Do you support Republicans?

Question

I sure do!

nightdrot · Accepted Answer

Voted Yes - and in fact I work in politics and am a former staffer for two GOP Members of the House of Representatives - but that says less than people assume. American political parties are not ideological parties as you tend to see in Europe. Rather they are lose knit coalitions of regional, religious, ethnic, racial, income and other groups that have come together in part by common interests and in part by historical accident.

In the case of the GOP, it is a coalition made up of classical liberals - which Americans call conservatives - libertarians, small and medium sized business, religious and social traditionalists, lower middle and upper middle income earners, farmers, rural and exurban populations, and historically older voters. It tends to dominate the South, the Great Plains, the Rocky Mountain West and the state of Alaska - though this is starting to change somewhat.

On the Democratic side you get, ethnic and religious minorities, middle and high income wage earners, big business and entertainment industries, urban and inner suburban votes, radical liberals - which Americans call liberals. (Note, the term "radical" here does not mean as Americans use it, i. e. "extremist," but rather as the ancient Greeks used the term, meaning "to the root of.") The regions where it is dominant are northeast, the mid-Atlantic, the Pacific coast and the state of Hawaii. (Though again, this is starting to change and is one of the reasons that Mrs. Clinton was defeated in 2016.)

This is how you get a Republican Party that runs from Ted Cruz at one end to Susan Collins at the other, with the libertarian Rand Paul thrown into the mix. This is how you get a Democratic Party that runs from Joe Manchin at one end to Elizabeth Warren at the other. Quite simply, party identification is not about ideological identity.

This being even more complicated by the fact that both parties are experiencing a populist phase as happened in the late 19th century and again in the 1960s and 70s. Populism not being a schematic philosophy, but rather a cultural attitude characterized by distrust of complexity, a disdain for elites, and a belief that the common man is the font of all virtue but that he is oppressed by the elites and the "special interests." This manifesting itself in a mishmash of policies that are more often related by sentiment than any coherent overarching theoretical structure.

Thus President Trump in the GOP. He is NOT a conservative. Thus the Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in the Democratic party. She is not a liberal nor a socialist. Rather both appeal to feelings of envy and resentment in the electorate and toss out random policies to appease those sentiments.

For my part, I am conservative, but I put an asterisk over it. My conservatism is not what Americans typically call conservative. Because, as noted, what Americans call conservative is, historically speaking, not conservatism at all but is, rather, classical liberalism. Albeit with a streak of social traditionalism rooted in the Protestant Reformation.

My conservatism, which is classical or Tory conservatism, traces its intellectual pedigree through Aristotle, St. Thomas Aquinas, the 18th century British statesman and political philosopher, Edmund Burke, and also the British Prime Ministers Benjamin Disraeli and Lord Salisbury.

Classical conservatives emphasize the nurturing of civic virtue, see free markets as a tool as opposed to the end purpose of government, and believe that politics should take its bearings not from human reason, but human nature. As Burke said, "The effect of liberty to individuals is that they may do what they please. We ought see what it will please them to do before we risk congratulations."

There is much more to it, but this summarizes it.

nolabels · Accepted Answer

Vote for Vivek Ramaswamy and we'll get a man that'll help the entire country.

He's on the Republican ballot.

I support him, therefore I support the Republican party.

If VR doesn't get the Republican nomination and RFK Jr. gets the Democrat nomination, I'd support RFK Jr.

I'm not a party-liner.

I'm for what's best for the country.

VR in '24!!!

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

Well democrats look more stupid and annoying so sure I guess I’d pick republicans.

Jessica405 · Accepted Answer

No. They seem to want to govern by brute force and appear to be very selfish.

mattthefatbat · Answer

Yeah i support republicans and democrats. Well for one becuase I live with them and work with them. Two Becuase i genuinely like living in america but I ever since I lived here nothing has really been the same since MAGA started. Republicans now a days are either Support trump or your not seen as a republican

BobLouis · Answer

I don't support the two party system because they only elect people who serve the rich. The working class people get fucked over everytime. So no I don't support republicans or democrats.

OddBeMe · Answer

Ironically I do. I want a healthy repub party to oppose my Dem support. Thus I know I’m not living in a fascist one party state. Unfort the repub party is sicker than Covid and needs to level up

Anonymous · Answer

No yikes

Why would I support a party, who stands for big corporations and wants to ban abortions and freedom of expression?

I can't stand injustice, racism, sexism, misogynist, ableism or any form of discrimination

GreatBigCircles · Answer

Republicans and Democrats justify corruption by saying Republicans and Democrats are more corrupt than them but they'll get better.

DryGermanGuy · Answer

I would support all people with brains and morals. Which includes old-school Republicans and excludes the rabid MAGA horde.

slatyb · Answer

I only support my wife and myself. The Republican platform is anathema to me.

msc545 · Answer

No, I don't support Republican politics at all, but I do support Republicans as people - many of my friends are Republicans.

Anonymous · Answer

Only after my candidate is eliminated. Because at that point it's about choosing the lesser of two evils.

Nikki1989 · Answer

Ha! Nope!

Siri137 · Answer

No, I'm a monarchist.

reds-noro · Answer

Could you define 'support' for me?

Anonymous · Answer

I support President Trump.

shortster · Answer

Occasionally, but I mostly support libertarians.

gothbxtch · Answer

nope

Karen444 · Answer

Yes.

SmokinAces2000 · Answer

Not at all

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