OR?

Folks,

That last U.S. Congressional Election on November 7th, 2006 got me wondering a great deal about just how I would vote if I were an American citizen. It used to be clear though, as I have always been a staunch blue supporter (I can’t really say voter, huh?) but as the 2008 election looms ahead, I’m not so sure anymore, and I’m feeling like I’m starting to turn purple…

After all, I have been shifting to the right for a while, (yes, I used to be a center-left social democrat) and I’ve recently discovered with the Political Compass (see here) that I’m now standing more to the right than I ever was. The other part of the picture revolves around the fact that I’ve recently read a Ronald Reagan biography (Exit with Honor: The Life and Presidency of Ronald Reagan by renowned historian William E. Pemberton - that I enjoyed throughout) as part of my U.S. History since 1945 class last semester, which brought me to have much more respect and admiration than I did before for the 40th President of the United States. The other factor is that I’ve also recently bought and read Gregg Jackson’s Conservative Comebacks to Liberal Lies. Now, while I can’t bring myself to even think of agreeing with him on his moral and religious conservative positions, his support of George W. Bush as "The Man for the Hour", his irrepressible hatred of Bill Clinton or his unabashed support for the Iraq war, there’s a couple of issues, namely environment, economics (except when he blames Bill Clinton for everything that’s wrong in America today), gun control, healthcare, Israel, criminal justice, taxation, Social Security, education and his denounciation of the liberal media on which he makes a lot of sense for a conservative/libertarian like me. He also surprised me on abortion, but while he made me a bit less pro-choice, I still can’t bring myself to support a legislative ban on the issue.

So yeah, last November 7th, I indeed was supporting the Democrats for House and Senate control, and I don’t think it’ll change until Bush and his whole administration are out of the White House for good. But for 2008, I really have no idea who I will support or even which party I will commit to. One thing is absolutely certain though, I know that I do not want to see Hillary Clinton become president. She is much more to the left and socialist than her husband, which I have great respect for. Not good. The Democrats are never going to get my support if she’s her nominee, that’s for sure, unless the Republicans nominate a complete doofus to run against her. And even then I might just decide to remain neutral.

No, I don’t know what to think anymore, and although it’s a little early and I’m aware that not all the candidates are actually out and running, I still think it’s time to start thinking about it all. But since we’re not yet really aware of who’s running and who’s sitting this one out for sure, I figured I would just try to determine which of America’s two major parties fits my views and my ideology the most (and therefore, which I should support in 2008 now that Bush is out of the picture).

I therefore decided to compare both parties’ simplified platforms, issue by issue, and decide on which I agree the most with for each and every paragraph of them. I will rate them according to my own personal ideology and beliefs on a scale of one to five, whereas five represents a total agreement with what I think. To get these simplified party platforms, I decided to rely on Wikipedia, and to do a little formatting and editing of my own.

Here’s the analysis:

GENERAL IDEOLOGY

Democrats : Since the 1890s, the Democratic Party has favored "liberal" positions. The party has favored farmers, laborers, labor unions, and religious and ethnic minorities; it has opposed unregulated business and finance, and favored progressive income taxes. In the 1930s, the party began advocating welfare spending programs targeted at the poor. The major influences for liberalism were the labor unions, and the African-American wing, which has steadily grown since the 1960s. Since the 1970s, environmentalism has been a major new component. In recent decades, the party advocates civil liberties, social freedoms, equal rights, equal opportunity, fiscal responsibility, and a free enterprise system tempered by government intervention. The party believes that government should play a role in alleviating poverty and social injustice, even if that means a larger role for government and progressive taxation to pay for social services.

Democrats = 2/5

Republicans : The Republican Party comprises many informal factions, which often overlap but do not necessarily agree. For example, there are Fiscal Conservatives, Evangelicals, Social Conservatives, Neoconservatives, Libertarians, Moderates, Liberals and Log Cabin Republicans. The Republican Party is often the more socially conservative and economically libertarian of the two major parties, and has closer ties to both Wall Street (large corporations) and Main Street (locally owned businesses) (small mom & pop businesses), has little support among labor union leadership but more support from blue collar workers. The party generally supports lower taxes and limited government in some economic areas, while preferring government intervention in others. This has been apparent in the growing influence of "religious right" groups within the party.

Republicans = 3/5

ISSUES 

Democrats :

Labor

Democrats favor a higher minimum wage, and more regular increases, in order to assist the working poor. Party leaders have said increasing the minimum wage is one of the top priorities of the Democratic majority in 110th Congress. Various state ballot initiatives in 2006 to increase the minimum wage were supported by the Democrats, and all six such initiatives passed. The party has favored farmers, laborers and labor unions throughout its existence.

