like north and south magnetic poles, each defined by the negation of the other? Could there be a possible America where right-wingers are wrong about some things, but not about all things as seems presently the case? So maybe they think tax cuts are the only economic policy (wrong) but they also believe in climate change (right). Or maybe they think the Iraq War was justified (wrong) but also support unfettered scientific inquiry (right).

Or is it a rule of nature that two entities that result from dividing a larger entity in two will always be total, complete opposites? Is this the tyranny of duality? Or am I just defining "right" as "agrees with me" and finding others lacking?

[havocmom]

1. Beginning to wonder if there is a genetic thing going on

So many GOP followers seem to lack a basic ability to do certain functions of critical thought.

[The2ndWheel]

2. Diversity is messy

We need more of it.

[mrcheerful]

4. There lies the problem it takes a liberal mind to be diverse

conservative minds can't disagree with each other so if there is no decent among them then theres no diversity.

[The2ndWheel]

11. But if one group is diverse, and the other isn't, that is diversity

I just don't think diversity comes in a neat little package. Would 50 states united into one country be more or less diverse than those same 50 states existing as all independent countries? Can something even be more diverse than something else? Or does the existence of something else make something diverse?

[Liberty Belle]

3. A little of both.

I am a core liberal on 95% of all issues. But as a parent, I'm disgusted with seeing child predators turned loose in our rural neighborhoods only to commit the same offenses on another innocent child, TV shows that are laced with profanity, sexual themes and even nudity during hours when young children are watching. I'm for stricter penalties for violent sex offenders and child predators, and stricter standards as to what goes over the public airways during after-school hours. I'm also not rabidly anti-gun, knowing many rural folks keep them for protection, though I don't think people should be able to buy bazookas.

I know many fiscal conservatives who diverge from their party on social issues such as reproductive rights. Our Republican Supervisor just gave an impassioned speech in favor of the critical need for green energy especially solar for our region.

Also many Republicans are not really educated on everything their party does or stands for. When they find out, they often become independent voters or even Democrats, depending on whether they can accept Dems views on things like social issues or not.

That said, Republicans tend to be more authoritarian, Democrats less so. Their upbringing may go as far to explain their belief systems as anything hard-wired into their brains, though that is a possibility too. But people do grow, learn and change in many cases, and often their views don't fit either party 100%, which may also explain why some people don't vote at all.

[T Wolf]

10. Are you also disgusted when you see economic predators escape all punishment for their crimes?

As for controlling what your children see during those after-school hours, that is what parents are for. There is an off button, you know.

We raised our daughters to be open and honest with us. The computer was in the family room, as was the television. We knew what they were watching/surfing and exerted our parental responsibility to influence what they took in. Funny - we never had a problem with them sneaking around to see "verbotten" content, but then, we did not limit them to Disney or Sesame Street. Even today, when the 27-year old comes home, she asks if she can go on the computer.

I think you are giving rethugs too much credit. They not only want to control what they do, they want to control what YOU do.

[Liberty Belle]

17. You're not thinking things through.

Yes of course I'm disgusted by economic predators and they should be in jail.

As for TV though, your situation is not the same as everyone's.

The first time I ever left my daughter home alone she was 12 and had the chicken pox. I had to fill a prescription and had no one else to go to the pharmacy, and obviously couldn't take a contagious child into a public place. We had an alarm and a dog, so I knew she'd be safe and in California it's legal for a 12-year old to be home alone. I was livid to come home and find her watching Jerry Spring's show featuring topless mud wrestlers. Do you really think that needs to be on TV during the after-school hours?

Our house is a 3-story home, so it isn't always that easy to watch what's on the channel even when we are home. I work from a home-office so I was always in the house with the kids, but couldn't always sit and watch TV with them as I had to write and to phone interviews to put food on our table. Of course the kids were given guidelines about channels that were off-limits. We also had problems hearing about stuff they were allowed to watch at friends' homes. We did keep a close eye on the computer, and no child was allowed to have a computer or a TV in their bedroom.

Of course, we're responsible parents compared to many, but sadly there are a lot of latchkey children out there whose parents work and who are home alone. Society has a responsibility to protect them.

I suspect you are much younger than me, but when I was growing up, networks had censors and only G-rated programming was allowed on TV, more or less. This was more wholesome and healthy for children, though some things have improved -- better educational shows, a wealth of nature programming, etc. There also used to be limits on what could be shown in the after-school hours, and early prime-time, when everyone knew young children would be watching TV.

[asjr]

5. It is basic: Democrats want to

help the country. Republicans want to help themselves.

[Aviation Pro]

6. Nature versus nurture.....

....again.

[KittyWampus]

7. Yes, humans in their un-evolved state allow their Reptilian Brain to dominate and dictate behavior.

Those of us who have developed our Higher Brain functions and use it to train our Subconscious become Democrats.

Issues that prevent the development of our Higher Brain functions are physical, emotional and psychic insecurity.

When you don't have enough to eat or someone is abusing you, it's harder to control ones Reptilian side. It becomes habitually ingrained in ones psyche to be defensive and approach difficulties with aggression or fear-based behavior.

