I vote democratic because:
1. Personal freedom, civil rights – i think the republicans are about limiting rights and the democrats are about protecting those who are abused by society.
2. Taxation and Spending – democrats believe that those who get the most from society should pay the most. democrats believe that you solve societies problems by the government addressing them, so they support schools, research, feeding poor people and having government do it. Republicans seem to think charity is better than government.
3. Fiscal Responsibility – the only balanced/surplus budgets in my life came under Bill Clinton, about 90% of the US government debt ( for 240+ years) was run up under the presidencies of Reagan, Bush, Bush.
4. Foreign Policy – democrats don’t piss on our allies and treat our allies like junior partners, i speak specifically about how GWB treated Tony Blair. Much more willing to talk first, shoot later
5. Right To privacy – Democrats support a right choose abortion, the right for people to couple with another adult regardless of gender and in general democratic presidents don’t respond to Supreme Court decisions by announcing they’re not obligated to follow the ruling.
6. Throughout my life republicans have been about trying to blame “Liberals” for everyone’s proplems, promise a tax cut will solve all problems and generally have tried to divide the country, while spewing hate, first it was against “The Liberal Media” then “affirmative action” and the last 8 years “The Cultural and Intellectual elite. Democrats talk about bringing people together, pulling up those on the bottom, building our national assets.
7. Environment – Democratic politicians don’t change scientific reports to match politcal beliefs. The democrats believe in fighting global warming, allowing people to know whether they’re buying Genetically Modified food or hormone/antibiotic feed animals.
In general i find republicans think the best way to help business is thru tax cuts, reduced regulations and a cheap labor force. Democrats think that paying people a living wage is an employer’s obligation and providing an educated, valuable workforce and the economic/educational infrastructure is the job of government/schools/universities.
I think the government’s job is to facilitate economic activity and that involve regulations of finance, food, medication, education and the environment. It involves providing infrastructure and creating/providing a skilled, reliable workforce.
BTW Chips,
I support simplifying taxes so that Corps would pay no taxes on income distributed to shareholders, further i would eliminate the employer’s SS/Medicare tax share, and do a canadian like health care system. The idea is to give business cheap, easy way to hire people, eliminate full/part time issue adn the idea of employers paying benefits, supplementing taxes, etc.(i think that gets similar benefit that you seek with low taxes) All taxes should be on income or “Sin”/sales taxes on non-food medicine.
Business needs low friction, low tax, conditions with a flexible work force. If we want people to be able to work “flexibly”, we need to help support them in between engagements. Socialism must be run like a business, if it has any chance to succeed. A lot of european countries have come pretty close to a decent compromise, but seem to lack the labor flexibilty that the US and Canada have.