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You make an excellent point. I think most people identify with a particular group and take all their opinions and positions from the group without thinking too deeply about them for themselves.
For instance, in my own observation, many Christians see themselves as Republicans just because Christians are supposed to be Republicans. They don't see that the real agenda of the Republican Party is diametrically opposed to real Christian values.
Also, as I've been paying attention for a few years, I find that the parties trade positions on issues. For years it was the Republicans who fought for privacy and less govt. intrusion in our lives, but now it's the Democrats. For years it was the Republicans who wanted globalization. Bush's dad tried to pass NAFTA but failed. But when Clinton passed it, Republicans bashed it as a bad thing. Democrats used to be the ones who believed in deficit spending but now it's the Republicans.
Another problem is that both of our parties are very corrupt just now. Money is the only important thing in politics, and both parties get their money from the same place, so you can't really expect them to be all that different. It's the new Golden Rule--he who has the gold makes all the rules.
You -should- learn about the issues, the -real- issues, and decide for yourself how you feel about them. If we all did that, it would be harder for politicians to lead us around by the nose.
Also you should VOTE! I tell all my friends they should vote. I don't tell them -how- to vote, because voting is more important than how you vote. If more people voted for the candidate that sounded best to them, and then if they stuck around for four years to see how their vote came out, they would vote more wisely next time. Democracy is not a spectator sport, it's a participation sport. Part of the problems we're having now are because not enough people are in the game, not enough Americans are really paying attention.
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