What's the best response to someone who says Democrats are basically "as bad as" republicans?

okay, so they both accept major campaign contributions from big corporations and rich people. But really, if you look at the parties' records, there are major differences: the environment, a woman's right to choose, education, etc.

the dems will raise the minimum wage, restore student loans, let women decide what to do with their own bodies, and stop giving away our public lands for the oil companies to pillage.

those are pretty big differences.

you could simply ask, do you think we'd be at war in Iraq if Gore was elected president?

I'd like to hear the arguments for why Dems are just as bad as Republicans- is it just that they both accept major campaign contributions from big corporations anr rich people? Best counterarguments are based on holes in the original arguments in my opinion.

I think the only answer is "it depends on your perspective". If someone has a more conservative viewpoint, they're going to think the Dems are bad. If they have a liberal viewpoint, they're going to think the Repubs are bad. While there are DIFFERENCES between the party platforms, there really doesn't seem to be much difference between the politicians in general. Both parties have corruption, both parties have valid arguments, both parties are doing things they shouldn't be doing. All the arguments mentioned above are true, but they could also be argued from the opposite side of the fences.

I think people usually mean that the Democrats are as bad in terms of corruption, being power-hungry, negaive campaigning, etc. And I think this is not true. Honestly, I feel that people who say this (unless they are conservatives and mean it in different way) are being ethically lazy. I've started bringing up the comparison, lame though it is, of WWII. You could say the Americans were "just as bad" as the Germans... we interned the entire Japanese population, for example. But of course, we weren't as bad. And I think it's important to recognize that both sides can have faults but one can be far better than the other. If you don't take the time to tell the difference, there's no reason for either side to aspire to be better. We need to vote for the ones who are less corrupt or they'll never become less corrupt. And at the present moment, there is no comparison between Democrats and Republicans.

The best response to that is, "True Dat." The dems and repubs are two peas in a podski....

well, here's a better question.. look at all of the people you know.. and you tell me if the people who are passionate about the democrats are different from the people passionate about the republicans!

baseball bat

Democrats think Republicans are evil.
Republicans think Democrats are just misguided.

The best answer is “You’re right.”

“the dems will raise the minimum wage”
But that’s not necessarily a good thing. Companies, to compensate for the new minimum wage requirements, cut employees and, where applicable, raise prices. You have accomplished less than nothing.

“restore student loans”
Whaa?

“let women decide what to do with their own bodies”
Let them slaughter their own babies, you mean.

I realize that this is an old question but it is, again, relevant. Both parties give undue subservience to the rich donor. The Republicans seek out and coddle these donors and form their platform around the desires and needs of the donor. The voter be damned!

Democrats also seek out the rich and powerful but cater more to the needs of the middle class and sometimes the poor. The Democrats have more credibility when it comes to upholding individual rights against the majority and corporate influence.

The republican party is made up of the rich and their sycophants. The Democratic party is made up of the the middle class and those aspiring to that class. It is also open to independent opinion, hence the problem with the party. It’s members are not likely to march in lock step like the republicans. They are too freethinking to become fascist pones.

@Nullo, I agree with you that abortion is not an option for me, and for many other women. But let’s keep it exactly what it is, and should be, a choice. Also, look at the history of the abortion debate as told in the book, Broken Words. In the Jewish tradition, the Mishna states that the life of the mother takes precedence over the life of a fetus within her womb. Most early Christian theologians (his words, not mine) felt that because a body only acquired a brain, especially a cortex late in development, the soul was not a part of the body until the development of the brain. I agree with you that it is wrong to kill, but if we look at the history of the topic of abortion, early Christian and Jewish teachers didn’t share the opinions of the anti-choice of today. Abortion WILL NOT go away, whether or not it is legal. What should be looked at is the reasons WHY it is chosen. I know that this is one example only, but as he backs up his examples with research I see no reason to disbelief.

Both parties are corrupt. The Democrats have moved too far to the L and the Republicans are too far to the R. They decide issues based on undocumented party rhetoric, what the Lobbyist want and what the wealthiest campaign contributers want. Neither party represents what is best for the majority of legal American’s.
What America should have is leaders that represent what is best for the legal majority. I strongly dislike all extremist. Issues should always be decided by documentation and what is best for the majority of American’s. It is time for a third moderate party.

@philosopher, GA!

@GracieT
Does that mean you agree with what I wrote?
I have many friends that feel as I do. We feel that we have No one to vote for.

