Posted on 04/19/2002 5:07:31 PM PDT by vannrox
Public sees more than
'dime's worth of difference'
between political parties
George Wallace used to say there wasn’t a dime’s worth of difference between the Republicans and the Democrats.
Maybe. But that’s not how the public sees it.
Research by Southern Opinion Research turns up some definite differences in how the public sees the major political parties. Those differences often have powerful effects on Election Day.
Republicans have a clear advantage of Democrats as those who would maintain traditional values and a strong defense and hold down taxes. Smaller differences between the parties occur on issues such as fighting crime, running an honest government, and maintaining a healthy economy. Democrats have the advantage when it comes to improving education, protecting the environment, and caring for society’s have-nots. These differences an be meaningful during an election campaign. For instance, if the main issue is improving education, Democrats enjoy an advantage as they did during the 1998 gubernatorial election campaign in Alabama. If Republicans could have changed the debate and focused on maintaining traditional values -- as many thought Fob James would -- they could have had a strong position in the minds of the electorate.
When it comes to looking out for various groups in society, the survey numbers tell a different story about how people view the political parties. Democrats are seen as the best ones to keep watch on the interests of blacks, the poor, women, and “the average citizen.” They also maintain some advantage in how people see them protecting the interest of the middle class and “people like you.” The only group for which the Repubicans currently maintain a clear advantage is the upper class. Again, such differences are meaningful when people focus on self-interest in making voting decisions. The “average citizen,” “the middle class,” and “people like you” are
The advantages that the parties now have are not permanent. Issues, leaders and political campaigns can make a difference in how the public perceives the parties. The following two tables show how these images have shifted during the 1990s. This is particuarly true about how the parties are perceived in protecting the “average citizen,” “the middle class,” and “people like you.”
Table 1
"Now thinking of both national and state politics, which of the two parties -- Democrat and Republican -- do you think would do the best job in the following areas?
DEMOCRAT REPUBLICAN Difference
caring for the have-nots of society
August, 199858% 18% 40%
January, 199660% 20% 40%
June, 199546% 26% 20%
February, 199550% 26% 24%
June, 199153% 18% 35%
protect the environment
August, 199853% 28% 25%
January, 199653% 29% 24%
June, 1995-- not asked --
February, 199548% 33% 15%
June, 199146% 27% 19%
improving education
August, 199842% 35% 7%
January, 199645% 38% 7%
June, 199535% 44% - 9%
February, 199536% 45% - 9%
June, 199144% 28% 16%
getting and maintaining a healthy economy
August, 199841% 39% 2%
January, 199633% 45% - 8%
June, 199529% 47% -18%
February, 199531% 52% -21%
June, 199135% 40% - 5%
running an honest government
August, 199827% 29% - 2%
January, 199626% 27% - 1%
June, 1995-- not asked --
February, 199528% 37% - 9%
June, 199133% 23% 10%
fighting crime
August, 199836% 41% - 5%
January, 199631% 47% -16%
June, 199530% 47% -17%
February, 199532% 52% -20%
June, 199132% 40% - 8%
holding down taxes
August, 199836% 44% - 8%
January, 199634% 47% -13%
June, 199529% 48% -19%
February, 199531% 48% -17%
June. 199138% 32% 6%
maintaining a strong defense
August, 199831% 50% -19%
January, 199627% 56% -30%
June, 199529% 52% -23%
February, 199522% 62% -40%
June, 199126% 50% -24%
maintaining traditional values
August, 199827% 47% -20%
January, 199631% 45% -14%
June, 1995 28%48% -20%
February, 199528% 52% -24%
June, 1991-- not asked --
Table 2
"Again thinking about both national and state politics, which of the two parties -- Democrat or Republican -- do you think is most likely to look out for the interests of the following groups?"
DEMOCRAT REPUBLICAN Difference
blacks
August, 199866% 16% 50%
January, 199662% 19% 43%
June, 199555% 22% 33%
February, 199557% 22% 35%
June, 199159% 14% 45%
the poor
August, 199867% 18% 49%
January, 199666% 20% 46%
June, 199557% 23% 34%
February, 199560% 23% 37%
June, 199164% 15% 49%
women
August, 199858% 18% 40%
January, 199656% 23% 23%
June, 199548% 25% 23%
February, 199549% 27% 22%
June, 199152% 19% 33%
the average citizen
August, 199853% 32% 21%
January, 199652% 33% 19%
June, 199542% 38% 4%
February, 199544% 42% 2%
June, 199152% 25% 27%
the middle class
August, 199844% 35% 9%
January, 1996 44% 38% 6%
June, 199536% 38% - 2%
February, 199538% 40% - 2%
June, 199146% 26% 20%
people like you
August, 199844% 35% 9%
January, 199643% 35% 8%
June, 199535% 40% - 5%
February, 199538% 37% 1%
June, 199142% 27% 15%
the upper class
August, 199819% 66% -47%
January, 199618% 70% -52%
June, 199521% 62% -41%
February, 199517% 70% -53%
June, 199118% 63% -45%
In other words......WORTHLESS.
That is what all third party candidates say. It is what Pat Buchanan said. It is what Ross Perot said. It is what La Follette said.
Third parties alwayas want to reduce your political choices to just two choices...They want you to choose between them and everone else. It never works... But that doesn't stop them from trying.
Common Tator, repeat after me: Republicans don't want you to vote third party. Republicans don't want you to vote Democrat. Republicans want you to vote for them. Therefore, Republicans want you to choose between them and everyone else.
Repeat as necessary until flaw in reasoning becomes clear.
Naturally, you've read the Democratic Party Platform and the Libertarian Party Platform and can point out the striking similarities.
That's one more choice than I have now. Demopublicans and Republicrats are the same party with two wings - the pro-rich wing and the anti-white wing. They bicker over petty differences to get the simple-minded riled up, and to disguise the fact that they are both working hand-in-hand on the big things: creating a social welfare state, eliminating national sovereignty, and erasing America's culture and heritage.
"Hmmmm, a poke in the eye with a sharp stick beats a swift kick in the `nads, so I'm 100% behind the Poke-in-the-Eye Party!!!"
Maybe. But that’s not how the public sees it.
Voter turnout has been steadily dropping since George Wallace's comment. This indicates to me that more and more of the public see that there is NO DIFFERENCE between the two parties, and that it is USELESS to vote. Nonvoters are stereotyped as stupid and lazy. Some probably are, but a sizeable portion are probably astute enough to know that today's politics is a con game.
"If Voting Could Change Anything, It Would be Illegal"
Democrats love the "little guy". That's why they want to KEEP HIM LITTLE.
People politically can be divided into three classes:
It might be interesting to ask people who think Republicans favor the rich just why the super-rich tend to be Democrats. I wonder if they'd realize just who's using whom?
According to the Statistical Abstract of the United States, the combined federal/state expenditures for "Cash and Non-cash Benefits for Persons with Limited Incomes" (those are the have-nots, right?) amounts to about $400 billion per year.
That DOES NOT include about $200 billion per year in charitable contributions.
The winner of the Presidential race holds 100% of the executive branch of our government. The majority in the House controls the committees and the flow of legislation. The majority in the Senate controls the committees and with just nine additional votes can prevent a filibuster.
The winner-take-all nature of this insures that we are and will remain a two-party system. A third party can only get power in combination with one of the top two.
As a result, anyone hoping to succeed with a third party must identify which of the existing parties will have to expire to make room for them.
For those of us with libertarian leanings, the party that must die is the Democrats. I will be a Republican until the Democrats are no longer in the top two. In the mean time, I will send very modest donations to Nader. We owe him a lot.
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.