So what’s the real reason Republicans say we’re not a democracy, we’re a republic?

My view is they’re not mutually exclusive, we’re both. Probably looking for replies from progressives here, because it seems like I’ve heard or read lots of very different Republican explanations and I can’t remember any of them, it just seems like they were all pedantic bullshit. There must be some underlying issue that’s important to them. My guess is roughly that “democracy” carries the connotation that everyone gets to vote, whereas in a republic maybe it could be considered acceptable to disenfranchise certain people deemed illegitimate (such as minorities and poor because they didn’t show an ID), but I don’t feel very confident in that hypothesis.

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SW-User

It's simpler than that. "Republic" has the same root as Republican; "democracy" has the same root as Democratic. So by saying that, they're indirectly saying that the Republican Party is the natural and only legitimate ruling party of the US.

NativeOregonian · 51-55

@SW-User No, the term republic goes back to the Roman Empire, which was called a republic. You actually have it backwards.

SW-User

@NativeOregonian you're missing my point, all that matters is what the words sound like, not what they mean

NativeOregonian · 51-55

@SW-User And your point would be, what, that you missed civics class, or that your school didn't teach world and US history?

SW-User

@NativeOregonian No. My point is that it's an intellectually dishonest argument. Now fuck off.

NativeOregonian · 51-55

@SW-User No, it is not, the US is a Republic, a term going back well over 2,000 years, the repubs took their name from that. They love spouting that the US is one, but in reality despise it because they hate the government in control, they would prefer private business and interests are. The dems claim we're a democracy, but in reality love republic and bureaucratic forms of government being in control of everything, as long as they are the controllers.

SW-User

@NativeOregonian It's both a republic and a representative democracy, the two are not mutually exclusive. That's why the argument is mendacious; the people making it are obviously aware of this.