Why is the country only 42% Democratic ?

[kentuck]

We read that the country is evenly split with about 41% registered Republicans and 42% registered Democrats and the rest registered as Other.

Why is this percentage so low for the Democratic Party?

Perhaps it is only me but I have always thought of the Democratic Party as a Party that represents the worker, the poor, the underprivileged, the minority, the absolute majority of the people of this nation. But times change and Parties change. The Republican Party has changed to more openly represent the wealthy, big business, and the monied class. They are an absolute minority but they are now even with the Democratic Party in representation of the people.

In my opinion, it is a false representation of where the American people are with their political beliefs. I understand what both the Republican Party and the Democratic Party purport to represent. Historically, the Democratic Party has done more to help the general population of this country than has the Republican Party. The "conservatives" have not passed legislation to take from the wealthy and give to the needy. They would never do that. Democrats have tried over time to level the playing field and make lives better for everyone in our nation and not just the very few.

Nonetheless, I cannot understand why our Party does not represent a larger proportion of the American voting public. Is it that the Republican Party has done a much better job than the Democratic Party at communicating with the people of this country. To me, it is close to an injustice.

[WI_DEM]

1. This article is from December 2011 but shows much more Dems than GOP...

Registered Democrats still dominate the political playing field with more than 42 million voters, compared to 30 million Republicans and 24 million independents. But Democrats have lost the most — 1.7 million, or 3.9%, from 2008.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/story/2011-12-22/voters-political-parties/52171688/1

but the article makes the point that people are leaving both parties and becoming indies. If those numbers are accurate--indies can overtake the GOP in a few years.

[inthemiddle2]

2. I heard the same thing (nt)

[valerief]

3. The Republican message is spread via the pews. Believers, who trust their pastors,

readily believe their messages about values touted and twisted by the Republican Party. Fox News, as well as most corporate media, also serve up these same values and sound like the pastors.
Freedoms
Individualisms
Bootstraps
Taxes bad
Govt bad
Pioneer spirit good
Family and friends good
Jesus good

The pastors and media provide their flock with enemies, too, so that their anger can be redirected to benefit the 1%.
Abortioneers
Teh Gays
Anyone not white and not Jesusified
Democrats
Liberals

And they celebrate bad spelling
Chick-fil-A
Any teabagger sign

If critical thinking played a role in being Republican, only 1% of the country would be Republican.

[KurtNYC]

4. Registration numbers are not in line with polls on party identification

Gallup has it at 40% independent 31% democrat and 27% republican:

http://www.gallup.com/poll/151943/record-high-americans-identify-independents.aspx

Pew says 37% indep 32% democrat 24% republican in an interactive infographic no less:

http://www.people-press.org/2012/06/01/trend-in-party-identification-1939-2012/

Both parties have lost ground recently and the Pew graph shows how much Reagan built the GOP of today. You see increases for the GOP during Reagan and slides during both the Bushes.

In the Obama years, the pattern changes -- the 2 parties decline together as independent rises more sharply.

[fredamae]

5. It's part of the disgust

for the two party dominance. People want something different-but nothing is yet established. It never will be unless and until we start planning at a minimum of 4 years out. IOW-Start planning today for 2016.....and/or beyond.

I think everyone understands the Dems are way "better" and way fewer are corrupted-but the Message is that there "is no difference". This messaging brought to you by MSM isn't factual.

[lunatica]

6. Beats me

The American public has truly puzzled me since Reagan was elected. I know we keep saying they're stupid, but I still don't get why they vote the way they do. If they're so uninvolved in politics that they don't know or care to know shit then why do they even bother to vote?

Every 4 years the 'undecideds' are courted like their votes are the precious votes that will decide who wins and they're given interviews and they act as if they're still deciding based on some highly intelligent questions they have. In reality if they're so uninformed because if they haven't decided who they're voting for then they really are too stupid to vote.

And the other thing that makes me pull my hair out is why don't they know even the most basic history of what party has done what and what each party stands for.

I could turn this into a real rant so I'll stop. I'm sure you get my point.

[coalition_unwilling]

11. 50% generally do not vote in any given election. These 50% would be

ripe pickings for a Dem party that wasn't so resolutely petit bourgeois.

Yeah, the American people are dumbasses, no question, but today's Dem Party fully enables said dumbassery.

[CrispyQ]

14. If dems would advocate & support (vote for!) liberal policies,

they could go after the non-voters - a much bigger pool than the undecideds! But they would have to actually fight for these things, not just talk about them come election time.

And I agree completely with Lunatica about the undecideds being too stupid or uninformed.

[coalition_unwilling]

16. Myelf, I think anyone who calls him- or herself 'undecided' or

'independent' is a Republican-manque, too ashamed to admit he or she is actually Republican. I mean, really, how many self-identified 'Independents' or 'Undecided' do you find proudly supporting the New Deal and\or Great Society? They're all a bunch of closeted Reaganites and it's unfashionable to be seen as such any longer in polite company. Hence 'Undecided' or 'Independent'.

[IdaBriggs]

7. Perception: Ineffective at Governing (even in majority)

My belief, anyway. I watched Dem controlled Congress roll over for Junior. Dem's are "weak" - Obama also kept trying to play nice long after he should have stopped.

No one wants to be a loser. We do a lot of circular firing squad stuff.

On Edit: "Dems" not "Demos" - autocorrect, argh!

[MindPilot]

18. That's the thing that pushed me into "voting doesn't matter" territory

Watching the Democrat's "thank you sir, may have another?" performance under W's rule, and then both parties rolling over for the financial industry bailout, I realize I'm just not part of the process any more.