[T Wolf]

8. I would hold that the differences are so vast that it is impossible to include both sides

in a unified nation - the Civil War and slavery are the perfect example.

IMO, the US is too large and too divided to survive as one nation. Let the "red" states go away and take their bigotry and hatred and warped views of science, human rights, and authority with them. If they want to live in a US-Taliban country, let them. Just do not contaminate the free states with slave state views and policies.

And, a smaller country would bring us closer to a true democracy.

[KharmaTrain]

9. Two Worldviews...Inward Vs. Outward

While it's easy to broad brush here, the ideological lines are truly built upon self interest and one's place in that order. It's a break along class and emotional lines that center on the person's particular view of his/her world and who they relate with.

From my many years of stealing oxygen on this planet, most repugnicans I encounter are selfish and arrogant. They want things "orderly" and feel personal wealth or power is the essence of the "American Dream". It's the golden rule...those who make the gold, make the rules. It also festers on fear and hate...a natural human emotion that is easily used to mainpulate. Organized religion has spent centuries perfecting this "art". They want a world they can control...and revolve around them. When someone upsets this order or questions their motives, then out comes the ridicule and true ignorance. But in numbers, as we've seen, many escape into a parallel universe where President Obama is the Socialist Messiah and up is down. It's a nice cocoon for those inside.

Democrats have been more diverse...looking at a bigger world and not to control it as much as to coexist. Individual prosperity and rights benefit when all are addressed and understood. It's a view of wealth being in a person's health, in their career or art or family...not on the bottom line of a bank account or on a list for St. Peter. It's making the most of the world we live in and celebrate rather than squash diversity.

Yes, it's a big divide that has always existed in one form or fashion. It's almost like the devil/angel debate where man has always battled with their own needs vs. that of the overall community.

Cheers...

[blueworld]

12. My two cents

Many great comments here. I would add that I see something more ominous. In my youth (caves & stone axes), although Dems & GOP had different methods & different platforms, there were many of the same goals. Peace, for example. Fiscal conservatism to a greater degree on both sides, although certainly Dems favored more Federal policies & programs. Social Safety Net. Business was supposed to be a means not an idol & was privileged to be headquartered in the US. Plenty of problems & differences, but not hysterical fear all the time about everything. America could solve its problems.

Ever since St. Reagan, not only the methods are different but the goals themselves. A healthy economy is determined by the Stock Market numbers. War & military posturing are orgasmic. Fear everything & everyone different. More laws, more regulation, more prisons. Government spending to interfere with your personal choices is mandatory for your own good, but don't think you're "entitled" to anything else. If you're sick or poor, you brought it on yourself & the country owes you nothing. One religion is best for everyone. It's almost insane.

There are now two completely different ideologies competing for dominance in a corrupted environment. Public Service for the common welfare is "quaint" & "not serious". President Obama sees this, I believe, but he'll be chipping away at a boulder with a nail file for his first term with this particular GOP.

Can you imagine a replay of the Cuban Missile crisis with this Congress if Bush or McCain or Darth Cheney were president? Good grief.

[ipfilter]

13. I find a universal deep rooted xenophobia

with right wingers. Combine that xenophobia with a heavy dose of authoritarianism and religion and you have the perfect right wing zealot. They are also deeply motivated by their own self interest and generally disregard the feelings of others.

[eilen]

14. There are lots of people

who have share conservative and liberal values. Some are more religious so they lean more toward Republican but they are also very mindful for helping the poor and giving to charity and not about being super wealthy. There are democrats who like to hunt but are against violence (guns shooting humans) and want personal choice when it comes to wearing seat belts and smoking in their house. Not everything is black and white.

I had never seen such polarity as in the past 8 years. Both parties have changed since the early 1970's with both leaning more to the right. I'm not sure if it started with that gaggle of Republican freshmen that entered during the Clinton years.

Incidently, Ross Perot, for being such a big corporate type -- he did take a big stand against NAFTA. I was thinking about that this morning that it was odd for a CEO to hold that position. I think I believe he was threatened. Most likely by BushCo, like Gore was. Perhaps we have ourselves a special breed of bullies that have gotten used to people having to swallow their outrageous behavior and have not (probably too obtuse) noticed the shift to intelligent civility that has occurred.

I remember Senator D'Amato who is Republican. But he also fought for the union workers and for better roads (thus his "Senator Pothole" moniker). I never voted for him, and he pissed me off during the impeachment trial but he just didn't seem as horrible as some of these Republicans I see on tv today or maybe my memory is just glossing over the worst.

[Mr. Blonde]

15. Depends on if you mean the parties or the members

I would say most Republicans have some issue that they are pretty liberal on. I would say the opposite is true of most Democrats. However, for whatever reason we have decided to go with just two parties and the natural way of that is to them to just be against whatever the other one is for.

[justgamma]

16. They just stick their fingers in the air

if the Dems are for something, they are against it, if the Dems are against it, they are for it.

They don't even believe half the stuff they are saying. They just can't let the Dems win.