Parties Matter

It's very out of fashion to identify with a political party. If you are cool, you are above partisanship, and you vote based on your principles, not something as dirty as party affiliation. (I know several people from work/law school that are way into making such declarations.) Blind allegiance to a party is obviously a problem, but the parties do have different priorities. They matter. Consider the Republicans' suggestions for additions to the Democratic stimulus package:
1. Removing legal barriers to speed up new offshore oil drilling. A law banning offshore drilling expired October 1, but Republican lawmakers say lawsuits could block new offshore rigs and want judges to quickly rule on the cases.
2. Lowering taxes on income that U.S. corporations earn from their overseas subsidiaries.
3. Eliminating capital gains taxes on the sale of homes up to $500,000 for a couple.
4. Suspending capital gains taxes on securities purchased during the next two years.
5. Extending government deposit insurance to business transaction accounts.
6. Directing the government to guarantee inter-bank loans.

Allow me to retort:
1., really? what the hell? we already lifted the ban. How about this, how about we fine every company that is authorized to explore public lands for oil $1000/acre/month that they do not exploring said land, would that be good? Ass!
2. You have got to be fucking kidding me. The way to help our economy, is to make evil corporations who send jobs overseas have to pay less in taxes? Was this story from the Onion? Nope, CNN.
3. Ug, whatever, this again? It's already eliminated if you live there 2 years, isn't it? These douche bags have cut taxes so much they're having to make stuff up to be able to bitch about taxes.
4. Does the Democrats' plan include requiring that all work performed in the United States be done with a union shop?
5 & 6 seem like they're actually related to the problem, so I have no comment.

Here's my point: Republicans are about supporting businesses and the wealthy. At every turn they will work to make things easier on businesses and the wealthy. Democrats are about supporting middle class workers, like union workers. At every turn they will try to make things easier on them. That's why they support unions. That's why every Democratic president since Hoover has had higher annual job creation than every Republican president since Hoover. Carter more than Reagan? Yes. I'm sure there are similar metrics for Republicans showing their support of business and the wealthy. The parties have different economic focuses, and that's a significant difference.