The REAL difference between the Democrats and the Republicans

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If you have been following the current campaign for the 2008 election it can be very confusing at times to tell the two candidates apart. They both have started out saying and or supporting one thing and then have headed for a middle ground so that it is difficult to really tell the difference between the two parties. They both want to accomplish identical goals they are just planning to achieve these goals in different ways. It is easy to grab hold of stereotypical generalizations about the two parties; but when you look closely they don't hold water. All Democrats are not liberal and all Republican are not conservative. The Democratic party is not the "minority" party and the Republicans are not all "WASPs" (white anglo saxon protestants). All Democrats are not "pro-choice" and all Republicans are not "pro-life". There actually are homophobic Democrats and there are gay Republicans. Even when a party openly states that they are for or against something - they will sponsor bills to "prove" that is what they support; but, the bills are so weak and full of "junk" that they know they will never get passed. But, it sure does LOOK good to their constituents. After all, they TRIED. This lack of true distinction between the parties is not something new either. Way back in the "dark ages" when I was in high school; this "sameness" existed. When it was time to register to vote; you had to actually select a party. Of course, you could claim to be "independent"; but, you had fewer opportunities in primaries, etc. So, I started examining voting records, party platforms, campaign speeches, past presidents, etc. Both parties had started and ended wars/armed conflicts. Both had been responsible for economic downturns and upturns. Both party's candidates said one thing and then did another. How to choose? I did finally find ONE REAL difference between the two parties. The Democrats had a record and a basic platform of policies to (as Obama said VERY clearly) "redistribute the wealth". In simple terms, take money from those who were successful and give it to those who had less, whether they deserve it or not. Penalize people who worked hard for their success and reward people who did little or nothing to earn it. So, if you work hard and succeed the government will just take it away from you and your family. Why even try then? The Republicans had a record and a basic platform of policies to care for the people who through NO fault of their own needed assistance and reward people who worked hard and were successful. In simple terms, help people who are too old or sick to work and small children; help people who lose everything in a disaster; help low income people increase their income through small business loans and educatiuonal programs; and reward sucessful individuals and businesses so that they can create more jobs for workers. In other words, it gives you hope for a reward for yourself and your family, if you suceed and it gives you more opportunites to try to succeed. I think you know which party I chose; even though there have been times when I have voted for the opposing party, when I really believed they were the better candidate for the job.