There is a difference between the two parties.

[mdmc]

I live in a red area of a blue state. The only local dems that win office are conservative. Local elections are usually determined in the GOP primary. Generally, the candidate endorsed by the conservative party win regardless of gop or dem party affiliation. The WFP (working families party) candidates always lose, regardless of real party affiliation (Yes, the WFP will cross endorse GOP candidates! Really!).

Local Dems will sometimes cross endorse GOP candidates. Sometimes there is no Dem, just two GOP, one with the Dem + Working Family Endorsement.

My local Dem party is very conservative. All elected Dems use "small government, lower taxes" as their campaign mantra.

You would never be able to tell which party a Democrat (candidate) is in based on their literature (there is never any mention of the Democratic party or progressive ideals). The GOP has their elephant on everything.

Local elected Dems and Republicans agree on everything, locally. They disagree just a little bit nationally. Locally, you would never be able to tell the difference between the two parties.

There is, however, a difference. I am not sure what it is. I guess that while both my local dems and local GOP think that Dennis Kucinich is crazy, the local Dems don't think that he should be locked up in Gitmo. The local GOP wouldn't really care if Kucinich was locked up in Gitmo. The difference is small, but noticeable. It is, in fact, the world. There is a world of difference between the two parties.

The difference is between night and day, death and life. As someone that generally votes WORKING FAMILIES PARTY (generally cross endorsed Dems) or a third party / greens, it took me a long time to realize that while my elected Dems would never be able to live up to my progressive ideal, at least they didn't want me (and my leftist, progressive brethren) killed off. At least most didn't, anyway. I cant make that statement in regards to the neo cons.

Thus ends my rant on how the two parties are different. The neo-cons want small, corporate owned government, and to crush progressives. The Dems just want small, corporate owned government. I'll take the Democrats.