A Defining Difference Between Republicans and Democrats Today
There are a lot of differences in policy and style, but this one is distinct. and likely to be the most important in the age of New Media
As I read through the End of Year summations from various pundits (Happy New Year by the way) I am struck by an emergent, consistent theme that these columns portray. And while I view this difference as “emergent” it strikes me as one that’s been there for quite some time - we’re just now coming to realize it.
In the past two weeks we’ve had two major political throwdowns on the budget and then on the H-1B visa program. The behavior of the two parties couldn’t be more distinct in their different approaches - the framework they follow.
Among Democrats, the approach is consistent and never varies. Someone, somewhere in the Democrat universe decides what’s Good for Democrats and projects that out like a Bat Signal in the sky. I don’t know who that “someone” is - Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, an editor at the NY Times, or a trusted Democrat polling firm - but whoever it is has absolute, monolithic control over Democrats everywhere. Once the Bat Signal is projected, every Democrat mouths the exact same Talking Point and votes in absolute lockstep. Notice there isn’t even any variation in the specific words or grammar used - akin to a recorded message, just hit Play. There is no deviation, no dissent, no discussion and no disagreement. No matter how awful the deal will be for the American people, that subject never comes up. If it’s Good for Democrats, then that’s how they align. If you’re a Democrat constituent or financier who will be adversely affected by this issue, too bad - you get in lockstep with what’s Good for the Party. They all do. Being a Democrat means having to swallow a lot of awfulness but you just do it. The Bat Signal says so.
Among Republicans, the precise opposite occurs. Whatever the political hot potato of the moment may be, it’s as if someone fired a starter pistol for every GOP member of the House and Senate to individually determine what’s best for their constituents and the nation as a whole. And now with Trump’s pending presidency looming over the whole of government, we add that dimension as well. But the difference with Democrats couldn’t be more stark: Republicans debate openly and passionately. They disagree. They’re not in lockstep at all and it would appear that what’s Good for Republicans is the least of their concerns. Sure, there’s the Trump position they all have to reckon with, but despite what the mainstream zombie media would have you believe, Trump is a realist and knows he has to reckon with intraparty disagreement. It’s a reality on our side. Far from being “cult-like” in our respect to Trump’s wishes, we see just the opposite, like herding cats.
The pundit class will say this means Republicans cannot govern. Or “rule”. And from that unique perspective, they’d be right: Republicans don’t line up in lockstep to rule over the American people - it’s not what they’re there for. At least not many, or most of them.
Rather than following a Uni-party Bat Signal broadcast over legacy media, Republicans are tuned in to the New Media: podcasters, bloggers, tweeters on X, and the other thousands of sources of opinion that have emerged in the last ten years. As such, it would appear that Republican opinion is crowd-sourced., or democratic. This became most apparent recently with the pending “Porkulus” spending deal and just this past week with the H-1B visa debate.
On the budget deal, the Republicans released the ugly 1500-page monstrosity to the public, which no one person could possibly read before a vote, but which underwent instant scrutiny by millions of Americans throughout the nation. Thousands of voices emerged to shine a spotlight on the terrible, no-good awfulness contained in that beast of a bill. They took to X and Substack and podcasts immediately to highlight the specific awfuls, from their unique perspectives, in that enormous bill. As a result, nobody calling himself a Republican could possibly support that mess. And Trump agreed . Elon Musk went so far as to say he’d bankroll the primary challenger of any Republican who voted for it - and a guy worth north of three-hundred billion dollars can do that with pocket change.
Democrats, on the other hand, had a singular Bat Signal that told them this is Good for Democrats, get on board. And they did. In lockstep. The legacy media of course, was ebullient with the “breakdown” and the potential to blame Republicans for a shutdown. Republicans can’t govern!
But look what happened. We ended up getting a 150-page replacement bill that did just what was needed and no more. And Democrats, recognizing they would get the blame for shutting the government down, went along with it. This is what democracy really looks like in the New Media age.
On the H-1B visa kerfuffle, we saw much the same thing happen. Democrats had zero difference of opinion on the subject - frankly they couldn’t care less about 20,000 or so legal immigrants and whether that’s good or bad for the nation. All they cared about was what the Bat Signal was telling them: Republicans are eating their own!
But look what happened. As millions of people argued about the relative merits and abuses of H-1B, Elon Musk backed down from his “war footing” and Vivek Ramaswami was duly chastened for his intemperate remarks. Republicans found common ground: the program is being widely abused and needs reform. That’s what democracy should look like. That’s what the American people expect.
And you can apply this framework to just about any political difference we’ve seen over the past ten years. The Democrats follow some weird, all-controlling Bat Signal, while Republicans work to figure out “what’s best” - or better, or at least helpful to their constituents and the American people. Democrats worship at the altar of the Talking Point, no matter how ridiculous it is. Republicans debate and disagree and throw tantrums and then find common ground.
The political tables have turned. As Will Rogers once said:
But that can’t be said anymore, not today. Now it’s the Republicans who best wear that mantle. The disorganization, lack of unity and “chaos” on the Republican side is actually a good thing for America, if out of that comes policy that puts the American people first.
If the Democrats want the trust of the American people going forward in the era of New Media, they’re going to have to ditch the Bat Signal and let their members figure out what’s best - or better - on their own. Until then, the American people have largely figured out that Democrats only support what’s best for The Party - not the nation.
Over the last three decades at least, the treatment of Democrat politicians by the press has been mostly as cheerleader. Blue never had to own up to the collateral damage that their terrible policies caused. It never made the news. Also during this time our educational system abandoned the development of critical thinking as an educational goal. Tell the students what is right, they accept, and lacking the skills of critical thinking they defend the chosen blue position using adjectives, adverbs, name-calling and passionate bursts of emotion along with newly-constructed words aimed at making them look smart. But not Reason. “This policy is bad because Republicans are Hitler.”. They learn this in school and it is reinforced in the public square. The H1-B policy discussion revealed real problems in the system that definitely would have remained, had the discussion been “We like H1-B and you are Hitler if you don’t.”. It is so much easier to not have to think about issues and play the color/oppression cards rather than acknowledging the EQUAL value of each person and how issues affect them on the personal level. Democrats act as one without having to think it through. Republicans better think it through, because their constituency will be thinking it through and will call stupid ideas stupid with the volume to 11. Really, I think the Left is intellectually lazy as a group, and they get away with it, so it continues.
Spot on take. The conformity that the democrats display by using virtually the same words, examples and expressions are obviously coordinated from a central leadership structure. And it’s not just politicians. The media, academia, most of gov’t, Hollywood, etc., are all part of the ‘organization’ that singularity supports one approved narrative. Then they layer on the censorship and/or cancelation of all non conforming opinions. Kinda reminds me of another societal and economic structure that has failed in every single country it’s been tried in. Believe what I tell you or else.
Debating of ideas, constructive criticism, open and transparent governing…I thought democrats believed in those things. Guess not.