Woof?
Posted on 07/05/2007 8:31:17 AM PDT by Gunner9mm
We all know about “yellow-dog Democrats” – those voters who would vote for an ugly yellow dog running as a Democrat before voting for any Republican. Have you ever heard of a “yellow dog Republican”? No? Not surprising, because the creature does not exist.
While I’m sure that any number of pundits could give you any number of reasons, I believe it boils down to this – Those who vote for Democrats are driven by ideology, while likely Republican voters are driven by principles. For clarity, I’ll define ideology as the doctrinal basis of a political or social system, i.e., groupthink; principles are fundamental truths, i.e., individually held concepts.
In today’s politics, the terms Democrat and Liberal are practically synonymous. Such is not the case on the other side of the spectrum. We cannot equate Conservatives and Republicans.
(Excerpt) Read more at libertycall.us ...
What about the Rudyphiles?
I am principled.
You are an ideologist.
He is a deluded fool.
Oh, yes, and my religion is the only one that will get you into heaven.
Gotta disagree here. The one thing all Democrats share is a need for the government to provide them with something. They can totally disagree ideologically, but their one common need is for something, anything, provided by the government.
That's why it won't matter who the Democrat party candidate for any office is, the Democrats will come out in droves to vote for him/her because the gravy train will keep on rolling.
Sadly, the latter has become true for the GOP as well.
If you look at the leading Communists or Nazis or Fascists, you find that ideology is merely a cover used by those who seek power. And, yes, those on the inside are chiefly motivated by greed for power at any price.
I think it is true that ideology plays a bigger role in the current Democrat party than it does in the Republican party. Of course both parties have power brokers who raise money, control the party levers of power, and try to manipulate their members. But there is at least some distinction between the two parties.
A good example of Democrats at the traugh are the Clintons. They came out of Ark with nothing, absolutely nothing they couldn’t steal or work someone out of...and today, they both are independently wealthy and I mean big bucks. He and she Clinton do not total a together money pot...she has hers, and he has his..all taken at public expense. Clinton gives a speech, given many times over and gets paid a half million or more for each speech....?? She Clinton has money at her beck and call..and it is still coming in?? Tell me that is not at public expense. I can’t believe America wants these grifters in the White House again....it makes the Founding Fathers shake in their graves. They gave all....and for this??
I wish it were true.
One hop over to Ldott will dismiss that myth.
I have the same sentiment. I think a lot of this loss of focus on principals and issues has been born out of the age of 24 hour cable news. Hour after hour of the right/left shout shows shown in mouth to mouth combat over the lefts position vs. the right position. It's only important that your side wins, the outcome of any issue is a distant second.
I've pretty much decided to never vote for an incumbent again. Terms limits implemented at the polls.
I cannot agree. The GOP might have taken a little longer to sell out its principles, but now it's no better than the Dim party.
"Republican" no longer means "conservative." It's why I will no longer give the party any money. I'll donate to candidates, but not the party bosses.
That I’ll agree with. I don’t trust the RNC an inch. I only donate to specific candidates or groups like RNC for Life. But the Republican party as a whole is still better than the Democrat party. I haven’t voted for a Democrat for about 15 years, and in that case I did because the Republican in question was even worse on all the issues.
They're Catholic or Southern or Black or Jewish and they think of the Republicans as the Protestant or Northern or White or Gentile party. Or they're unionized workers who vote as the union tells them. Or they think Republicans are only for the rich guys. Or they loved FDR or Truman or JFK or hated Hooveer or Nixon or Reagan.
Some YDDs aren't ideological at all. Think of the old ladies who vote Democrat every year because Jack Kennedy was Irish and Catholic and his mother invited their mothers over for tea in 1946.
There's no denying that other Yellow Dog Democrats are ideological: a mix of loyalty and solidarity and class envy and ethnic resentment with fear, mistrust and hatred of Republicans probably counts as an ideology.
But I really doubt Uncle Joe and Cousin Bob who vote Democrat because everyone at the plant does or because they want to "stick it to the Man" are as ideological as the readers of the New Republic or the Nation -- or National Review or the Weekly Standard -- are.
Don't make the mistake of thinking that when people change parties their whole personality changes. In a lot of cases, they're still voting for the same reasons -- noble or base, unthinking or reflective -- only coming to different conclusions.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.