Could someone please explain to me why we need to have a Democratic and Republican party. I am not being a smart ass or trying to stir the pot but why do people vote for candidates based on affiliation only, regardless of what the candidate stands for. I have family that goes to the polls and votes for every Democrat on the ballot, even people they have never heard anything about and has said that they would vote for a homeless person addicted to drugs if they were a Democrat before they would vote for a Republican. We have even had candidates switch affiliation because they thought that people would vote for them based solely on their affiliation. We even have the Unions taking their members dues and giving it to the Democratic candidates and claiming that the members are endorsing the candidate when some members may not be endorsing them. Do you think that the government would function better if there was no party affiliation?

yes

We don't need the government to function better. It functions fine as it is. The goal of every government is to control its subjects and rule their lives completely while confiscating their riches and enjoying them. The U.S. government accomplishes that just fine.

People with shared interests unite in parties to set public policy. For those Americans that are misogynists, racists, homophobes, the greedy, the selfish, the corrupt, the hypocritical, the purposely scientifically ignorant, practitioners of religiosity, predatory corporations, soulless randites, brainless tea partiers, heartless representatives of big business the Republican Party as presently constituted supports their interests. For decent Americans there is the Democratic Party.

Because political parties give the idea that you have choices, when in reality they're designed to limit your choices.

The majority of the country is too stupid to look at a group of individual candidates and decide which one would be best suited to lead the country. So they throw themselves in with one of two parties that most generically fits their beliefs.

The majority of the country is too stupid to look at a group of individual candidates and decide which one would be best suited to lead the country.

Typically the viewpoint of an elitist.
In reality, the country was "designed" as a democratic republic, because the average citizen is too busy with their own daily life, to stay fully informed, and fully thoughtfully weigh the everyday mundane details of government. Therefore we elect representatives who most closely meet our general view of how the country should be run and to act as such in our behalf. Political parties help to form general ideas and produce candidates that conform to those ideals, making it easier for the common citizen to identify candidates that best represent theiur views.

People with shared interests unite in parties to set public policy.

For those Americans who have a victim mentality, who cannot or simply refuse to think or do for themselves, who think the government has an answer to every societal ill, who cannot take responsibility for their own actions, who think the rich owe them a living, who continually vote for corrupt politicians beholden to union bosses, for the hypocrites who worship secular humanism, for those who tend to bite the hands that feed them, for those who practice moral relativism, for those who defend murderers but kill the unborn as a matter of convenience, for the classless Occupy Wall Street dirt bags, and for those who idolize intrusive Big Government...there is the Democratic Party.

For Americans who can think and do for themselves, there is the Republican Party.

^^^

believer;1132690 wrote: For those Americans who have a victim mentality...

But, seriously, what do you have against people who just want to sit on their ass and have everything handed to them? :laugh:

HitsRus;1132657 wrote:Typically the viewpoint of an elitist.

67% of the country can't name one supreme court justice
56% can't name a single case ever heard by the supreme court
41% think Saddam Hussein was behind 9/11
90% can't identify Afghanistan on a world map
37% can't identify the U.S.A. on a world map

If an elitist is believing I'm more informed than the majority of this country, and anyone falling in to the above groups is a moron, then call me an elitist.

Most of the country treats politics like a team sport, rooting for their side and believing the opposition are "the bad guys" despite not actually knowing anything about the issues.

The quality of our elected officials alone should clue everyone in to how intelligent the voting populace is.

2kool4skool;1132769 wrote: The quality of our elected officials alone should clue everyone in to how intelligent the voting populace is.

Sadly, I think that is a direct result of the statistics you cited. When you have career politicians catering to an ignorant populace, you get ignorant & bad policy. And a bloated federal govt increasingly encroaching on state rights only exacerbates the situation. CA, just as an example, has WAYYY too much influence because of the federal govt grossly overstepping its bounds. OH and other states should not be subjected to whatever damage or ills befall what people in CA want. Let OH create and deal with its own problems.

believer;1132690 wrote:People with shared interests unite in parties to set public policy.

For those Americans who have a victim mentality, who cannot or simply refuse to think or do for themselves, who think the government has an answer to every societal ill, who cannot take responsibility for their own actions, who think the rich owe them a living, who continually vote for corrupt politicians beholden to union bosses, for the hypocrites who worship secular humanism, for those who tend to bite the hands that feed them, for those who practice moral relativism, for those who defend murderers but kill the unborn as a matter of convenience, for the classless Occupy Wall Street dirt bags, and for those who idolize intrusive Big Government...there is the Democratic Party.

