The most important difference between Democrats and Republicans.

[The Backlash Cometh]

The most important difference between Democrats and Republicans is that each has their own style in the way they run government. Democrats believe in open government and Sunshine. Republicans believe in backroom deals, secret meetings. Democrats believe in open debate and that the more eyes that are involved in the process, the better chance there is of stopping a bad idea, or introducing a better option. The Republicans, on the other hand, believe that the only purpose the public serves is to elect officials, and once elected, the public official has the role to represent the public as he or she sees fit. The appearance of a public role in Congress for a Republican, therefore, is just visceral.

Taking those differences, you can begin to understand why the Republicans have succeeded in corrupting the democratic process and making our government more amenable to special interest, and less on becoming a benevolent government for the public good.

First, taking a closer look at the two different ways to run government you can see the flaw in the Republican's style of backroom meetings using Dick Cheney and his secret Energy meeting as an example. They have opened a direct door to the private sector, which never was there before because when the Democrats controlled Washington, they adhered to transparency laws. But the Republicans have made the case that these backroom meetings must remain secret in order to get unfettered opinions from the private sector. It's the biggest breach of our government process, and we all should be shocked that no one has yet stood up to criticize them about it. I suspect it has been allowed to continue this long because of the flawed idea that government should operate the same way that business does. Why don't we all agree that the time has come to call that a failed experiment.

Second, the Republicans have strengthen their negotiating position because they have done a great job of intimidating other Republicans, specifically moderate Republicans, in order to vote in a unified manner. There are weaknesses beginning to develop in this wall as more Republicans defect from the party.

Third, the Democrats, who use to be in favor of transparency in government, have buckled and are now adjusting to the Republican resistance by governing by consensus. They test the temperature of the water by making private phone calls, or worse, relying on lobbyists, to tell them how the other side will or will not budge on an issue. Based on their quick consensus poll, they compromise, even before the public has had a fair chance to review all the variables involved.

In a nutshell, Democrats have turned away from their roots, and have accepted backroom dealing as the primary method of doing business in Washington. That's why Republicans have such a strong hand. The Republicans have succeeded in setting the terms of the negotiations in their favor, because they won't talk to the Democrats, unless the Democrats are willing to give something up.

So what should the Democrats do? Close the backrooms. They should make transparency in government a major issue. They should prove that those backroom deals are what's hurting our country because we're passing bad laws since there is no honest discourse taking place on the floor of Congress, where the public can get a chance to find the flaws in the ointment. And the Democrats should begin by pointing out that the Cheney Energy meeting is a great example why the private sector should never be given secret access to our elected officials. Close that loophole at once!

[Captain Hilts]

1. No. Dems acknowledge structural obstacles to success in our society. R's do not.

Hence, Dems think that some people need help while Republicans think that hard work is all it takes.

[The Backlash Cometh]

4. If those two were put on a scale and weighed,

you'd be right about the Democrats, but the top Republicans don't believe that hard work is all it takes. That's what they tell their ignorant followers. The Republicans truly believe that what works is cronyism and networking to make your life easier. Go along to get along.

But I call the WAY they operate in government the most important, because the Democrats will never be able to truly follow their Democratic roots, until they put a stop to the backroom deals that allow the top Republicans to get away with ideas that they individually profit from, but which help no one else, including the millions that vote for them. Give it sunshine and that discordance that Republicans have, telling those millions that working hard is the answer, when they're not really doing it themselves, will be very evident.

[BOSSHOG]

2. Republicans do not believe government works

they tell their lemmings to elect them so they can prove it. And they succeed in that endeavor dazzling the unwashed masses who proudly proclaim themselves "conservatives."

[unpossibles]

3. perhaps the reason they are afraid of the Government

is because they know how they'd run it.

It's like how most con artists don't trust anyone.

[The Backlash Cometh]

6. Without question.

If you go back to the 90s and examine what the Republicans were accusing the Democrats and especially, Clinton of doing, now with 20/20 hindsight, you realize that the Republicans were doing those things, and their accusations come across like projectionism.

[A wise Man]

5. The best way to solve many of the problems

that the republicans have created is to openly expose them to who and what they are on the scale of constitutional Americans. The Dems. should stop being so nice to them and tell the public just what these devils have done and that they no more support the constitutional laws of the land unless they are trying to get a Dem. for little or no reason other than a BJ.

[hughee99]

7. Backroom deals have LONG been a part of doing business

in Washington and both parties are guilty of it. I'm not saying the repukes aren't worse, but let's not kid ourselves into thinking the Democrats have always been for transparency and are just now getting corrupted by the repukes.

[The Backlash Cometh]

8. Don't disagree with you that one of the main reasons for the Democratic

downfall was due to the fact that they had their own cronyistic networks, and their own wink, wink, nudge, nudge style. But as someone else put it, what took the Democrats 40 years to deconstruct, took the Republicans four to annhiliate.

That's why I state in one of the paragraphs that the Democrats have steered away from their roots, or need to get back to their roots. All you have to do is look to British parliament to see where the original idea came from. The American style may have more rules of decorum, but the whole idea was always to debate ON THE FLOOR. There's no reason why a bill should be introduced and everybody already know what the outcome will be before the voting begins.