Which political party to you find yourself aligning with the most? Are you die-hard either way? Are you split down the middle, do you find yourself picking and choosing between the parties?
Do you think that the party you align yourself with is the same or is it changing all the time? Does it stay true to itself? Have you ever been disillusioned by it?

Below I've written down what I consider to be a few loosely traditional basis for each party. Please feel free to disagree with whatever I have listed. I've only listed republican and democrat, you independenters can feel free to list what you consider to fall under the umbrella of the independent party.

The traditional republican values (very generalized)
- Trickle down economics
- Conservative fiscal and social values
- Business-friendly
- More issues need to be handled by states

The traditional democrat values (very generalized)
- Pro working man
- Can be fiscally conservative but prefers to spend more on humanity
- Focussed on education, union-friendly
- Focussed on federal government tackling social issues

For myself, I was born and raised a democrat. However, the party has changed dramatically since I first started voting. In fact, Bill Clinton was the last democrat on the national stage that I could vote for. Couldn't bring myself to vote for John Edwards, John Kerry or Barrack Obama. Further, I can bring myself to vote for Hillary Clinton.
On the other side of the coin, I couldn't bring myself to vote for Mitt Romney, either. This election, I am definitely not a Trumper, either, so I'm sort of floating around, wondering what name I can write in come election time.

The reason why I have left the democratic party is that it has let itself be taken over by the far fringes of the party. I started noticing this during Clinton's second term and it only continues sliding further towards the abyss of nonsense. I no longer recognize it, it's alien and anathema. I'll go so far as to say that the following videos, to me, represents what the modern democrat party is letting itself become:

[video=youtube;kXC50BhjV7o][/video]

[video=youtube;iKcWu0tsiZM][/video]

The issue with the republican party that I currently have is ... they are trying so very hard to be more like democrats that they have lost their way, too. They have let themselves be taken over by "moderates" who try to please everybody all the time. Doing so, they are not pleasing anybody.

Question: What do you think can/should happen that can help correct the problems that both parties have?

I wish there was a solid libertarian party out there with a valid candidate. I align mostly with those ideas.

My problem is both parties, in general, focus on social issues that I just don't think are important with respect to the federal govt. Pass laws in your own state, and if you don't like the laws they can be challenged in the court system.

That's why I like the Libertarian party. Not war-hawks and fiscally conservative, which is what we should be concerned with on the federal level. They're "to each his own" social agenda is fine, but they otherwise don't give a shit with regards to passing laws at the federal level.

I think the whole transgender bathroom deal is a microcosm of everything that is wrong with this country. Maybe it's not a big issue and just seems that way the way the left-wing crusaders turn every cause, no matter how small or trivial, into an egregious "wrong of the century". But the idea that we spend any energy, at all, on accommodating 0.01% of the population just because they are uncomfortable using a stall in the bathroom of their sex is ridiculous. What's next, giving two social security numbers to schizophrenics?!?

I don't think either party really represents me. I am probably moderate to a bit conservative financially and fairly left on social stuff. With a general dislike of the people on the far edges of the spectrum. Whether they be the religious right or the SJW left, they're equally annoying and just detract from any reasonable conversation.

I "pick and choose" candidates as opposed to a party. I really don't care about any party out there right now. I am a social conservative that believes in a very strong military presence to be the backbone of our international relations.

I vote for anyone with a D next to their name!!!!!

MontyBrunswick;1794370 wrote:I vote for anyone with a D next to their name!!!!!

Dlazz

Question: What do you think can/should happen that can help correct the problems that both parties have?
I will address what party I believe best fits Belly.

As for the question.
Term limits .... Career politicans have destroyed the American political system... Just look at 2016 presidential candidates can justify the idea of term limits...
Senate and Congress have 150 continuous days per year to do business to keep the country operational. Can't get it done in 150 day can't run in next election.
Presidential excutive orders only durning the first 100 days of Congress and Senate secession
Birth certificate proof for voting, 10 year jail time for voter fraud punishment
Federal department heads responsibility for department corruption with a minimum of 5 year jail time, no pension if found guilty
President has 2 weeks vacation time on his nickel, sercurity will be provided by the people.

jmog;1794165 wrote:I wish there was a solid libertarian party out there with a valid candidate. I align mostly with those ideas.

Same.

Domestic policy wise, I would lean liberal.
But, not the crazy liberals of the D party now a days. It would be more moderately liberally, in favor of some taxes and entitlements, but a reform of the current system.

Foreign policy wise, my views don't fall in the parameters of a party anymore. They are within the old views of HW Bush, Brent Scrowcroft, and Robert Gates. The old school R realist point of view on foreign affairs, or a hawk in some circles. Can't stand the neocons though, so that has drifted me more toward the moderate D's over the years.

This is an old thread, I know, and the vid below could now be considered "old news" to some of the people who read this forum.

But... is the democrat party dead? Or, is the democrat party that truly worked for the downtrodden dead?

[video=youtube;7WVsLDcLm60][/video]

ptown_trojans_1;1794528 wrote:Domestic policy wise, I would lean liberal.
But, not the crazy liberals of the D party now a days. It would be more moderately liberally, in favor of some taxes and entitlements, but a reform of the current system.

Foreign policy wise, my views don't fall in the parameters of a party anymore. They are within the old views of HW Bush, Brent Scrowcroft, and Robert Gates. The old school R realist point of view on foreign affairs, or a hawk in some circles. Can't stand the neocons though, so that has drifted me more toward the moderate D's over the years.

WSJ said the other day that one third of the Democratic Party in DC are from NY and CA. Just amazing to think that one out of every three representatives and the ones with all the power in the party are from just two very urban states. It's changed that party fundamentally into a rights party instead of an economics first one which gave them power for essentially the entire 20th century. People kind of forget how dragged along the Civil Rights Bill was and that it actually lead to JFK's lowest job approval rating

CenterBHSFan;1831919 wrote:This is an old thread, I know, and the vid below could now be considered "old news" to some of the people who read this forum.

But... is the democrat party dead? Or, is the democrat party that truly worked for the downtrodden dead?

[video=youtube;7WVsLDcLm60][/video]

that is the only time Dr. West has ever said anything that I agree with. Very well said about the fact that D's are out of touch.

Classyposter58;1831920 wrote:WSJ said the other day that one third of the Democratic Party in DC are from NY and CA.

While that's a pretty amazing number, it was just 8 years ago the Republican party was being pronounced dead.

I think the news cycle is such that the polarized factions of both parties get all the press and create certain perspectives that might not be true. But you look at the Democratic leadership, for the most part, and that party has gone way left. There seem to be few, if any, moderates that have any sway in the Democratic party. You might argue the ones worth a damn are actually Republicans, and that is maybe where some of your Reagan Democrats have gone. You have some lousy right wingers in the Repub party, obviously, but they tend to be more nuisance than driving policy.

I don't know if Democrats have lost touch with the common man because I'm not sure how true that ever was, at least in my lifetime. But your modern day Alinsky Democrats have simply used pandering and handouts as a means to power and money. You think the Clintons ever really gave a shit about the common man? Obama is another elitist following the same playbook. That's the face of your Democratic party the last 20 years and the next 20 years.

The fiscally conservative, socially liberal party.