Reply #16: Why I Am a Democrat

[mattclearing]

I wrote this after the RNC last year.

After watching Arnold Schwarzenegger’s speech to the Republican
National Convention two weeks ago, it occurred to me that anyone with
two eyes and a nose must be a Republican.

After all, I believe several of the things that the Governator himself listed as criteria for membership in the Grand Old Party.

I believe that people should be treated as individuals, not as interest groups.

I believe that I know how to spend my money better than the Government does.

I also believe that our educational system should be held accountable for results.

For a moment it occurred to me that I should probably get down to the
DMV and change my party affiliation. However, some other notions came
to my mind that allowed my commitment to the Democratic Party to
endure. I’d like to take this opportunity to share a few of them.

First, I thought to myself that Arnold’s profession of Republican
beliefs missed a few things. For instance,

If you believe that corporations deserve unlimited unearned welfare but impoverished Americans must earn the right to assistance, then you are a Republican.

If you believe that the legal community is at fault for corporate price gouging and that allowing corporations to account for their consumer abuse settlements in advance is a good idea, regardless of the circumstances of the case in question, then you are a Republican.

If you are more passionate about the rights of the unborn than you are
about the civil rights of your fellow Americans, then you are a
Republican.

If you can be persuaded that money for roads and schools for Iraqis
should be a bigger priority for your President than money for roads and schools for your fellow Americans, then you are a Republican.

If you believe that unaccountable military contractors are more
deserving of the government’s charity than the elderly poor, then you
are a Republican.

If you believe that pre-emptive war is more likely to prevent terrorism than to encourage it, then you are a Republican.

If you believe that subsidized healthcare is a complete waste of money
but wouldn’t mind throwing unlimited taxpayer dollars at the
development and deployment of a space-based missile defense shield,
then you are a Republican.


Now, I’m a Democrat, and I’ve been a Democrat for all of my life. I
have given it some thought, and I’ve come to some conclusions about why I choose to affiliate with the Democratic Party.

Here are some ways to tell if you are a Democrat:

If you would be willing to pay for a government that provides services
that matter to you, then you are a Democrat.

If you believe deep down that America’s diversity is the source of
America’s strength, not a threat to it, then you are a Democrat.

If you believe that homelessness, poverty, and a lack of healthcare for the less fortunate among us reflect poorly on us as a society, and that those are things the government can and should do something about, then you are a Democrat.

If you believe in your heart that government-funded research can
provide us with the great scientific achievements of the future, just
like it gave us space flight, the Internet, and the human genome in the past, then you are a Democrat.

If you believe that we can find better, more efficient, and less
politically volatile sources of energy that will create American jobs
and inspire good-old fashioned American ingenuity, then you are a
Democrat.

If you pray that there is more power in the peaceful march for justice
than there is in the deadly march of warfare, then you are a Democrat.

If you imagine that globalization might work a bit better for all
involved if we pushed for better labor standards worldwide, then you
are a Democrat.

If you think that thoughtful and respectful diplomacy can often more
effectively serve the United States’ interests than intimidation and
hard bargaining tactics, then you are a Democrat.

If you think that a balanced budget is a sign of a healthy and vital
government, and not a sign that taxpayers are being ripped off, then
you are a Democrat.

If you believe that the rich don’t need the government’s help to get
richer, but that maybe the poor could use it every now and again, then
you are a Democrat.