When I was young and first becoming aware of politics there were two political parties.

Both had righteous, dedicated, patriots wanting only what was best for there constituents and for there country. Each had there ideas on how we should be governed. The Republicans wanted small government, primarily self defense and delivering the mail. They believed in the old saying "if it ain't broke, don't fix it'. They viewed almost any change as threat and resisted vigorously. They wanted low taxes and limited government oversight and protection, viewing both as an impediment to business and industry. They campaigned against the TVA and social security, viewing them as government hand outs and suspiciously like communism. These are attitudes I have, while recognizing there validity and value, resisted most strenuously.
Democrats had a different view. Democrats see government as a tool to protect its citizens from big business, big corporations. Protect us from shoddy and toxic products, to protect our food supplies through regulations, and have the machinery to enforce those regulations. Democrats view government as a place where people come together, where no one gets left behind. The problem, from the Republicans point of view, was that all of these tings cost money. Our money paid in taxes, and all of these regulatory and protective schemes required many tax dollars. Well it has been said that government and taxes are the price we pay for a civil society. Both views on government have their proponents. Or did have. Todays Republican party bears little resemblance to the party way back then. The fact is that sometimes I have trouble recognizing my own beloved Democrat party.
Recent events seem to tell us that we are at a cross road, with more that one direction to choose from. The next election cycle will give us some clues, I guess. I must say that for myself I am somewhat fraught.

 

Actually, the roles have reversed. Under Obama, the campaign money rolled in from Big Tech, Big Data, and the multinationals. No one really cared that our middle class jobs were being sent to China. I remember the outrage at the multi million dollar bonuses the CEO's were making by off shoring America. No one made the claim that shipping jobs and factories to China made economic sense, even if it made citizens homeless, they just did it and no one called them out on it until Trump.
Today, it is the Republican party that represents the working man, and it is the Republican party who brought attention and action to the dark side of trade with China.

 

sorry but your beloved democrat party is dead. They don't use logic and common sense policy like in the Bill Clinton democrat days. Now its all about socialism, communism and playing the race card for EVERYTHING. Just because they are still called democrats, doesn't mean they are. I'm sorry that your party turned communist. I hope this isn't the end for America

 

Both parties have major issues. The extremes will destroy this country if given a chance

 

It's good that the pap you have been so carefully spoon fed can be so easily regurgitated. Do you have any thoughts of your own?

 

You sound just like the Fox network. Forget the crap you have been listening to and use your head for a change. Do some critical thinking and tell us what YOU think!

 

You are exactly what you decry about in your OP.

 

So you are saying the GOP is PRO UNION???? I DON"T THINK SO !!!!!! Reagan and the GOP did all they could to destroy unions and presided over the first few waves of corporate downsizing as older workers with good benefit were let go, to be replaced by new lower paid employees with greatly reduced benefits.

 

Sorry but your description of the Democratic Party is not right. I know y’all think Democrats are all socialists and communists, but that is your ideology talking, not reality.

 

Bill Clinton helped make big tech possible. Not him directly, but there was a movement within the Democratic Party to support the budding tech industry at least since Reagan’s time. A great deal of it had to do with the anti-science, anti-progress, anti-educational stances of the GOP and Reagan. When Clinton came to power, legislation was passed and regulations made that helped the industry. It was California and Colorado who lobbied for the industry and created the curriculum in their schools and universities to accommodate it. The industry spread to Oregon and Washington, with research going heavy in Massachusetts universities. A little bit in Arizona and Texas, with Motorola and Texas Instruments. The Bush’s where not friendly to the industry, which kind of helped prevent Texas from becoming a tech hub. The whole anti-science, anti-progress thing.

The thing about tech, those who ride the leading edge of technology tend to be highly liberal. Something about strong liberals having a propensity towards the novel. It only seems natural that they would support Obama, on all accounts. And also explain their poor opinion of the Trump and its following. The whole anti-science, anti-progress thing.

 

We still have two parties. The one you don't like thinks the public needs to be protected from federal government, not businesses.

 

Show me how. I don't see it.

 

If that is what you really think then you just haven't been paying attention.

 

I guess I get distracted by all the nonsense offered up on this forum.

 

I think it's harder to see the changes within the party to which you belong, and only too easy to see it in the opposing party. I am guilty of that myself. What I'm seeing now, however, is not about policies or beliefs that are changing. The Republican party has lost itself because they have been led by someone who never really was a Repubican. And the loyal following of his base has the members scrambling to jump on the bandwagon for their own political futures. In doing so, many have lost credibility with traditional Republicans.

 

I couldn't agree more. Lamentable lack of intestinal fortitude.

 

If he wasn't really a republican why did the republicans support his policies? I think he was more republican than some of them - whatever that means.