Can anyone explain to me why they view it as such an insult? I never knew it was that big of an insult to them. I would love to know why.
Maybe it's because "democrat" sounds like "dumba$hit".
The Republican use of "Democrat" Party came about decades ago, not because "Democrat" is a bad word but rather because "Democratic" was such a good word. Republicans didn't want people to confuse "Democratic" with "democratic," which has positive connotations. "Democrat" can only refer to the political party, but "democratic" can refer to a form of government that our nation supports around the world. So Republicans avoided "Democratic" and said "Democrat."
By it being reduced to a term to refer only to a political party--a party that for the last 35-40 years has been viewed with significant disfavor--the adjective "Democrat" has come to have negative connotations. This is much like what has happened to the term "liberal," and thus now the libs want to be called "progressives."
Notice that over the last couple decades, in most political advertising, Democrats never identify themselves as Democrats, and in their message they want to sound conservative.
It's nothing more than yet another demonstration of the powerlessness of the DUmmies.
Those in power currently are a slim majority of regular Democrats on one side, and decent civilized people on the other side; the DUmmies can claim membership in neither group.
But the DUmmies want SO BADLY to "count."
In anything, anything at all.
And so while this is essentially a pretty meaningless semantic issue, the DUmmies make a big deal out of it.....because the DUmmies think they have the power to change it.
Bah humbug.