Sometimes the most simple questions are the hardest to answer...

[Rhyfelwyr]

Indeed, what people think of as "extreme" is relative, most US politicians are Thatcherite fanatics by the standards this side of the Atlantic.

[a completely inoffensive name]

I never got the logic behind saying there is no difference between them. Would the Republicans ever have even attempted health care reform? Would they have ever mentioned a single payer system? Would the Republicans ever have proposed financial reform? To say there is no difference seem disingenuous. We all know we would be different if Gore was president then Bush, and if Kerry was president then Bush and if McCain was president then Obama, so don't say the two parties are the same.

[CountArach]

You didn't troll and claim there were ten different parties? I expected better from you.

[a completely inoffensive name]

I have to live with her. I could have trolled the **** out of her but then I would have had to live with a nasty, rude ***** for...6 more months. yeah, not going to trade short term lulz for long term pain.

[GeneralHankerchief]

Make it an issue of interference vs. non-interference.

Fiscally, Republicans believe that the government should stay out of the economy for the most part and let people work things out for themselves. Democrats believe that the government can and should be used to help regulate things and give the economy a kick-start if the need arises.

Socially, the Republicans are more inclined to have the government be used to enforce people to act a certain way for the good of the rest of society (and that's a horrible phrasing but it's 3am here and I can't think of anything better), while Democrats are more inclined to go "eh, do whatever you want, it's not other people's problem."

So if even that needs summing up, Republicans want the government to interfere more on social issues while Democrats want the government to interfere with the economy.

[Rhyfelwyr]

Fiscally, Republicans believe that the government should stay out of the economy for the most part and let people work things out for themselves

This more than any other example highlights the gap between theory and reality.

[Beskar]

This more than any other example highlights the gap between theory and reality.

Especially when Republicans are in favour of interference to the benefit of their donators and themselves and against the consumers and employees.