Myths About Democrats And Republicans

Myth- Democrats and Republicans have basically the same stance on abortion?

The Republican Party platform for years and years has had what they call a plank or a provision in there, a provision that says that the Republican Party doesn't like Roberson's way, the explicit language changes from convention to convention, but they don't like Roberson's way. They think Roberson's way was a bad decision and they want to leave abortion decisions to the states; and in general, they think abortion should be limited. The Democratic platform has had plank in there for years and years that essentially says that abortion should be safe and legal and rare. If they say that, of course, they don't promote abortion, but they advocate that abortion should be safe and legal for women's health issues and for all these other issues.

Myth- Democrats and Republicans have basically the same stance on the separation of church and state?

Republican's tend to favor more accommodation, more what they call government religious institution partnerships. There is what we call a high wall of separation or a low wall of separation. Democrats tend to favor a high wall of separation. They want to keep religious associations and government or political associations as separate as possible. Republicans tend to favor more of a low wall of separation, where they are willing to accommodate religious associations, partnerships between religious associations and government, taxpayer money and other things. We see this on issues such as charitable choice, public money going to private schools or religious schools, these types of issues.

Myth- Democrats and Republicans have basically the same stance on Iraq?

The Republican Party definitely is more favorable of maintaining troops, of subduing the war in Iraq as a necessity. The line is more along the lines of, they don't like the way that it was handled after the fact, and the aftermath of the initial war, but they still will not say that the war was a mistake, regardless of opinion polls in some cases. And they still say that we need to be there for a number of years. That number of years changes, but for a number of years. Democrats, however, are much more willing to say that the war was a mistake in the first place. Not just that it was mishandled, but a mistake in the first place, and that we shouldn't be there, and that we should be getting out either as soon as possible, or right away, or within the next couple of years. But mostly it's as soon as possible.

Myth- Democrats and Republicans have basically the same stance on terrorism?

Republicans tend to view it more as a war--where they're more willing to use the military to go out into the world to deal, or combat terrorism. Democrats, there's a sentiment among Democrats that tends to view terrorism a little bit more as a police issue, or a public safety issue--which means they're less willing to use military to go out into the world and combat terrorism, but more looking to combat it through police efforts--police forces here in the United States and domestically.

Myth- Democrats and Republicans have basically the same stance on gun rights?

The American society in general is in favor of gun rights. But there are still differences in terms of priorities. Republicans kind of have a strong NRA National Rifle Association constituency lodged with them. So they are going to focus more on pleasing that constituency. They are going to focus more on expanding gun rights. Democrats do not have that same constituency so even when democratic candidates often say they are in favor of the gun rights. Like Howard Dean did in the 2004 election cycle. It does not necessarily mean that they are going to do anything about expanding or protecting or securing gun rights as much, because it is not going to be the same priority to it that they have.