Top Ten Reasons You are Not a Democrat

[Chunk Yogurt for President!]

1. Democrats want the Russians and terrorists to win
2. Democrats want to repeal the USA PATRIOT Act (see my first reason)
3. Democrats want lower military spending (see first two reasons)
4. Democrats made up the majority of opposition to the War in Iraq (see first three reasons)
5. Democrats want to take money from the wealthy
6. Democrats want to legalize marijuana
7. Democrats believe in stupid entitlement programs like Social Security and Food Stamps. That money should be spent on nuclear weapons
8. Al Gore is a Democrat
9. Bill Clinton should have been impeached
10. Detroit is a Democrat city

What year is it?

[HillGoose]

1. Democrats want the Russians and terrorists to win
2. Democrats want to repeal the USA PATRIOT Act (see my first reason)
3. Democrats want lower military spending (see first two reasons)
4. Democrats made up the majority of opposition to the War in Iraq (see first three reasons)
5. Democrats want to take money from the wealthy
6. Democrats want to legalize marijuana
7. Democrats believe in stupid entitlement programs like Social Security and Food Stamps. That money should be spent on nuclear weapons
8. Al Gore is a Democrat
9. Bill Clinton should have been impeached
10. Detroit is a Democrat city

What year is it?

in my head?

2004.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

1. They support abortion on demand, right up until the moment of birth (or during birth) in many cases
2. They support redistribution of wealth and raising taxes on both small business and corporations (I've seen firsthand how high taxes hurts economic growth here in Michigan)
3. They were the party that supported slavery, the Confederacy, and Jim Crow laws, while Republicans were the party that opposed them
4. They blame everything that goes wrong in minority communities on racism instead of considering extenuating circumstances, and they try to find racism in literally EVERYTHING, ruining it for everyone else.  (They do the same things with sexism, homophobia, and the like.)
5. They support nullification of federal immigration law through sanctuary cities/states and amnesty for illegal aliens, no matter what (I would support amnesty for some illegals who have been here long enough to establish themselves, but I oppose blanket amnesty.  And state and local governments have a duty to uphold federal law, no matter how much they disagree with it)
6. They support anti-white racists and violent anti-police protestors who kill cops
7. They oppose school vouchers and charter schools, and reforms that make it easier to fire bad teachers, while supporting universal preschool/daycare (I believe that parents generally know how to raise their kids better than the government does, and that they should be allowed to choose when and where their kids go to school, within the limits of existing law)
8. They claim to be the party of women's rights, yet repeatedly stood with a notorious womanizer (Clinton) while dismissing his accusers as liars and the allegations against him as partisan witch hunts
9. They claim to be the party of women's rights and gay rights while supporting the Palestinians and other regimes that subjugate women to second class status and make homosexuality a capital crime, and also opposing Israel, which gives more freedom to women and homosexuals than any other nation in the Middle East
10. They oppose war at any and all costs, even if it means undermining the security of the US and/or the world

BONUS REASON: Michigan is open primary.

Of course, there are plenty of other reasons I oppose the Democrats, but these are just the top ten, as the thread asked for.

[Kamala]

1. They focus too much on decorum, "playing nice" and properness instead of actually passing policy.
2. I think Dem leadership is out of touch with the average Democrat, not just the average American.
3. Too hawkish for my tastes, especially vulnerable to "rallying around the flag," ex. Iraq and Afghanistan.
4. They often govern to the right of what they campaign on, which is disappointing, because what they ran on is what got them elected in the first place.
5. I disagree with them on guns.
6. They don't do enough to fight money in politics. I understand the need of "big money" in order to compete with Republicans, but recent elections have shown that excitement will help a lot of small donations to come in.
7. They're pretty good on the environment (compared to Republicans), but I think they could do a lot more. Climate change is the most important issue.
8. Not strong enough on civil liberties, such as opposing NSA surveillance.
9. Too tolerant of Wall Street-friendly politicians. I'm pretty sure even if Democrats were vocally against Wall Street constantly, NY and NYC will still vote 70/30 for them.
10. They need to reform their primaries.

[Kingpoleon]

1. I support a balanced budget before increasing any spending.
2. I support a value-added tax.
2. I do not support a national health insurance system, like the British, or a single-payer healthcare system.
4. I do not support handouts to big corporations in the form of “transportation megabus” or “infrastructure megabus” bills.
5. I support a flatter corporate rates of 12%/22%/32%/42%, with fewer brackets.
6. I support a supplementary income that guarantees clothes and housing through a system similar to food stamps, but provided by HUD working with local community activists and leaders.
7. I support raising all military salaries by 15%.
8. I support a larger child tax credit with limits of five for a married couple and three for a single parent.
9. I support cutting and reforming corporate regulations on a federal basis.
10. I support a comprehensive foreign policy based upon diplomacy, esp. with India and Germany.

