D or R? Who cares? They're all the same!
No, they're not. NOT AT ALL. The difference in the way Republicans and Democrats approach governing boils down to different "life" philosophies. These "world views" wind up shaping party' policies.
In short- Republicans believe that individual people are largely responsible for their own actions, successes and failures.
Democrats tend to believe that society at large is responsible for the actions, successes and failures of each individual.
And THAT makes a HUGE difference in the type and number of laws they make.
The principals which guide Republicans are:
1. The strength of the nation depends on the strength of each individual. The dignity, freedom, ability and responsibility of each individual must be honored.
2. Free enterprise and individual initiative have brought our nation and its' people great prosperity.
3. Government must spend money wisely, so the individual is taxed less.
4. Government should do ONLY what individuals or private organizations CANNOT do themselves.
5. The BEST government, governs the LEAST.
To ignore a candidates party choice is to ignore who they are, how they think and what their policies will most likely look like. That's not very wise, when they will be the ones making the rules!
Lately, all the focus on party differences has focused on social issues- (marijuana, abortion, crime), and the core differences between the parties has been distorted and forgotten. Some candidates even focus on issues which are actually 100% outside the scope of the office!
Pro- life and pro- choice Republicans exist. Pro- environment and pro-legalization Republicans exist. What unites the people in the Republican party is our core beliefs in individual responsibility, free enterprise, small limited government and a desire for smart, wise spending. That's it.
Often, both parties identify the same exact problem, but vary greatly on the root cause, or possible solutions.
There really is a HUGE difference!
Arizona's Non-Partisan Offices
Unfortunately, local races in Arizona are deemed "non-partisan," which means many candidates will not disclose any party affiliation, to the detriment of their potential constituency. But you can and should press candidates to openly declare a preference, so you can determine what policies they are likely to enact.
30% of the taxes paid by Americans are set forth by their county or municipal officials. Knowing where they fall on the political spectrum is vital to understanding if your local taxes are likely increase while freedoms decrease, or, if the opposite is more likely. In other words, although you may not personally identify with either party, voting for an "independent" means you might be voting for someone who falls anywhere on the political spectrum, from tyrant, to anarchist. You just don't know, because they have not declared their position. That could be dangerous, in either respect.
For example, Socialist Bernie Sanders ran as an independent in Vermont.
Can you really "vote for the person (and not the party)" if you don't know what ideals they value?
In reality, that's impossible. That's why it is so important to understand how a candidate will approach the issues they may face during their time in office by understanding the differences between parties.
Read below, and feel free to reach out if you have any questions. We love sharing our knowledge with our fellow Americans.
.
