Why This College Educated Black Man Became a Republican Part II: What Do Democrats Really Stand For?

My odyssey to becoming a Republican has gone through many twists, turns and sleepless nights of intense introspection and reflection. As I stated in an earlier blog post, I have voted for Democrats for my entire life up to and including the historic 2008 election. My values haven't really changed much during my adult life but my knowledge and understanding have. Barack Obama was a magnetic figure during that election and his presence and persona actually inspired me to begin to take a much closer look at my politics. As you may imagine, I was quite surprised with what I discovered. Needless to say, these revelations compelled me to move my allegiance from the Democrats to the Republicans.

I understand what Republicans are supposed to stand for. Their ideals make since to me. I remember actually going to the GOP website and viewing their principles and stances regarding various issues. Here are a few principles from the GOP website of my county:

I BELIEVE . . . That the proper function of government is to do for the people those things that have to be done but cannot be done, or cannot be done as well, by individuals, and that the most effective government is government closest to the people.

I BELIEVE . . . That good government is based upon the individual and that each person’s ability, dignity, freedom, and responsibility must be honored and recognized.

I BELIEVE . . . That free enterprise and the encouragement of individual initiative and incentive have given this nation an economic system second to none.

I BELIEVE . . . That sound money management should be our goal.

I BELIEVE . . . In equal rights, equal justice, and equal opportunity for all regardless of race, creed, age, sex, or national origin.

I BELIEVE . . . We must retain those principles of the past worth retaining, yet always be receptive to new ideas with an outlook broad enough to accommodate thoughtful change and varying points of view.

I BELIEVE . . . That Americans value and should preserve their feeling of national strength and pride, and at the same time share with people everywhere a desire for peace and freedom and the extension of human rights throughout the world.

FINALLY, I BELIEVE . . . That the Republican Party is the best vehicle for translating these ideals into positive and successful principles of government. 

These make very clear since to me. They are concise and sound. I was further taken by the following "cannots" that I learned from the Republican Party of my county:

• You cannot bring about prosperity discouraging thrift.
• You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
• You cannot help small men by tearing down big men.
• You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.
• You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.
• You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your income.
• You cannot further brotherhood of men by inciting class hatred.
• You cannot establish sound security on borrowed money.
• You cannot build character and courage by taking away a man's initiative.
• You cannot really help men by having the government tax them to do for them what they can and should do for themselves.

These ideas are short, sweet and to the point. They rang very true to me the first time I read them and I immediately knew that my political allegiances warranted further introspection. There was something spiritual that I felt as I learned the principles. They ring with the truth of God and an understanding of the fallen and imperfect mankind. The Republican way seems to at least tacitly acknowledge that God is the only one who can be trusted to be infallible. The Republican way seems to understand that mankind's vices can only be managed-- not eliminated. All of their policy seems to be built upon this foundation.

I began to search out the Democrat's guiding principles. I truly was trying to find a way to justify my being a Democrat in spite of many of my core beliefs. I found them elusive, verbose and vague. You can review some of them here:

http://www.democrats.org/issues

Something struck me as I was on this journey. Democrats, as a movement seem to have an unreasonable faith in the benevolence and potential of man. They may acknowledge God, but the object of their faith is mankind. They seem to have an aversion to all things traditional and seem determined to prove that they can find a way to do things better than that which has been proven true and sound. Their foundation seems non-existent at worst and situational at best. It seems as though they must lick their finger, put it into the wind and try to determine what popular sentiment is before they jump out in front and try to lead.

It is impossible to explain what Democrats stand for in short simple sentences. If you try to describe their views in a concise way (Socialism, Pacifism, Globalism, Ecumenicism, Pluralism, Multi-Culturalism etc.) they will quickly denounce you as an ignorant, fundamentalist bigot. It's as if they think they are inherently smarter than you because it takes them a half hour to describe what they believe an economic system should look like. As stated before, the only thing that seems consistent in their views is that they believe man is capable of solving all of mankind's problems in of himself and his ingenuity and there are no moral absolutes. They have to hide their values in seemingly benign language-

-Woman's Health

-Comprehensive Immigration Reform

-Social Justice

-Equality

-Equal Marriage Rights

-Investment in _______

Am I missing something? Perhaps you can help me? This is an honest question. Can anyone out there explain what Democrats stand for in a concise way? Republican principles are plain and simple and out there for all the world to see. (even if they don't always live up to them-exit RINOs enter Tea Party) They don't require a dissertation to declare them. It is because they are impregnated with the truths that the Bible and generations of human history have taught us. I believe that some of you can actually explain what Democrats stand for in a concise paragraph. Unfortunately, Democrats know that if they boil down what they stand for too much, the finished product would be unpalatable for the vast majority of Americans.