[TJ in Oregon]

This is a very hard exercise in deciding what counts as a 'reason' considering I'd prefer not to make this an issue-based laundry list, but here we go anyway:

1. It's really hard to come up with a single greatest reason, but as someone with a rather traditional conservative philosophy on everything from truth to morals to religion to personal conduct and responsibility, frankly it's hard to see much to like in the Democratic Party. In short, their vision for the perfected world appears through the lens of American politics to be nearly the exact opposite direction from mine. Their branding seems, to me anyway, to be a never-ending series of insults and dog-whistles aimed in my direction with far more polemic than actual argument. This reason is sort of an everything answer, but I think it a fair summary of the hangups. More specifics are below.

2. Abortion. I know I said this wouldn't be a laundry list of political issues, but this one is too big of a deal not to include.

3. Their continued insistence that everyone who disagrees with them about something is an intolerant bigot (or similar). This talking point, though it began with gay marriage, has been widely employed on a ton of issues, often even issues which I somewhat agree with the Democrats on, and it really turns me off to whatever they're about to say. The term bigot has pretty much no clear meaning whatsoever besides 'person I hate'.

4. Related to #3. The Democrats often like to argue from the basis of who someone is as support for their getting a preferred outcome rather than why they merit that outcome.

5. As a counterpoint to #4. I'm not a utilitarian. Principles are more important than outcomes. So much of political disagreement comes down to disagreement about the nature of ethics. For a variety of reasons, the Democrats (the ones more worthwhile to listen to anyway) like to frame their arguments in terms of improved outcomes rather than the application of principles, and then tend to overlook the assumption of utilitarian ethics as self-evident. Now, I don't necessarily fault them for having a philosophy (even though I don't agree with it), but its assumptions should be stated rather than implied.

6. An over-reliance on quasi-religious claims about things like 'science', 'fact-based', 'educated', 'progressive', 'right side of history', etc. that are smug and more often then not not even pertinent to the context.

7. An severe case of shiny object syndrome, latching on to whatever cause is that latest ten minutes' uproar. I'm not sure whether I should be laughing or horrified by the degree to which people's views on some obscure subject (like a statue of someone who's been dead for more than a century) can rapidly and violently shift overnight at the slightest provocation. As an onlooker it appears like a kind of random and illiterate heckling whose subject is in a state of constant flux.

8. The continual use of 'heads-I-win/tails-you-lose' arguments on everything from gerrymandering to Islam to racial issues. I know Republicans are guilty of this too, but it's still a problem.

9. A weird kind of new-agey aura to their culture that is neither rational nor scientific (despite claiming to be the party of those things). The idea of things being "all-natural" as a sort of talking point turns me off. While I can see ways in which "mindfulness" can be manifested non-horribly, "non-judgmentalism" tends to be very judgmental and hypocritical. I'd prefer open and honest disagreement over airy-fairy rambling. I'd much rather read Richard Dawkins than Walden.

10. Extreme individualism/antinomianism that short-circuits serious consideration of a topic, a kind of opposite to blind trust of moral authority. This is betrayed by phrases such as "the government can't tell me what I can and can't do with my body" (well, actually pretty much every law does that) or "the government can't legislate morality" (then what does it legislate?).

[gottsu]

Is there a Top Ten Reasons You Are Not a Republican thread?

[mvd10]

1. Triggering leftists is marginally funnier than triggering snowflake Trumpists
2. I want to be seen as Gordon Gekko
3. I also want to be seen as one of the New Founding Fathers from The Purge
4. ICE ICE BABY
5. <insert some 1980s Reagan one-liner here>
6. I want to bomb bomb bomb bomb Iran
7. In fact I want to bomb bomb bomb bomb all reactionary Muslim countries (no, the Dems aren't neocons just because they want to bomb white countries and countries that are nice to their political opponents)
8. I will defend my God-given right to spread fake news to the death
9. Financial market deregulation presumably will be in my own personal interest (not sure whether bigger bonuses and more risk-taking will outweigh the potential great recession redux for me, but I'm inclined to think so)
10. Something Milton Friedman said in the 1970s

[mvd10]

1. Democrats want the Russians and terrorists to win
2. Democrats want to repeal the USA PATRIOT Act (see my first reason)
3. Democrats want lower military spending (see first two reasons)
4. Democrats made up the majority of opposition to the War in Iraq (see first three reasons)
5. Democrats want to take money from the wealthy
6. Democrats want to legalize marijuana
7. Democrats believe in stupid entitlement programs like Social Security and Food Stamps. That money should be spent on nuclear weapons
8. Al Gore is a Democrat
9. Bill Clinton should have been impeached
10. Detroit is a Democrat city

What year is it?

in my head?

