From: Visionb@cup.portal.com (Vision Two Tester)
Newsgroups: tx.politics
Subject: Is there a difference?
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 92 15:57:28 PST
Organization: The Portal System (TM)
Distribution: usa

"There's not a dime's worth of difference; both political parties are alike." 
"I vote for the person, not th e party."
"If I'm anything, I'm Independent."
 
     A lot of Americans feel this way today and certainly, the 
voters' instinct for electing the right candidate at the right
time, regardless of party, has proven itself time and again.
 
     Few would question the importance or the power of the
Independent vote in deciding closely contested elections.  
And it is true that both parties are alike in many respects. 
 
     However, to ignore a candidate's party affiliation is to 

miss out on one of the great advantages of the two-party 
system.  The very reason that a candidate is listed as 
REPUBLICAN or a DEMOCRAT is that he or she subscirbes 
to the basic political philosophy for which party stands. . 
 
 
. . . and there is a difference.
The cornerstone of REPUBLICAN philosoophy is the belief 
that each man is responsible for his own place in our 
society.  Individuals are encouraged by the REPUBLICAN 
PARTY to work to secure the benefits of society for 
themselves, their families, and for those who are unable 
to care for themselves.

DEMOCRATS are more willing to subordinate  individual 
rights to the assumed needs of the group.  They assume 
that society collectively is responsible for each of its 
members.  They place less emphasis on individual 
enterprise and initiative.
 
GOVERNMENT AND THE GOVERNED
 
REPUBLICANS believe that government should be limited 
to doing for people those things which they cannot do for
themselves.  The right to determine individual destiny 
should lie in the hands of the individual.  Similarly, 
REPUBLICANS believe governmental power and resources

should be kept close to people, through their state and 
community leaders, rather than centralized in distant big government. 
 
Recent DEMOCRAT administrations have pushed for more 
and more centralized power in Washington, with 
secondary consideration for the rights of individual 
citizens and communities.  This has led to increasingly 
more federal controls and regimentation, often in 
the hands of unelected bureaucrats, causing severe of 
local government across the country.

....


ECONOMIC POLICIES 
 
REPUBLICANS believe in the competitive free-
enterprise system.  Individual must be free to use 
their talents.  This is the key to personal and national 
prosperity.  REPUBLICANS believe that the only limits 
to an individual's opportunity to succeed are the limits 
of his own initiative and enterprise.
 
DEMOCRATS say that the economy is too complicated to 
be left to free enterprise alone, and therefore must be 
subjected to everincreasing controls by the federal 
government.  They say that we are "entering an era of 
limitations" and therefore must lower our individual 
economic expectations.

FOREIGN POLICY
 
REPUBLICANS believe that peace and freedom can be 
protected only if American maintains a defense force 
strong enough to deter any aggressor.  REPUBLICANS turn 
away from the paternalism of the 50's and encourage 
other nations to shoulder responsibility for their own 
problems.  REPUBLICANS oppose unnecessary intervention 
in the internal affair of other nations and stress helping 
our friends around the globe develop the skills and 
strengths necessary to protect themselves.
 
The DEMOCRAT party has vacillated between extreme 
isolationism, intervention, and confrontation tactics in 
cases like Vietnam, Cuba and Korea.  This inconsistent 
foreign policy has confused our allies and encouraged our 
potential enemies.
 
GOVERNMENT SPENDING AND TAXES
 
REPUBLICANS constantly strive to cut governmental 
spending and to eliminate costly, overlapping and 
unnecessary governmental programs.  Because REPUBLICANS 
believe that the individual should control his and 
government''s pocketbook, they believe that tax increases 
should be voted upon by the people.
The DEMOCRAT view is that the federal government knows 
how and where to spend money for local needs better than 
elected community leaders, and federal bureaucrats should 
continue to control the flow of funds to the states and 
localities and dictate how the taxpayers money will be 
spent.
 
THE FUTURE
 
America has prospered under the two-party system because 
one party has always served to check the excesses of the 
other.  Often both parties agree on the problems, less often 
they agree on the solutions.  The root of most of their 
differences is perspective: DEMOCRATS tend to stress a 
powerful, centralized bureaucracy aimed at solving 
local and national problems from the top down - a 
method which, after 40 years of trial is a proven 
failure.
 
REPUBLICANS believe in solutions which are decided 
upon and implemented by the people themselves, through 
their locally elected representatives.  REPUBLICANS 
believe that the solution of America's problems lies in 
the greatness of the American people.
 
YES, THERE IS A DIFFERENCE!!!
Newsgroups: tx.politics