Democrats and Republicans Are Like Mommies & Daddies

On election night 2008, when a newscaster said "Republicans are the Daddy Party and Democrats are the Mommy Party," I'd never heard that theory before but it made sense.

I smiled when I thought about all those mommies and daddies fussing at one another on Capitol Hill. What that political reporter said was true. Like many senior Americans, I'd spent decades voting based on party affiliation and gut reaction. I finally understood why I'd been doing that all along.

I was voting for my Mommy.

Democrats are Like Mommies

Forget about politics for a minute and consider what it means to be a Mommy. Whether married, divorced or single, career track or mommy track, a mommy makes certain everyone is warm, happy, healthy, and fed... one way or another.

Mommies get kids to school and to bed on time. They nurse them back to health when they're sick. Mommies chauffeur children to soccer practice and Saturday games. (Have you ever heard of a soccer Dad?) Mommies will fight but only to protect their families from danger; otherwise, they're peace-loving souls.

Democrats are just like Mommies. They don't just say "family first." They really do it. They make sure families are taken care of and protected by passing laws and programs designed to help them do their jobs. (Think Obamacare)

When Democrats are running things, I feel a little more cared about as a woman, a mother, a minority and an American.

When Democrats win, I feel like I matter.

Republicans are Like Daddies

Daddies work hard too, but sometimes they get so caught up in being in charge, they miss a lot of what's really going on. 

They love their families. They toil long hours to support them, but drinking buddies and big business often take precedence over home and family. 

Daddies flex their muscles, demand to be heard and follow the tradition of "do as I say, not as I do." They talk tough and sometimes encourage kids to fight instead of talking things out. Some Daddies eat, drink and fall asleep in front of the TV; so sometimes they don't see what's right in front of them.

Republicans are just like Daddies. They mean well but sometimes they have a funny way of showing it. (Think Big Business Tax Cuts) When Republicans are in office, I feel like I'm a bug about to be crushed by a big shoe. 

When Republicans are in charge, I feel like big businesses are taking over our lives and a war could break out any minute. 

Since 45 has been in office, that "crushed" sensation is getting stronger. 

What About the Tea Party?

I haven't heard any fine folk wisdom about the Tea Party Patriots. They fit pretty well into the child slot of my Mommy/Daddy political analogy, though. 

Tea Party Patriots are like children. They're big enough to make a lot of noise but not yet mature enough to take over the house.

Note: I wrote my Mommy/Daddy political analogy in 2010 after a year and a half of Republican/Democrat campaign insanity and political gridlock. Given the current political climate, I thought it was time to dust it off and send it out it again. 

Copyright Carol George-Rucker 2008, 2017
Rewritten from a George-Rucker article previously published on Yahoo Voices