2004.

I think it actually still is 2003 brah. In 2003 the aliens invaded the man and got the man in like a Matrix situation brah. Actually it's 2 days after the glorious victory in Iraq brah, but the aliens couldn't let neoconservatism be a success (otherwise we would invade them and bring civilization to those barbarian aliens brah) so they invaded us and made us this neoconservatism is a scam. 2 days passed, not 16 years. It's all in our heads brah.

[HillGoose]

1. Democrats want the Russians and terrorists to win
2. Democrats want to repeal the USA PATRIOT Act (see my first reason)
3. Democrats want lower military spending (see first two reasons)
4. Democrats made up the majority of opposition to the War in Iraq (see first three reasons)
5. Democrats want to take money from the wealthy
6. Democrats want to legalize marijuana
7. Democrats believe in stupid entitlement programs like Social Security and Food Stamps. That money should be spent on nuclear weapons
8. Al Gore is a Democrat
9. Bill Clinton should have been impeached
10. Detroit is a Democrat city

What year is it?

in my head?

2004.

I think it actually still is 2003 brah. In 2003 the aliens invaded the man and got the man in like a Matrix situation brah. Actually it's 2 days after the glorious victory in Iraq brah, but the aliens couldn't let neoconservatism be a success (otherwise we would invade them and bring civilization to those barbarian aliens brah) so they invaded us and made us this neoconservatism is a scam. 2 days passed, not 16 years. It's all in our heads brah.

This post aged very badly considering I'm now 110% in favor of legalizing all drugs lmao

[Mr. Smith]

I am one, for a little bit longer. Possibly sealed as one if the Bernie Path prevails.

If the neoliberal, "Yoga-class" nonsense continues, it's over. I have plenty of gripes against 'em and would be glad to release 'em when that day comes, and it does seem to be a matter of when.

But I could give you a laundry list of reasons I'm not a Republican.

[RINO Tom]

Is there a Top Ten Reasons You Are Not a Republican thread?

Yes, there was ... back when there was this thread.

[Big Abraham]

1. As a socialist, I refuse to support any party which pledges itself to the maintenance of the capitalist mode of production.
2. I refuse to support the two-party system, and identifying with the Democratic Party and voting for its candidates contributes, if only tacitly, to the maintenance of this system.
3. I refuse to support a party which defends American imperialism, and most Democrats have not pursued a foreign policy which is fundamentally different from that of the Bush administration. (President Obama and Secretary Clinton, for example, are responsible for more deaths in the Middle and Near East than probably any other politician in the history of the United States.)
4. I refuse to support a party which does not commit itself to working-class interests, and gives more attention to race, sex, and orientation, as the Democrats have done and continue to do.
5. I refuse to support a party which does not take a decisive stance against the infringement of constitutional liberties through NSA surveillance, the Patriot Act, and strong gun control measures.
6. I refuse to support a party that is, at least at the leadership level, not even committed to the mildest form of social democracy, let alone legitimately left-wing transformative goals. Not that it matters anyway, because the Democratic Party will not (and should not) ever become a socialist party. Workers need to focus on building a third party; the Democrats, who have existed since 1828, have undergone almost every form of ideological transformation under the sun and have almost no foundational principles which they can rest themselves on.
7. I refuse to support a party which has no candidates or elected officials even worth a damn. Seriously, Sanders is the best they have going for them, and he’s technically an independent. Does anyone here legitimately feel that any of the Democrats in the House and Senate accurately represent their constituents?
8. The Democratic Party has also not pledged itself to any form of direct democracy or nationalisation of key industries. They talk about health care, sure, but never once have I heard even among the “progressive” Democrats talk about nationalising the railroads and banks, for instance. Even the Prohibition Party had more balls than them.
9. The record of most Democratic lawmakers when it comes to Wall Street, deregulation of the financial industry, welfare reform, and a whole host of other issues is awful.
10. Because I’m wary of voting and elections in general. I would never lambast anyone for participating in elections if they genuinely believe it will make a difference, but I have never seen anyone present a substantive and cogent argument for how my vote (or anyone else’s, for that matter) will fundamentally contribute to actual systematic changes in the United States.

