Republicrat
Encyclopedia
Republicrat or Demopublican (also Repubocrat, Demican, Democan, and Republocrat ) are portmanteaux names for both of the two major political parties
in the United States
, the Republican Party and the Democratic Party, collectively. These derogatory names first appeared in the presidential election of 1872.
is Lib-Lab-Con or LibLabCon, a pejorative portmanteau referring to the three main political parties (the Liberal Democrats
, the Labour Party
, and the Conservative Party
) used primarily by supporters of minor parties, or Con-Dem, referring to the current conservative/liberal coalition government.
An equivalent term used in Canada
is Lib-Con or Con-Lib, a pejorative portmanteau referring to the two main political parties (the Conservative Party of Canada
and the Liberal Party of Canada
).
and left-wing activist Ralph Nader
, who have both used the terms, have opined on how it is often hard to tell the parties apart, leading to the term's popularisation. This was a view shared on the left by the Green Party
during the 2000 U.S. Presidential election, whose bumper stickers read, "Bush
and Gore
make me want to Ralph
". Former Dead Kennedys
vocalist and Green Party member Jello Biafra
has used the term during interviews as well.
The term is also used in a pejorative sense by members of one party to attack members of their party who are either centrist or who have the "wrong" ideology. The term Republicrat is commonly used by liberal Democrats to attack conservative and centrist members of the party, such as Senator Joe Lieberman
. Another term used by liberal Democrats to describe conservative and centrist members of their party is "Democrat In Name Only
" or "DINO"; likewise, a conservative Republican term for liberal and centrist Republicans is "Republican In Name Only
" or "RINO".
There is also a slightly lesser known usage of note. In this usage, the words are put together in order to voice the not unheard-of opinion that the two mainstream American political parties are two sides of the same coin. Often, this usage expresses the sentiment of "ordinary citizens" who see all politicians as serving the same special interests and make little distinction between the two parties.
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the Republican Party and the Democratic Party, collectively. These derogatory names first appeared in the presidential election of 1872.
Equivalent terms in countries other than the United States
An equivalent term used in the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
is Lib-Lab-Con or LibLabCon, a pejorative portmanteau referring to the three main political parties (the Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
, the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
, and the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
) used primarily by supporters of minor parties, or Con-Dem, referring to the current conservative/liberal coalition government.
An equivalent term used in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
is Lib-Con or Con-Lib, a pejorative portmanteau referring to the two main political parties (the Conservative Party of Canada
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
and the Liberal Party of Canada
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
).
Usage
Republicans have often portrayed themselves to be pro-business and, in recent times, have favored an aggressive foreign policy; Democrats have tended to campaign on more liberal social policies and a more important role for government-funded social programs. Some commentators, such as right-wing radio talk-show host Michael SavageMichael Savage (commentator)
Michael Savage is a conservative American radio host, author, and political commentator. He is the host of The Savage Nation, a nationally syndicated talk show that airs throughout the United States on Talk Radio Network...
and left-wing activist Ralph Nader
Ralph Nader
Ralph Nader is an American political activist, as well as an author, lecturer, and attorney. Areas of particular concern to Nader include consumer protection, humanitarianism, environmentalism, and democratic government....
, who have both used the terms, have opined on how it is often hard to tell the parties apart, leading to the term's popularisation. This was a view shared on the left by the Green Party
Green Party (United States)
The Green Party of the United States is a nationally recognized political party which officially formed in 1991. It is a voluntary association of state green parties. Prior to national formation, many state affiliates had already formed and were recognized by other state parties...
during the 2000 U.S. Presidential election, whose bumper stickers read, "Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
and Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
make me want to Ralph
Ralph Nader
Ralph Nader is an American political activist, as well as an author, lecturer, and attorney. Areas of particular concern to Nader include consumer protection, humanitarianism, environmentalism, and democratic government....
". Former Dead Kennedys
Dead Kennedys
Dead Kennedys are an American punk rock band formed in San Francisco, California in 1978. The band became part of the American hardcore punk movement of the early 1980s. They gained a large underground fanbase in the international punk music scene....
vocalist and Green Party member Jello Biafra
Jello Biafra
Jello Biafra is an American musician, spoken word artist and leading figure of the Green Party of the United States. Biafra first gained attention as the lead singer and songwriter for San Francisco punk rock band Dead Kennedys...
has used the term during interviews as well.
The term is also used in a pejorative sense by members of one party to attack members of their party who are either centrist or who have the "wrong" ideology. The term Republicrat is commonly used by liberal Democrats to attack conservative and centrist members of the party, such as Senator Joe Lieberman
Joe Lieberman
Joseph Isadore "Joe" Lieberman is the senior United States Senator from Connecticut. A former member of the Democratic Party, he was the party's nominee for Vice President in the 2000 election. Currently an independent, he remains closely affiliated with the party.Born in Stamford, Connecticut,...