@philosopher, I do agree. The main reason I am pushing for Obama is that, quite honestly, the idea of Romney/Paul terrifies me. I think that both parties have become so diametrically opposed that what we see is basically a fight with each other instead of trying to do what is best for the country. They seem to only be out to protect themselves and be re-elected. I still think that a political system based on an ODD number of parties would be the best set-up politically, but with the way things are now the parties are too entrenched to accept that possibility. I think that the harder the rest of us push for a change, the harder the government will try to prevent it from happening.

@GracieT
Paul Ryan should terrify anyone with a working brain. He favors a plan that would destroy the medical class. They want to destroy Unions. They don’t think most people are entitled to a living wage. They want to take away everything from special needs people and elderly people to cut taxes for the one percent wealthiest. They oppose research and prefer we live in Theocracy based on a minority of American’s beliefs. I see Ryan as pure immoral hypocrisy. They pretend to believe in God and religion. They actually are reactionaries that believe in abusing anyone who is not born into wealth.
Research and Science move humanity ahead. They simulate the Economy, enrich the quality of our life’s and help humans live longer. The Ryan, Walker, Plain and Elitist vision reminds me of going back to the 17th Century.
They want American’s to all live according to what a small minority of wealthy American’s believe. That is not what a Democratic nation does.
Science and research move us forward. Not funding research is pure ignorance.
Obama is weak and he has not done enough about Terrorism or to improve the Economy. Sadly the L Wing choose Obama over Hillary Clinton. Both parties have become extreme.
The best thing for the US would be a third moderate party. Who leaders exam documentation and decide based on the facts what is best for most American’s.
I wish we could have a third party but I can’t see how.
I will be forced to vote for Obama because I believe Ryan is pure evil. I never liked wish washy Romey and he choose an immoral man. I have No clue what he actually believes. I know he does not comprehend how hard I have worked in my life.
The R would attack me but I know that I am right and I laugh when they try.
I am a moderate and both parties make me sick.

@philosopher – I would like you to elaborate on how Obama is an extreme Left politician… He extended the Bush tax cuts, kept the Iraq war timeline that was put in place by Bush, approved more Offshore drilling, used a Republican Think-Tank healthcare concept, and appears to have no qualms with taking out terrorists by using Drone strikes.

You may be able to argue on Gay-rights, but technically I think that has been more of a moderate topic seeing as a larger majority of American’s aren’t opposed to gay couples as they used to be years ago. It reminds me of when conservatives were against bi-racial couples. Unless you think being gay is a choice (in which case I do not respect your opinions) then limiting rights to those individuals is just wrong.

Maybe you think the bailout of the auto industry was “Liberal”? If so, it can be argued that it got support from both sides of the isle, so I consider than pretty moderate considering it was a grim situation and doing “nothing” wasn’t the best viable solution.

@philosopher – Also Obama is weak and he has not done enough about Terrorism or to improve the Economy. What is that about? Elaborate please? He approved the raid that killed Osama bin Laden and killed a dozen other terrorists with drone strikes; pretty much taking out their chain of command 1 at a time. And how fast do you expect this economy to improve? There are over 3 millions jobs out there that are not being taken because people aren’t qualified to take them…to me, thats not an Obama issue, but rather an education issue. We have had over 28 months of positive job growth months…granted unemployment is high, but at least it’s not in free fall as it was when he took office.

@philosopher @RandomMrAdam Yah I have to agree with @RandomMrAdam here… If you think Obama is the extreme left, it’s only because you’ve gone so far to the right that you’ve fallen off the edge of the planet.

The “real” far left is not very fond of Obama because of him coming into the middle on several key issues, such as the war in Iraq, and even healthcare. There was a recent poll that showed something like 60% of the American public disliked Obamacare. Lost in the poll was the fact that nearly half of those who said they didn’t like Obamacare, didn’t like it because it wasn’t straight up socialized healthcare.

If either Democrats or Republicans are “bad,” they are all equally “bad.”

I have to agree with @kritiper. They ARE both equally bad. But, with that being said I have to say that I find that I’m more Democratic than Republican. I can think of NO better reason than the last horror story of a President we just got through with. Unfortunately we Democrat’s often shoot ourselves in the feet. It getting us to agree Is harder than herding cats. We fix ourselves to whomever we think is correct, and stick with that person/idea until the bitter end, unlike the Republicans whom group together around one PERSON who becomes the standard barer for the party.