Presidencial Election

Every four years, the presidential election cycle sparks a renewed interest into American politics. While the candidates debate on what seems like a weekly occurrence, the public itself is in a struggle to find out who best suits their interests. Rhetoric resembling that of Kennedy and Reagan reappears and talk of “Change” invokes a sense of optimism. However, many fear that the nominees are simply attempting to win over the electorate, and what began as a promise on the campaign trail will evolve into the status quo in Washington. Examining the past can provide insight into the future and provide direction for a political party. I am choosing to compare the positions of four distinct groups: Colorado Democrats, Libertarians, as well as the ’28,’68, and 2008 platforms of the Democratic Party.

State Party vs 2008 National Party (Health Care Reform)

One of the most intriguing core values of the Colorado Democratic Party is its stance on Healthcare. They believe that the health of its citizens is of the utmost priority. The State party has indicated that the healthcare system “should be focused proactively on wellness, preventive medicine, public health, and disease prevention, as well as primary care” (CO Democratic Party, 2010). Additionally, the party supports President Obama’s healthcare reform legislation “as a first step toward a quality universal single-payer health care system, independent of employment” (CO Democratic Party, 2010). On the national level, the Democratic Party platform for 2008 bares a strong resemblance to that of Colorado. President Obama campaigned on the promise of increasing coverage while reducing the cost and social burden. Affordable, quality healthcare for all Americans was a cornerstone of...

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...rtion can be defined as a wedge issue: “policy concerns that may divide the voter bloc of the opposing party” (Liscio et. al. 256). Typically, a pro-choice stance is one that is supported by Democrats, however Libertarians tend to vote Republican and are fiscally conservative. In the past, minority parties have pursued wedge issues to regain control (Liscio et. al 256). During the 1950’s and 1960’s, the Republicans were pushed to the fringe. In 1968, Richard Nixon campaigned on restoring “law and order”, attracting conservative white Democrats who were unhappy with their party’s position on race (Liscio et. al. 257). In essence, Libertarians are a faction of the Republican party. Every party has a group that branches off and is contradictory, however, they “have been fairly successful at submerging their differences in order to win office and govern” (Reiter 43).