[thumb21]

1. They take corporate money (corrupt).
2. On issues where I agree with them, they are weak anyway.
3. Elitism.
4. Cynical use of identity politics for political gain.
5. Lack of a strong economic vision (the recession could have been dealt with ALOT better).
7. No real plan to deal with immigration.
6. Support for censorship by private companies like Facebook.
8. Don't even support universal healthcare.
9. Bad foreign policy (I'd argue Libya was managed much worse than Iraq although there was more justification in Libya's case).
10. I don't agree with the two party system.

[Frenchrepublican]

I think the role of the government has to be limited to regalian missions.

I think capitalism is the best economical system ever, it’s the only one which can create widespread prosperity.

I’m opposed to higher taxes and heavy regulations on businesses

I think people who take risks and are able to earn a lot of money should be able to keep the vast majority of the wealth they created and thus I’m opposed to a progressive income tax.

I don’t see the American Constitution as a living text which can be « modernised » by liberal justices

I’m against abortion in most circumstances

I believe the western civilisation should be proud of itself and stop making excuses

I’m pro Israel and I see Iran as a real threat for our safety

I think that a country should be able to have borders and be able

I would rather drive a Cadillac rather than a Tesla or a electric Toyota

[Higgins]

I'm a straight white blue collar male. The Democratic Party decided they no longer needed me and that I represent all which is wrong with society.

[Cokeland Saxton]

1. They support ridiculously high taxes and minimum wages that cripple businesses and promote outsourcing to China, Mexico, etc.
2. SJW-ism and political correctness
3. They think all Christians are racist (not true)
4. They support censorship
5. See California
6. They support letting in people illegally without checking to make sure they're safe people
7. They like to steal money from people who actually earn it and basically reward people for not getting off their rear end and getting a job
8. I oppose abortion in its entirety
9. Environmentalism has been blown out of proportion
10. They support druggies, smokers, and other people who want to poison our children
BONUS: They care to spend their money on trash like healthcare and our garbage education system instead of job creation

[FairBol]

Here's my top reasons, again, not in any particular order. 

1.  I believe that the rights to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" are sacred human rights.   

2.  Democrats love to try to tell others what they should do, or even what they should think.  I believe that most people are capable of, and have the right to, make their own decisions (with notable exceptions)

3. "Liberal" policies mean well, but frequently restrain the people, and keep the poor in poverty.  OTOH, Republican policies are meant to lift people up.  "A rising tide lifts all boats"

4.  I am greatly dismayed by the move to the left of the Democratic Party.  Growing up, most Democrats I knew were sensible people who served their communities, and loved America.  These days, it seems that most of them.....kind of look to screw things up (in the name of "equality" and "fairness"....LIFE'S NOT FAIR, GET OVER IT!!)

5.  I believe in the idea of hard work, and giving your all in the pursuit of a goal.  Nothing worthwhile is achieved without hard work; the world doesn't owe me anything, I owe it something. 

6.  Unlike most Democrats, I believe that one of our most important rights is the right to self-defense.  This is why I believe in the right to bear arms, and (with some exceptions) don't believe that the government should be able to say how you can protect yourself/your property. 

7.  Education-wise, I believe that the proper role of our schools is to teach kids HOW to think, not WHAT to think.  Many of the more liberal school systems disagree. 

8. There are certain things that should be obvious to everyone.  For example, the sky is blue, and grass is green.  Politically speaking, an example would be that there are (only) two genders, male and female.  I believe these things to not be mere opinions, but statements of fact.  Whether you believe them or not is up to you....but to deny these facts, like some liberals do, doesn't make sense to me. 

9.  If you want to help someone out, you shouldn't just give them a handout, you should help them to fend for themselves.  "Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day.  Teach a man to fish, he'll have food for a lifetime". 

10.  I believe that each generation has a responsibility to the next; namely, to give them the possibility to live in freedom, peace, and prosperity.  My family has done that for me; it is now my turn to do the same for future Americans. 

And....

