: Hi everyone. I think I am going to get registered to vote and from what I understand, you have to register as either as a republican or democrat, regardless who you plan on voting for.SDF: Not true. I'm registered to vote Green, for instance, as is legal in California and some other states. Please read your registration form carefully before filling it out.
: I'm 21 and never had the desire to vote before, but I think it would be fun and I feel left out since many of the people I know vote.
SDF: Neither of which are good reasons to vote. Voting is virtuous, but doing things for bad reasons is not virtuous.
: Anyway, the reason why I don't know what to register as is because I really don't know too much of the difference betwen the republicans and the democrats.
SDF: There isn't any difference. Both parties are controlled by elites and will promote any values they think you like as if values were 31 flavors of political ice cream to be dished out to the public.
: So can some of you guys please help me out and explain what the difference is, or at least tell me a webpage that describes it?
: I may be wrong (and please tell me if I'm wrong) but from what I understand:
: 1)Republicans are conservative and democrats are liberal. I really am neither, I'm somewhere in the middle, but probably more on the conservative side, so would that make me a republican?
SDF: Bill Clinton, conservative Democrat.
: 2)Aren't the democrats in favor of abortion and republicans against it? If thats the case, then I would again be republican.
SDF: Other respondents have already pointed out the numerous exceptions to this stereotype.
: 3) I've been told that the republicans are mostly racist and sexist, and that its the democrats who are more in favor in civil rights and equality for all and such. If thats the case, then I'm 100% democrat.
SDF: Racism is endemic to American society and Republicans certainly have no monopoly upon its ideological features.
: 4)Weren't the republicans in favor of the draft and the democrats who believed that it should be voluntary? If thats so then I'm a democrat.
: 5) I've been reading in the paper that a republican congressman or somebody in my area want's to amend the constitution to make it illegal to burn the flag. The democratic lawmakers think a law like that would be a stupid waste of time when you could be focusing more on important things. I agree with the democrats.
SDF: Laws against flag burning would require the destruction of the First Amendment of the Constitution to be enforceable.
: 6) I've heard that the republicans are more in favor of "family values" and frown upon things like divorce, unmarried people who choose to be parents etc...and if that's so, I'm republican.
SDF: What is being in favor of family values and frowing upon divorce supposed to do? People need to get away from the idea that politics is a fashionable attitude to have and move toward the idea of politics as DOING SOMETHING to change the world. (Now we could institute family values and end divorce by instituting a fascist dictatorship here in America, but I wouldn't recommend that, so some other path of action might be more acceptable...)
: 7) Gun control: republicans are against any and all type of gun control, whereas democrats are in favor. I believe that all honest people should be allowed to own a gun if they wish, however I believe that there should be some kind of control to keep guns out of the hands of children and criminals.
SDF: Are you recommending that we all wear uniforms, so that it would be easier to distinguish between children, criminals, and honest people? If not, how do you recommending distinguishing between the latter two categories?
: So as you can see, I'm very confused. There are things that I agree with on both sides. I hope somebody can please help me. So what exactly is the difference between republicans and democrats? And what do you think I am more of?
SDF: I'd recommend being sure about what politics is for, before deciding to register or to vote or to affiliate with a political party.
