The importance of political parties

I was just discussing this with my boss, and was wondering if I’ve pestered you lot with my thoughts on political party affiliation of candidates.Have I?

6 Responses to “The importance of political parties”

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Clearly not enough. Edit your damn post to include your thoughts, dang it– I clicked more excepting to have something to read!

Paradoxdruid - October 1st, 2004 at 2:38 pm

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I didn’t want to waste your time if I’d babbled about this already.

So:
Beginning with FDR, surging ahead in Nixon, and continuing to this day, Congress gave up lots of its power. This is because the job of each congressman has become to get re-elected. Right now, the House is going through lots of bills that will look good on voting records, but have no chance of becoming law. They fritter away all their time doing this shit.
Which makes you wonder where the tens of thousands of pages of new legislation generated by our government each day comes from. Well, it comes from where the congress sent all of its power: The executive branch. The EPA, the FDA, all of those wonderful acronyms are making the laws that daily affect us.
But while the president is the figurehead of the EB, he has no power over these departments, EXCEPT (and this is what’s important) in appointing their leaders.
Democratic presidents appoint Democratic Secretaries and Directors. Doesn’t matter who the president is, the EB will follow the DNC platform.
Republican presidents appoint Republican Secretaries and Directors. Doesn’t matter who the president is, the EB will follow the GOP platform.
Of course, the legislation from the EB is, partially, checked by the judicial branch. The president nominates every federal judge, and they’re all good party members. So what passes judicial check will be, mostly, party platform.
And when the appointees in the executive and judicial branch are nominated, they are approved by the Congress and Senate, which is the one time these guys have to do more than just ship pork back home (which everybody will do, Republican or Democrat). A same-party-as-president “legislative” branch will approve same-party appointees. Different-party branches lead to lots of blood-and-gore fights but not much in the way of progress.
So, vote for the party platform.

Owen - October 1st, 2004 at 2:51 pm

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I agree with you, Owen… but doesn’t most everyone?

Who doesn’t vote “because he’s the Republican candidate” or “because he’s the Democratic candidate”. I mean, there are always a few blips on the radar, where people vote against party, but I think far and away most people vote based on party platform, not the politician. Presidential elections are the only time some people even bother to look at the candidate’s names (to use slight hyperbole).

Paradoxdruid - October 2nd, 2004 at 12:19 am

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Many people’s energy wanes when their particular candidate doesn’t make it through the primaries. Or say “Well, he’s scum so I won’t vote for him”.

Owen - October 2nd, 2004 at 11:38 am

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Gotta be pretty dedicated for that…
And I don’t think most people are.

Teisha - October 2nd, 2004 at 2:00 pm

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Yeah that about sums up my feelings on the current state of afairs. Hence the reason I feel that it is important to vote in liberals because they platform is closer to my own. Otherwise it is the same game different color.

Gilvoro - October 5th, 2004 at 10:56 pm

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