[Poiuyt]

8. We are not good at communicating our message

Republicans are much better at framing issues. But studies have shown that if you ask a voter how he feels about an issue, without saying "this is the Democratic view and this is the Republican view," more voters will pick the Democratic view. And the more educated a voter is on an issue, the more likely they will be to take the Democratic view.

It's an uphill battle because conservatives have successfully demonized liberals. When was the last time you heard a Democratic candidate say that he/she was truly liberal? But you always hear Republican candidates fighting over who was the most conservative (severely conservative?).

In my opinion, Democrats need to embrace liberalism as something to be proud of. Learn why liberalism is great and how it has helped our country. Study the works of George Lakoff so that we can frame issues to our advantage (and the advantage of America).

And memorize this:

[noamnety]

10. We're also not that good at practicing our message

The words and actions don't always align. (See the thread on the military budget, for example)

[Marrah_G]

9. I think much of it is propaganda

I think without propaganda our government would look very different.

[RevStPatrick]

12. I can only tell you why...

...I'm not a registered member of the Democratic party. I can't speak for anyone else.

I'm not a joiner. And there are way too many things that I disagree with the party about. Frankly, I don't like the two party system. I think we need viable third parties. For the most part, the Democrats have been captured by Corporatia just like the Republicans. And I suppose that's partly my own damn fault.

Here in New York State, you can be on the ballot on more than one party ticket. So, for example, in 2008, I did not vote for Obama on the Democratic ticket. I voted for him on the Working Families Party ticket. That allows me to support what I feel is a real, progressive third party, but the Democrat still gets elected. I like my Congresswoman (Nydia Velazquez, NY 12) and although they are beholden to Corporatia, my senators, Schumer and Gillibrand are all right.

So I think the numbers are skewed. I vote for the Democrat every time, but I'm not a member of the party, and given the chance, I will vote for the Democrat on the WFP ticket.

However, I don't think there are all that many others who do it the same way I do it. I think for the most part, the vast majority of Americans simply don't care about or pay attention to politics, and just vote the way Dad voted, the way Hubby votes, the way the TV tells them to vote, or they vote against the pussy or the black guy or the fat chick or whatever. Here at DU we live in a bubble and we actually pay attention to what is going on, and try to form our opinions based on something real and tangible. Most people don't do that.

Hope this helps...

[madokie]

13. The reason for this can be laid at the feet of our press

Its them who are letting America down.

[Egalitarian Thug]

15. The Democratic Party's performance, IMO.

Failure to consistently stand for anything, capitulation as their first reaction to every republican assault, being the only players pushing the "loyal opposition" facade, passage of so many of the worst republican ideas, siding with big money over its constituents every time there is a direct confrontation between them.

Bottom line is that they hurt the people they claim to represent too badly and too often to generate loyalty. They've been the other guys for so long and given up so many principles that people simply don't trust them.

[MindPilot]

17. Because it has become a Ford or Chevy argument.

Not a whole lot of difference between the two, other than that that Democratic politicians don't say quite so much stupid shit in public. They are both beholden to the 0.001%, not we the people.

[NNN0LHI]

19. Lot of former Dems turned Independents who loved Reagan and his union busting message

Much of the country has turned into "rugged individualist", anti-union, suck ass, company men since Reagan.

Watched it happen.

They are easy to spot too. They never say or post one negative word about their "God", Reagan.

Look at this thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021008423

Ignore who posted to that thread. Think about the ones who didn't.

Don

[Spider Jerusalem]

20. 42% isn't low

it's a larger proportion of the registered voting population than the GOP. And it's about the most you can expect in a two-party system that allows registering as an independent. Although one source I found put the percentage of registered voters identifying as Democrats at 34% vs 28% for Republicans, which means independents or other parties make up 38% and more than either.

And as far as the American people and their beliefs: according to various polls from credible organisations, 46% of Americans have a creationist view of the cosmos and believe the world is 6000 years old; 33% of Americans believe the Bible is the literal word of god, 77% believe in the existence of angels; more than 40 percent believe in the millenarial evangelical Rapture, about 40% believe they're in the top 10% of income earners. And close to 100% of the American working class believe they're actually "middle class" because their politicians have been lying to them and telling them they are for generations. (Because genuine class consciousness breeds socialism which is un-American, don't you know.)

Americans are by and large the most ignorant, religiously fanatical, backwards, and insular people in the developed world. If the Republicans communicate better it's because they craft their messaging to appeal to base emotions rather than reason. Simple formula, use words like "security" and "freedom" along with pictures of eagles and flags and soldiers in uniform, bonus points for associating your Democratic opponent with Communists, terrorists, atheists and queers. You can't fight emotion with logic, it doesn't work.

[Aviation Pro]

21. Single issues, that's why....

1. Guns
2. Abortion
3. Religion
4. Countless others

[Zoeisright]

22. Because many, many Americans are very very stupid.

That was part of the repuke goal: dumb down the public by cutting education.

[bhikkhu]

23. Because of the redistricting provisions in the Constitution

...if you want the real answer. Overall, and over time, it has the effect of dividing and consolidating people according to political leanings - strengthening divisions and weakening communication between parties.

Beyond that, you could ask why so few people question the beliefs they grew up with, why so few people ever change their minds on things, why the easiest way to predict a person's political leanings/religion is to determine what his/her parents political leanings/religion are, etc - all basic human nature.

[YoungDemCA]

24. The Democratic Party, unfortunateley, has become beholden to corporate interests....

...in much the same way the Republicans are.

Therefore, since the parties are, increasingly, not very different on most of the substantive issues, electoral politics becomes more about tribalism and the personalities of the candidates.

Also, think about which people vote for the Republican Party-it is whiter, older, wealthier, and more male than the Democratic Party, or the population as a whole. Social class matters in politics.