11.  I believe that people of good conscience can disagree with one another without resorting to insults, or violence.  It seems to me that Democrats increasingly don't agree with that; "if you're different from us, it's OK if we use violence to make sure you're not heard.....as long as it's coming from us" -- Democrats

12.  I believe that the use of terror to get one's way is wrong, no matter which side initiates it. 

[Hammy]

1. Bill Clinton exists.
2. They've shown themselves completely spineless at standing up to Republicans when it's actually meaningful (though Pelosi has gotten better on this) and only propose progressive legislation when they know it won't pass (i.e. under GOP presidency/senate)
3. Too much corporate influence (and likewise it seems they've given up on actual progressive economic stances)
4. They've completely given up being the anti-war party
5. They're becoming too turn-based with their candidates, everyone designated "inevitable" candidate gets their turn.
6. Tendency for many Dems to support progressive social stances to deflect from their awful economic views, only to backtrack (or outright not care in the first place) when it comes time to deliver.
7. Increasing "anyone who questions The Party is a Russian troll" mentality
8. Party leadership is corrupt
9. Party leadership has shown an absurd level of over-confidence during elections relative to their actual competence
10. Georgia has open primaries

[Wazza [INACTIVE]]

1. I'm not a US citizen and therefore cannot register under a US political party
2. They generally want to increase federal spending (especially in regards to social programs) and hence...
3. They generally want to increase taxes to pay for such spending
4. They're the main driving force behind regulatory burden and are in bed with unions
5. They advocate increased gun control
6. I find the idea of a "living constitution" to be flimsy, insincere and a method for government overreach
7. They generally don't respect the right for private entities to refuse service.
8. Whilst advocating extensive social programs they in addition to this advocate a more relaxed policy regarding illegal immigration, support sanctuary cities, etc.
9. Their opportunistic pandering on issues like voter ID laws, incidents with law enforcement and arrestees, their passive or sometimes explicit promotion of ideas like "white privilege" and now recently the increasing support for slavery reparations.
10. On issues where I break with the typical Republican like my disdain for Israel-fetishism/zionism and my support for non-interventionism and drug law reform, they really aren't that much of an alternative. Most of them voted for the anti-boycott bill, most are interventionist and most of them are not really addressing the war on drugs.

[Leinad]

1. I don't really see a reason to join a political party--it's their job to serve me, not my job to serve them
2. Too hawkish
3. I think half of them are either only pro-LGBT because it became popular or pretended to be "marriage is between a man and a woman" when that was popular (it's a much easier explanation than everyone suddenly changed their views at the age of 60)
4. Controlled by big donors just as much as the Republicans
5. I hate both parties positions on guns and abortion
6.

    They're becoming too turn-based with their candidates, everyone designated "inevitable" candidate gets their turn.
7. Increasing "anyone who questions The Party is a Russian troll" mentality
8. Party leadership is corrupt and
9. Party leadership has shown an absurd level of over-confidence during elections relative to their actual competence
10 9. Georgia has open primaries

10. Anti-science positions on things like nuclear power and GMOs.

(lol got bored, scrolled down, and was like "oh those are some good reasons" then I thought of an 11th and decided to combine two of them because I didn't want to appear as if I'm someone who can't count)

[Goldwater]

I suppose one big reason is that I don't want to have to use a D-CA avatar.

[RI]

In no specific order

1. Democrats support the murder of pre-born babies
2. Democrats now support the murder of newborn babies (especially for eugenic reasons)
3. Democrats use corporations, mobs, and slurs to silence their opponents when they can't win arguments
4. Democrats use Science^TM as a sacred bludgeon to enforce totalitarian and anti-natalist goals (except when the actual science is inconvenient)
5. Democrats no longer believe in due process and frequently use slander to destroy lives
6. Democrats have institutionalized and rationalized racism and sexism to further their political power
7. Democrats abhor religious freedom (except for Correct Groups with the correct skin color) and seek to impose their twisted morality on everyone
8. Democrats do not advocate nuanced and effective solutions to economic problems, but sweeping, quixotic, oppressive, and meaningless sloganeering which solves nothing but placate the Correct Groups
9. Democrats are actively misanthropic and do not ultimately believe humanity is a force for good in the world (i.e. humans are by nature oppressive and destructive of the Sacred Earth and must be reined in and ideally reduced in number)
10. Democrats hate and seek to punish people who look and act like me

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

10. They don’t believe in Freedom of Speech (unless it pushes their marriage)
9. They actively support censorship of political enemies (they use social media to censor conservatives and independents)
8. They are anti-technology (in that they don’t promote lowering prices of tech which would help reduce humanities impact on the environment)
7. Slavery
6. Socialism
5. Jim Crow
4. Anti due process
3. Pro-Islamic and Anti-Judeo-Christian
2. Pro Rainbow Jihad and against the traditional family unit
1. Pro abortion and infanticide

[Mr. Reactionary]

Only 10? Too many to count.