Democrats = 1.5/5

Tax Policy

The party believes that government should play a role in alleviating poverty and social injustice, even if that means a larger role for government and progressive taxation to pay for social services.

Democrats = 1/5

Fiscal responsibility

Democrats are trying to position their party as the party of fiscal responsibility. Democrats increasingly call for responsible tax policies and government spending that keeps the budget deficit under control. The Democratic-led House of Representatives reinstated the PAYGO (pay-as-you-go) budget rule at the start of the 110th Congress. DNC Chairman Howard Dean has cited Bill Clinton’s presidency as a model for fiscal responsibility.

Democrats = 4/5

Health care and insurance coverage

Democrats call for "affordable and quality health care," and many advocate an expansion of government intervention in this area. Many Democrats favor a national health insurance system in a variety of forms to address the rising costs of modern health insurance. Some Democrats have called for a program of "Medicare for All." Some Democratic governors have supported purchasing Canadian drugs, citing lower costs and budget restrictions as a primary incentive. Recognizing that unpaid insurance bills increase costs to the service provider, who passes the cost on to health-care consumers, many Democrats advocate expansion of health insurance coverage.

Democrats = 1/5

Welfare

The party believes that government should play a role in alleviating poverty and social injustice, even if that means a larger role for government and progressive taxation to pay for social services.

Democrats = 1/5

Environment and renewable energy

The Democratic Party generally sides with environmentalists and favors conservation of natural resources together with strong environmental laws against pollution. Democrats support preservation of endangered lands and species, clean land management and regulation on pollutants. The most contentious and concerning environmental issue championed by the party is global warming. Democrats have pressed for stern regulation of greenhouse gases. Democrats have opposed tax cuts and incentives to oil companies, favoring a policy of developing domestic renewable energy. Democratic governors have led the way in this issue, as in Montana’s state-supported wind farm and "clean coal" programs.

Democrats = 1.5/5

Education

Most Democrats have the long term aim of having low-cost, publicly funded college education with low tuition fees which should be available to every eligible American student, or alternatively, with increasing state funding for student financial aid such as the Pell grant or college tuition tax-deduction. The Democratic Party has voiced overwhelming support for all stem cell research with federal funding.

Democrats = 2.5/5

Trade

The Democratic Party has a mixed record on international trade agreements that reflects a diversity of viewpoints in the party. Generally, more conservative and moderate Democrats favor free trade agreements while those further to the left, supporters of fair trade, populists, and unions often oppose them. In the 1990s, the Clinton administration and a number of prominent Democrats pushed through a number of agreements such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Since then, the party’s shift away from free trade became evident in the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) vote, with 15 House Democrats voting for the agreement and 187 voting against.

Democrats = 0.5/5

Immigration

Democrats support Equal Opportunity for all Americans regardless of sex, age, race, sexual orientation, religion, creed, or national origin. The Democratic Party mostly supports affirmative action as a way to redress past discrimination and ensure equitable employment regardless of ethnicity or gender, but opposes the use of quotas in hiring. Democrats also strongly support the Americans with Disabilities Act to prohibit discrimination against people on the basis of physical or mental disability. Democrats are open about immigration and support a steady influx in the country. They also tend to oppose strict immigration policies.

Democrats = 2/5

Foreign policy

Democrats mostly oppose the doctrine of unilateralism, which dictates that the United States should use military force without any assistance from other nations whenever it believes there is a threat to its security or welfare. They believe the United States should act in the international arena in concert with strong alliances and broad international support. This was a major foreign policy issue of the 2004 presidential campaign, and unilateralism has been blamed for the failures in Iraq. Democrats in the House of Representatives and the Senate near-unanimously voted for the authorization of military force against Afghanistan in 2001, supporting the NATO coalition invasion of the nation. Most elected Democrats continue in their support of the Afghanistan conflict. In 2002, Democrats were divided as most in the Senate voted for the authorization of the use of force against Iraq while most Democrats in the House voted against it. Since then, many prominent Democrats have expressed regret about this decision, such as former Senator John Edwards, and have called it a mistake. Amongst lawmakers, Democrats constitute some of the most vocal critics of the Iraq War and the President’s management of the war.

Democrats = 3/5

—

Republicans :

Labor

Republicans generally oppose increases in the minimum wage, believing that the minimum wage increases unemployment and makes doing business less profitable. They are also generally opposed to labor unions and have supported various legislation on the state and federal levels, including right to work legislation and the Taft-Hartley Act that makes it harder for workers to organize closed shop unions in workplaces.