. Another term used by liberal Democrats to describe conservative and centrist members of their party is "Democrat In Name Only
Democrat In Name Only
Democrat In Name Only, or DINO in acronym form, is a disparaging term for a member of the United States Democratic Party. A DINO is considered to be more conservative than fellow Democrats...
" or "DINO"; likewise, a conservative Republican term for liberal and centrist Republicans is "Republican In Name Only
Republican In Name Only
Republican In Name Only is a pejorative term that refers to a member of the Republican Party of the United States whose political views or actions are considered insufficiently conservative or otherwise not conforming to party positions...
" or "RINO".
There is also a slightly lesser known usage of note. In this usage, the words are put together in order to voice the not unheard-of opinion that the two mainstream American political parties are two sides of the same coin. Often, this usage expresses the sentiment of "ordinary citizens" who see all politicians as serving the same special interests and make little distinction between the two parties.
Usage in popular culture
- In the 1982 TV special "Rap's Hawaii", comedian Rap ReiplingerRap ReiplingerJames Kawika Piimauna Reiplinger was a Hawaiian comedian, whose humor is an integral part of Hawaii today....
portrayed Willy Maunawili an "independent republicrat candidate for representative". - In the 1994 movie "Reality BitesReality BitesReality Bites is a 1994 American romantic comedy-drama film written by Helen Childress and featuring the directorial debut of Ben Stiller. It stars Winona Ryder, Ethan Hawke and Stiller, with major supporting roles played by Janeane Garofalo and Steve Zahn. The film was shot on location in Austin...
" actor Ethan HawkeEthan HawkeEthan Green Hawke is an American actor, writer and director. He made his feature film debut in 1985 with the science fiction movie Explorers, before making a supporting appearance in the 1989 drama Dead Poets Society which is considered his breakthrough role...
performed the song "I'm Nuthin'", written by him. One of the lines was "I ain't no Republicrat or Demican, ain't nothing in between." - The song "Slow Down Gandhi" on Sage Francis'Sage FrancisPaul "Sage" Francis is a hip-hop artist from Providence, Rhode Island.-Biography:Born Paul Francis in Miami, Florida, Sage Francis is a rapper/writer/performer from Providence, Rhode Island. He is the founder and CEO of the independent hip-hop record label Strange Famous Records...
album A Healthy DistrustA Healthy Distrust-Performers:* Sage Francis – Vocals, Engineering* Tom Inhaler – Guitar* Will Oldham – Guitar, Vocals, Engineer-Production:* Alias – Producer on "Sea Lion," "Escape Artist," "Product Placement," additional drums & guitar on "Crumble"...
includes the line "republicrat, democran, one-party system." - The song "Bleeding Brain Grow" on MC Paul Barman'sMC Paul BarmanPaul Nathaniel Barman better known as MC Paul Barman is a Jewish- American emcee from Ridgewood, New Jersey, who attended Brown University....
album Paullelujah!Paullelujah!Paullelujah! is MC Paul Barman's first full length album, released in 2002. It featured production from artists MF Doom, Prince Paul, MikeTheMusicGuy and Phofo.-Track listing:...
includes the line "Republicrats: they take half a step forward and then they double back." - A 2008 speech entitled "Republicrats" by Thomas Teague was awarded first place at the Oklahoma State Speech and Debate Contest, which drove home the point that neither party has all of the answers and that people should be open minded.
- The term republicrats became the titular subject in a webisodic series produced through MSN and Generate: Republicrats.
- The St. Louis Punk Rock band "The Horrorshow Malchicks" had a song entitled "Republicrats" on their self-titled cd.
- The song "Serpentine" on Ani DifrancoAni DiFrancoAni DiFranco is an American Grammy Award-winning singer, guitarist, poet, and songwriter. She has released more than 20 albums, and is widely considered a feminist icon.-Biography:...
's album Evolve includes the line "and the democrans and the republicrats are flashing their toothy smiles." - On August 19, 2008, MicrosoftMicrosoftMicrosoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
's MSNMSNMSN is a collection of Internet sites and services provided by Microsoft. The Microsoft Network debuted as an online service and Internet service provider on August 24, 1995, to coincide with the release of the Windows 95 operating system.The range of services offered by MSN has changed since its...
and Generate (an independent entertainment studio) launched their latest scripted original Web series, the political satire Republicrats. Created by and starring comedian Sean Masterson, the creator behind Generate's critically lauded Web series Home Purchasing Club, Republicrats follows Masterson as a former weather man who forms the "Republicrat" party and runs as the party's presidential candidate. Masterson's approach is to allow the American people to make every major decision in his campaign, from selecting a VP running mate to a First Lady. Viewers will have the opportunity to share their opinions on Masterson's various platforms and pitch themselves to be a part of his presidential Cabinet by uploading videos directly to the Republicrats robust, interactive destination site.