My Political Affinities in American Politics

While I share some of the cynicism that gets vocalized today about partisan politics in America, I do find myself embracing more often the policy platforms and candidates in the Democratic Party than I do with Republican platforms and candidates.   Here are some of my reasons for my affinity towards one political party more than the other:

Generally speaking, I find that Democrats put more emphasis on the role and importance of government in “promoting the general welfare” of all people rather than worrying, as Republicans often do, about government overreach and the limiting of personal freedom.  Democratic platforms typically resonate more with me because of the expressed party desire to strengthen the common good and to measure this by how the least among us are faring at any given moment in history.

I gravitate towards the policy priorities that Democrats advocate because I hear in them more humility about how deserving any of us are with regard to securing the blessings of life we may have as well as more gratitude for the blessing we already have.  Republicans often sound too resentful, distrustful, and begrudging to me about paying taxes, welcoming immigrants into our country, and enacting public policies for the sake of the environment.

I also find Democrats to be more open than Republicans to acknowledging our nation’s racist history and less defensive than Republicans about social justice protests by people of color and issues expressed by other marginalized groups.  I embrace diversity and inclusion in the establishing of public policies and see the “browning of America” as a natural expression of our nation’s core principles about liberty and equality.  I believe that Republican fears about white replacement and the influx of foreign immigrants and refugees contradicts these values and principles. 

I affirm the economic benefit and value of progressive taxation policies that ask the wealthy to shoulder a greater responsibility for government safety-net programs to aid the poor and vulnerable in our society.  I value and want to protect government programs like Social Security, Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, and others that aid the weak and vulnerable among us.  Republican rhetoric about the dangers of “creeping socialism” and the virtues of unrestrained free-market capitalism sound to me like fear-based and selfish efforts to keep gross economic inequities in place in the U.S. and to blame the victims of these inequities for their condition. 

While I affirm the importance of individual’s taking personal responsibility for our lives, abiding by laws, and exhibiting a strong moral code that respects the value of life, I appreciate the awareness among Democrats that government policies are often needed to promote the common welfare and to insure domestic tranquility, that laws are sometimes unjust and must to be challenged, and that our nation is sometimes inconsistent in maintaining the rights of citizens and in applying our beliefs about the sacredness of life when it comes to national defense, women’s reproductive rights, gun control, and capital punishment.

Lastly, I find the Democratic Party to be more inclined to address issues that are aligned with my spiritual and religious values about caring and compassion for others, seeking justice for all, and standing up for liberty for the oppressed and marginalized in society.   History suggests to me that economic free markets and limited governments do not produce on their own shared prosperity but rather rising inequality. Likewise, I am put off by Republican policy priorities that focus on first and second amendment rights, that stress loyalty to country and national security over international cooperation, that place states’ rights over federal authority, and that place individual choice over the shared health and well-being of our nation.

This affinity towards the Democratic Party, however, does not blind me to the ruinous partisan power struggles that have been going on for decades with America’s two-party political system.  I am among those who have often looked for and voted for third party candidates who seek to address important issues that both Democrats and Republicans tend to ignore.   I share the conviction of many that the influence of money has had a corrosive effect on our political system and a healthy democracy.   I believe that the partisan and ideological gridlock in Congress has not only created ineffective government but undermines the cooperation and collaboration that is needed to address crucial issues facing our nation.   I worry that the electorate today wants to vote for candidates who blame the other party for the ills of our nation and who engage in ideological warfare that only divides our nation more.  I continue to hope and pray that the younger generations of Americans will seek to elect civic leaders who offer a compelling moral vision to undergird public policy decisions that lead to restoring democratic principles and institutions, bridging the strident ideological divide, and working towards peace, equity, and justice both locally and globally.  Our current two-party system today does not reflect this vision.