Ballot Question: Democratic vs Democrat

[Roadie]

So, I am curious..

Why do the ballots in Indy say "Democratic" under the Politicians name, instead of "Democrat"?

I always thought "Democratic" was a political process, and "Democrat" was a Political party...

 

[Constructionist]

You're correct; most people aren't smart enough to understand the distinction... including, apparently, those who print the ballots.

Listen to every news channel and most talk radio voices too - they all use the word democratic when they mean Democrat.

 

[Roadie]

I was just told this on Facebook:

"Democrat Party" is a political epithet used in the United States instead of "Democratic Party" when talking about the Democratic Party. The term has been used in negative or hostile fashion by conservative commentators and members of the Republican Party in party platforms, partisan speeches and press releases since 1940.

Hendrik Hertzberg wrote, "There’s no great mystery about the motives behind this deliberate misnaming. 'Democrat Party' is a slur, or intended to be — a handy way to express contempt.

 

[Constructionist]

So if you vote for a democrat and you're voting democratic, does that mean a vote for a republican is a republicanic vote? Can one vote communistic? Not doubting you, roadie - doubting a Facebook reference to Wikipedia information.

 

[Roadie]

So if you vote for a democrat and you're voting democratic, does that mean a vote for a republican is a republicanic vote? Can one vote communistic? Not doubting you, roadie - doubting a Facebook reference to Wikipedia information.

I don't agree with it, personally. By that thinking "democrats.org" is contemptuous of itself, lol

 

[Constructionist]

Haha maybe it is

 

[Von Mises]

There's nothing Democratic about Socialism.

 

[JCR]

Roadie- Why did you waste time looking at that part of the ballot???

 

[mrjarrell]

I thought everyone knew it was the democratic party. Always has been, that's why it was on the ballots as democratic and not democrat.

 

[Roadie]

Roadie- Why did you waste time looking at that part of the ballot???

I vote candidate, not party. It's rare, but occasionally that means, *GASP* a Dem..

 

[rambone]

I've heard about the epithet. I wonder how that got started, and why anyone cared.

 

[rockhopper46038]

To my mind it's a relatively recent concerted effort pushed by the Democrats and supported by their media friends to erase the negative connotations tied to "Democrat" and replace them with positive connotations associated with "democracy". Much like the hard push over the last 5 years or so to replace "Liberal" with "Progressive". Listen to NPR and they will constantly refer to think tanks as "right-leaning" or "Conservative", but never "left-leaning" or "Liberal" - always "Progressive".

 

[TopDog]

So, I am curious..

Why do the ballots in Indy say "Democratic" under the Politicians name, instead of "Democrat"?

I always thought "Democratic" was a political process, and "Democrat" was a Political party...

Its a subliminal communication... Keep looking for the secret message.

 

[Roadie]

Its a subliminal communication... Keep looking for the secret message.

Funny you say that, when I discussed it with my wife, I prefaced it with:

"Now, maybe my tinfoil hat is a little too tight, but..."

 

[dross]

I vote candidate, not party.

That, my friend, is impossible. You can't vote for a candidate rather than a party.

 

[Roadie]

That, my friend, is impossible. You can't vote for a candidate rather than a party.

how about... candidate in SPITE of a party?

 

[dross]

how about... candidate in SPITE of a party?

The thing to remember is that you're always voting for party, not person.

For instance, if you vote for a pro gun Democrat for Congress, you're actually voting for anti gun legislation.

Why? Because with a Democrat majority, they get all the commitees and the Speaker position, and they get to make all the rules, and they can bring anything they want to the floor and get it passed.

Your pro gun Democrat Congressman is still going to vote for Nancy Pelosi for speaker.

Yes, sure, when a gun vote comes up, they'll let your Congressman vote his conscience and vote against as long as they have enough votes. If they really need his vote on a close one that really matters, they'll give him a spot on a committee where he can direct some pork to his District that will get him reelected in spite of his anti gun vote.

If it's really, really bad, they'll secure him an appointment job with a Democrat President or Governor somewhere so after he's tossed out by the voters he still has a job.

So, you might like a Democrat as an individual, but by voting for that individual, you're also voting for Nancy Pelosi or Chuck Shumer in the Senate.

It's the way our system works and your good intentions won't change it one bit.

 

[KLB]

The thing to remember is that you're always voting for party, not person.

For instance, if you vote for a pro gun Democrat for Congress, you're actually voting for anti gun legislation.

Why? Because with a Democrat majority, they get all the commitees and the Speaker position, and they get to make all the rules, and they can bring anything they want to the floor and get it passed.

Your pro gun Democrat Congressman is still going to vote for Nancy Pelosi for speaker.

Yes, sure, when a gun vote comes up, they'll let your Congressman vote his conscience and vote against as long as they have enough votes. If they really need his vote on a close one that really matters, they'll give him a spot on a committee where he can direct some pork to his District that will get him reelected in spite of his anti gun vote.

If it's really, really bad, they'll secure him an appointment job with a Democrat President or Governor somewhere so after he's tossed out by the voters he still has a job.

So, you might like a Democrat as an individual, but by voting for that individual, you're also voting for Nancy Pelosi or Chuck Shumer in the Senate.

It's the way our system works and your good intentions won't change it one bit.

For the House and Senate this may hold true, but for the plethora of local offices that we vote for it would not hold true.

Putting some thought into these elections beyond what party the person is running under is a good thing. I do not believe that the differences at that level are as black and white based upon the party.

 

[photoshooter]

The party formed around Thomas Jefferson and James Madison was called the "Democratic Republican Party"

The current batch of Democrats think that their party is a direct descendant of that party - even though it has morphed majorly about 4 times and moved far away from the political philosophy of Jefferson and Madison.

 

[CarmelHP]

I was just told this on Facebook:

"Democrat Party" is a political epithet used in the United States

"Democrat Party" it is, then. Glad that's settled.