Republicans = 3.5/5

Tax Policy

Many Republicans consider the income tax system to be inherently inefficient and oppose graduated tax rates, which they believe are unfairly targeted at those who create jobs and wealth. This is illustrated by the fact that the top 1 percent of income tax returns account for 33.9 percent of income tax receipts while the bottom 50 percent of tax payers accounted for 3.97 percent. They believe private spending is usually more efficient than government spending. Republicans emphasize the role of corporate and personal decision making in fostering economic prosperity. They favor free-market policies supporting business, economic liberalism, and limited regulation. The predominant economic theory held by modern Republicans is Reaganomics. Popularized by Ronald Reagan, this theory holds that reduced income tax rates increase GDP growth and thereby generate more revenue for the government from the taxes on the extra growth. This belief is reflected, in part, by the party’s long-term advocacy of tax cuts, a major Republican theme since the 1920s.

Republicans = 4/5

Fiscal responsibility

In theory and historically, the Republican Party is the party of fiscal responsibility. However, with a Republican Presiding over the largest deficit in U.S. history in 2006, opponents have begun to say that the Republicans are no longer the party of fiscal responsibility.

Republicans = 1/5

Health care and insurance coverage

The party opposes a single-payer universal health care system, sometimes referring to it as "socialized medicine"; and is in favor of the current personal or employer-based system of insurance, supplemented by Medicare for the elderly and Medicaid for the poor. On the one hand, congressional Republicans and the Bush administration supported a reduction in Medicaid’s growth rate. On the other hand, congressional Republicans expanded Medicare, supporting a new drug plan for seniors starting in 2006.

Republicans = 4/5

Welfare

Republicans agree there should be a "safety net" to assist the less fortunate; however, they tend to believe the private sector is more effective in helping the poor than government is; as a result, many Republicans support giving government grants to faith-based and other private charitable organizations to supplant welfare spending. Members of the GOP also believe that limits on eligibility and benefits must be in place to ensure the safety net is not abused. Republicans strongly supported the welfare reform of 1996, which limited eligibility for welfare and successfully led to many former welfare recipients finding jobs.

Republicans = 4/5

Environment and renewable energy

The GOP opposes the Kyoto Protocol, claiming that the treaty would hurt America’s economy and do nothing to stop warming from major competitors such as China. Many Republicans do not believe that man-made greenhouse gases are causing global warming.

Republicans = 3.5/5

Education

Most Republicans support school choice through charter schools and education vouchers; and many have denounced the performance of the public school system and the teachers’ unions. The party has insisted on a system of greater accountability for public schools, most prominently in recent years with the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. The religious wing of the party tends to support organized prayer in public schools and the inclusion of teaching creationism or intelligent design alongside evolution. Although the GOP has voted for increases in government funding of scientific research, many members actively oppose the federal funding of embryonic stem cell research because it involves the harvesting and destruction of human embryos.

Republicans = 2.5/5

Trade

The party strongly promotes free trade agreements, most notably NAFTA, CAFTA and now an effort to go further south to Brazil, Peru and Colombia.

Republicans = 4.5/5

Immigration

Republicans are deeply divided on what to do about illegal immigration, mostly Hispanic. The Bush administration made appeals to Hispanics a high priority long-term political goal, but that goal is not a high priority in most local GOP parties. In general, the business community supports more immigration and social conservatives oppose it. In 2006, the White House supported and Senate passed a comprehensive immigration reform that would eventually allow millions of illegal immigrants to become citizens, but the House, taking an enforcement only approach, refused to go along. They support welfare benefit reductions and oppose racial quotas, but are split regarding the desirability of affirmative action for women and minorities.

Republicans = 3/5

Foreign policy

Since the September 11, 2001 attacks, the party supports neoconservative policies with regard to the War on Terror, including the 2001 war in Afghanistan and the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and attempts to spread democracy in the Middle East and around the world. The party has advocated reforms in the UN to halt corruption such as that which afflicted the Oil-for-Food program.

Republicans = 2/5

Total score:

Democrats = 20/55

Republicans = 35/55

Therefore, it looks like I would be an Elephant if I were American (or a Republican if you prefer). However, I really do not like Bush or his administration and I absolutely can’t stand the "religious right", so I’m supporting Democrats until the 2008 Presidential Election. We’ll see what happens from now until then and who deserves my support.

Until then, I’ll keep on following as closely as ever…