"The two parties are the same! They're both guilty of poisoning our discourse!"

[UrbScotty]

Look at what happened tonight.

Now think about what happened last week.

How can anyone honestly say that the two parties are the same?

Anyone who thinks the two parties are the same, needs to start paying attention.

Just saying.

(PS: This wasn't meant toward anyone on DU, but I saw someone post that on Facebook a while ago.)

[Tx4obama]

1. Regarding the DNC and RNC conventions

The Democrats' speeches are pro-America, pro-women, pro-family, etc.

The Republican speeches were only anti-Obama.

We win!!!

[Agnosticsherbet]

2. The two parties are not the same...

Now, administrations, when it comes to imperial policy and foreign policy, are often very close so many accuse them of being clones. But in domestic policy and in the type of legislation they enact, they are as different as night and day.

[Scootaloo]

3. There's an actual reason for that.

Radical policy shifts are just plain goddamn hard to do. United States domestic and foreign policies seem to have a trajectory all their own, and a given administration often can't do much more than nudge it around. Calling a halt or a total detour is nearly impossible, simply because policy tends to be self-sustaining.

Consider the constitution. This is a body of law that is designed to be changed very slowly, very incrementally. Tiny doses, baby steps, nothing radical or large will get through the tight mesh of that vellum's fibers. In some ways this is a massive flaw (take the eighty years of slavery after it was written, for instance, and the radical steps that had to be taken to correct that) but in other ways, it's a feature and not a bug - it prevents administrations from inflicting large changes on the nation with a few pen strokes.

Well. Assuming said administration actually plays by the constitution in the first place...

[Agnosticsherbet]

4. Many aspects of foreign policy can and are changed quickly from administration to administration...

Clinton's policy toward terrorists was, for the most part, to treat them as a problem of law. (there were a few exceptions)
Bush, policy shifted radically after 9/11 by treating terrorists as a military problem. (A kill them all and let God sort them out solution.)
Obama continued this policy with terrorism and expanded it using drones to attack those perceived as enemy in any country.
Obama's attempt to use diplomatic measures against Iran has been more robust than that pursued by the Bush Administration.
He attempted to close Gitmo, but was stymied by Congress who would not let him.
He completed the agreement signed by Bush that ended our involvement in Iraq.
He expanded the Afghan war and is now continuing the pull out of U.S. and NATO forces.
He changed from the Bush Policy of acting independently in American interest to acting in concert with other nations in issues of American interest.

Where the incremental part comes in is law and the Constitution. You are right that our system is not designed for big revolutionary changes.

[Cha]

5. That poster on fb is "poisoning the discourse" by

being Ignorant. So many ignorant people posting cheap stupid shots.

And, then there's the brainwashed ones.

[ddavis195600]

6. amen, dude

couldn't agree more with you

[davidpdx]

7. I have someone on Facebook that does the same thing

So I hear you on that one.

[JNelson6563]

8. I feel sorry for those who believe that lie.

Though the irony is that many who hold that view consider themselves to be rather sophisticated in regard to politics.

Poor sods.

Julie

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

9. An unscientific, but enlightening point...

We all know that Politifact is not perfect. But....

Tracking Barack Obama over the past four years, Politifact has issued six "Pants on Fire" rulings on statements by the President. So basically just over one per year.

Tracking Mitt Romney for only about one year, Politifact has issued fifteen "Pants on Fire" rulings, and that doesn't include anything that came from the recent convention.

So we're talking lies at a ratio of about 15:1.

Saying "both sides lie"is like saying that there's no difference between a tossed salad and a hot fudge sundae because, you know, they both have calories.