For Americans who can think and do for themselves, there is the Republican Party.

The Democratic Party for those Americans who have been victimized by greed and hatred, for those who think of others, for those who believe our government was established “to promote the general welfare” of our citizens, understand human motivation, who think the rich should pay their fair share to support our nation, support worker’s right to organize, who care about humanity, who believe in woman’s basic right of choice, who believe the 99% should enjoy the same protections as the 1% and believe in government of the people, by the people and for the people.
Republicans for themselves and fuck everyone else.

No we don't need them.

Yes people want them.

isadore;1132792 wrote:The Democratic Party for those Americans who have been victimized by greed and hatred, for those who think of others, for those who believe our government was established “to promote the general welfare” of our citizens, understand human motivation, who think the rich should pay their fair share to support our nation, support worker’s right to organize, who care about humanity, who believe in woman’s basic right of choice, who believe the 99% should enjoy the same protections as the 1% and believe in government of the people, by the people and for the people.
Republicans for themselves and **** everyone else.

what protections are being denied?

Al Bundy;1132846 wrote:what protections are being denied?

Free condoms in public schools? Just guessing.

Al Bundy;1132846 wrote:what protections are being denied?

If you've been following along, CLEARLY people aren't being protected from themselves nearly enough. Only the rich should be responsible and accountable for their actions., and apparently do all the work and take all the risk and then give all those proceeds to people sitting on their ass.

Al Bundy;1132846 wrote:what protections are being denied?

Well to start with medical and legal protection as the 1%.

isadore;1132913 wrote:Well to start with medical and legal protection as the 1%.

LMAO....If I'm the best doctor or lawyer in the world, my service will generally go to the highest bidder - don't you dare tell me which clients I have to take or what I should charge them. You are entitled to good/competent care, not the best. You got a beef if that isn't the case, which it isn't, so quit your crying. You can get as good as you can afford, just like everyone else. Truly a shameful bitch.

isadore;1132913 wrote:Well to start with medical and legal protection as the 1%.

What legal protections are denied the 99%?

fan_from_texas;1132991 wrote:What legal protections are denied the 99%?

One would imagine more of them should be declared too incompetent to stand trial.

gut;1132870 wrote:If you've been following along, CLEARLY people aren't being protected from themselves nearly enough. Only the rich should be responsible and accountable for their actions., and apparently do all the work and take all the risk and then give all those proceeds to people sitting on their ass.

It is so rough being rich in America, especially after Reaganism began to destroy social mobility in America.

fan_from_texas;1132991 wrote:What legal protections are denied the 99%?

right a poor person has the same chance in court as one of the 1%

gut;1132972 wrote:LMAO....If I'm the best doctor or lawyer in the world, my service will generally go to the highest bidder - don't you dare tell me which clients I have to take or what I should charge them. You are entitled to good/competent care, not the best. You got a beef if that isn't the case, which it isn't, so quit your crying. You can get as good as you can afford, just like everyone else. Truly a shameful bitch.

for many in the 99% they have no chance of truly good/competent legal representation in the court system. For many in the 99% their is no good/competent medical care. That is a laugh.

isadore;1133042 wrote:for many in the 99% they have no chance of truly good/competent legal representation in the court system. For many in the 99% their is no good/competent medical care. That is a laugh.

Bullshit. They get a FREE defense from a lawyer who's education was paid for by the rich taxpayers of America. Here's a reality check for you- 99.9% of truly innocent people never even get arrested. 99.9% of those who do likely don't even need a lawyer to get off. Actual innocent people going to jail each year can probably be counted on your fingers and toes. Most of it is plea bargained, anyway. And, yeah, the public lawyer gets you some shitty deals but ultimately you're guilty and the deal is within the sentencing standards.

Seeing someone like OJ skate is not proof of inadequate defense for the poor but rather a flawed legal system in which enough resources is able to parade enough experts to create reasonable doubt in a rather ignorant jury. That is not some standard or ideal to advocate for everyone but rather something that should be fixed.

isadore;1133034 wrote:right a poor person has the same chance in court as one of the 1%

If they're innocent, absolutely. If not, that's another issue entirely.