Politics and an 8-year-old girl

[BB Bobcat]

Last night while we were watching the Super Tuesday coverage, my 8-year-old daughter asked "What's the difference between Democrats and Republicans."

My wife and I gave a quick, somewhat biased answer that seemed to satisfy her. I won't give it here till later, but I was wondering what would be the best answer to that question. The key is to be simple enough for an 8-year-old and unbiased toward either party.

Discuss.

 

[Moderator1]

Yeah, I could answer but I'd lose on the unbiased part.

 

[Oggiedoggie]

Well, it's like this: A political party meets a candidate, they fall very much in love, and decide to have a president ...

 

[spnited]

The major difference between Republicans and Democrats is who they take their money from.

 

[OTD]

Democrats believe that government can help solve people's problems.

Republicans believe that people will have fewer problems if there's less government.

How's that for even-handed?

 

[Ace]

I say that Republicans generally favor businesses and allow them to produce and market their products with little interference, figuring that the marketplace will sort everything out.

Democrats are more likely to pass laws to regulate the rich bastards who are screwing workers, polluting the environment and poisoning consumers.

 

[alleyallen]

I say that Republicans generally favor businesses and allow them to produce and market their products with little interference, figuring that the marketplace will sort everything out.

Democrats are more likely to pass laws to regulare the rich bastards who are screwing workers, polluting the environment and poisoning consumers.

You were being pretty even-handed with the Republican part. Not so much the Democrats, but hey, it still made me smile. I actually prefer OTD's explanation.

Course, if I were evil, I'd say, "Daddy's a Democrat and Daddy's good, right? So anyone who's not a Democrat must be a Republican and they're not good."

"Daddy, is Mommy a Republican or a Democrat?"

"Uhm--"

 

[Ace]

I say that Republicans generally favor businesses and allow them to produce and market their products with little interference, figuring that the marketplace will sort everything out.

Democrats are more likely to pass laws to regulare the rich bastards who are screwing workers, polluting the environment and poisoning consumers.

You were being pretty even-handed with the Republican part. Not so much the Democrats, but hey, it still made me smile. I actually prefer OTD's explanation.

Course, if I were evil, I'd say, "Daddy's a Democrat and Daddy's good, right? So anyone who's not a Democrat must be a Republican and they're not good."

"Daddy, is Mommy a Republican or a Democrat?"

"Uhm--"

I was exaggerating for fun. I actually use that with my kids, though I tone down the second part.

 

[markvid]

Democrats believe that government can help solve people's problems.

Republicans believe that people will have fewer problems if there's less government.

How's that for even-handed?

I like that.

 

[alleyallen]

I say that Republicans generally favor businesses and allow them to produce and market their products with little interference, figuring that the marketplace will sort everything out.

Democrats are more likely to pass laws to regulare the rich bastards who are screwing workers, polluting the environment and poisoning consumers.

You were being pretty even-handed with the Republican part. Not so much the Democrats, but hey, it still made me smile. I actually prefer OTD's explanation.

Course, if I were evil, I'd say, "Daddy's a Democrat and Daddy's good, right? So anyone who's not a Democrat must be a Republican and they're not good."

"Daddy, is Mommy a Republican or a Democrat?"

"Uhm--"

I was exaggerating for fun. I actually use that with my kids, though I tone down the second part.

Aw, I knew you were exaggerating. Just used it for my failed attempt at comic relief.

 

[BB Bobcat]

Democrats believe that government can help solve people's problems.

Republicans believe that people will have fewer problems if there's less government.

This is actualy close to what we came up with it. We said: "Democrats try to help everyone, while Republicans believe that the government should stay out of it."

In retrospect, I would have said this: "Democrats want to tell you what to do with your money, but they let you live your life however you want. Republicans want to let you do whatever you want with your money, but they tell you how to live your life."

 

[beardpuller]

BB -- I had the same conversation recently with my 14-year-old son, regarding "conservative" and "liberal." I was pretty sure he knew his mom and I would widely be considered "liberal" but kids hear a lot of crap at school, and I wanted to be sure he had a working base of knowledge to form his own views, so I tried to play it fair -- conservatives believe the private sector, if largely left alone, will produce the most good for the most people, that government tends to mess things up. Liberals believe government must take an active role in helping the poor, that the private sector mostly works on behalf of the rich.
I emphasized that both sides contain elements of truth -- even liberals like myself must acknowledge that more government isn't the answer to everything, and many honest conservatives acknowledge that the private sector, left completely alone, will produce stuff like Enron.
Bill Clinton said something last year about the need for more tolerance of one anothers' views, I'm paraphrasing, but it was along the lines of "we need the moral clarity of conservatism and the compassion of liberalism." I hope I didn't mangle that too badly. I think he's right.

 

[old_tony]

The first presidential election I remember was in 1968. I remember wanting Kennedy during the primaries. Then he got killed and the next thing I remember was believing that Nixon would get us out of Vietnam.

I wanted Nixon in 68 and 72, wanted Ford over Carter in 76. Every presidential election I can remember, even before I knew the difference between conservative or liberal, Democrat of Republican, I wanted the Republican to win.

I don't know how old I was, but I remember when I was young (guessing 14 or so) asking my dad what was the difference between Democrats and Republicans.

His answer was along these lines and to me it sounds dead-on: Republicans believe in 'You take care of your's, I'll take care of mine,' Democrats believe we can't take care of ourselves and the government has to do it all.

 

[Buck]

Republicans are right about some stuff and wrong about some stuff.
Democrats are right about some other stuff and wrong about some other stuff.
But by the time anyone gets to the point of being a professional politician, he or she has already surrendered any honesty, integrity or principle.

 

[rpmmutant]

Making the assumption that you are a journalist and among the 98 percent of us who are not independently wealthy, I would tell your daughter she is neither rich nor a white man. Therefore she has no reason to be a Republican.

 

[old_tony]

Then again, making the assumption that she believes her prosperity is better left in her hands than the government's, she has no reason to be a Democrat.

 

[beardpuller]

Tony: Perhaps if the private sector really worked all that well, you'd know there is no apostrophe in "yours"