Political Contrasts

Political Contrasts

            As each of us approaches the voting age in America, confusion and questions can overwhelm the senses.  The two major political parties in the US have different fundamentals and mechanics.  Structure, ethics, media, and how conventions work in each party can be viewed as major factors as to what party a voter falls under.

            The way the government is set up, the key of each party, can reflect what a party wants to accomplish in our country.  Democrats tend to agree on having a large, strong government that provides regulations.  Tax increases often accompany a left-side candidate; universal healthcare seems to creep up in the agenda, while democrats also support having a smaller army.  Republicans, in contrast, support having a smaller government.  They tend to think that the government that governs least governs best.  Republicans attempt to lower taxes, spending, and want a strong army.  Many Republicans fought overseas but, therefore, can seem bloodthirsty at times because analysts on the left side think Republicans and Republican Presidents want wars and have a greed for power.

            Ethics change many voters’ decisions about the candidate that they support.  Feminists tend to follow strongly with the left side because Democrats support a woman’s choice about abortion and support stem cell research.  Republicans follow a pro-life decision on abortion and do not support stem cell research.  Morals and religion can largely influence a presidential campaign.

            The media has a strong grip on how each candidate and party gets viewed, because the media sends the messages, facts, and current events to nearly everyone in the US.  Democrats tend to

 get very strong support from news programs like CNN and MSNBC, t.v. shows, and books.  The strongest media support to Republicans seems to come from radio talk shows.  Voters should carefully choose where they get their sources of information regarding a candidate and party come from because sources don’t give the whole, unbiased story.

            Finally, how a convention runs for each party can impact how a voter feels about his/her party.  Democratic conventions involve everyone at the conventions.  Everyone can speak their mind and lure others to the candidate whom they support.  At a Republican convention, a presentation by a representative of the candidate presents a pitch, and then voting takes place.  Some don’t like Republican conventions because they can’t really say what they think, but people who tend to be shy enjoy having less peer pressure at Republican conventions.

            Deciding which side to support, the candidate to vote for, and a party can require study.  Structure, ethics, media, and how conventions work in each party can be viewed as major issues as to what party a voter falls under.  These factors and others can help voters choose which party to embrace.