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What is an Anti-Republican?

G. Wiesen
G. Wiesen

An anti-Republican is a person who is actively opposed to the United States (US) political party known as the Republican Party. Anti-Republicans may be Democrats, the other major political party in the US, Independents, or any other “third” party that exists in the political spectrum of the US. Regardless of his or her specific political affiliation, the person is likely opposed to much of what the Republican Party stands for, and this may change as Republicans change and refine their stances on various issues.

During the 20th century, the Republican Party came to align its message with members of the conservative movement, often called neo-conservatives or "neo-cons," and much of the party rhetoric established by Republicans came to reflect conservative standards and values. This established a strong link between Republicans and conservativism, which led to many anti-Republicans during the late 20th and early 21st centuries being strongly liberal in their viewpoints. An anti-Republican during that time would likely have liberal leanings on issues such as abortion, capital punishment, government regulations of businesses and banks, and health care.

The US Capitol Building, the seat of the US Congress.
The US Capitol Building, the seat of the US Congress.

The divide between Republicans and those who would label themselves as an anti-Republican became even more pronounced following the election of George W. Bush, the 43rd president of the United States, and the resulting policies and military actions he supported. Some US citizens ended up feeling ignored and neglected by the Republican-controlled White House, Congress, and Supreme Court. Unwilling to simply be a Democrat or liberal, many of those people instead chose to label themselves as an anti-Republican.

The American party system has generally been dominated by the Democratic and Republican parties.
The American party system has generally been dominated by the Democratic and Republican parties.

An anti-Republican is typically someone who not only supports non-republican viewpoints and ideas, but is actively opposed to the philosophies and beliefs of those within the Republican Party. They can include US citizens of all walks of life, from celebrities and news show hosts, to retail workers and carpenters. The typical viewpoint of an anti-Republican is that the efforts of the Republican Party are potentially disastrous and ultimately destructive for the US, and that all such efforts should be opposed and stopped whenever possible.

In 2008, the election of Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States was seen by many supporters as a major victory for members of the anti-Republican movement. Obama’s campaign was built firmly on a foundation of fundamental change in the political landscape of the US, and for anti-Republicans it was often viewed as a philosophy built to contrast the previous Republican presidency. The schism between some conservatives and the base of the Republican Party that followed the election led some people to begin referring to themselves as anti-conservative, rather than simply anti-Republican.

Discussion Comments

wiesen

Since political positions and leanings can often change based on party and view point, such as conservative or liberal, the statement was left intentionally vague.

Coloring all liberals based on any one point of view is difficult at best, and often becomes opinionated, while the articles on this website are meant to be factual and absent the opinion of the writer, editor, or anyone else.

As the writer of this article, I can say I never meant to imply what a liberal view of government regulations would mean, exactly. The viewpoint can, and does, change. I merely wanted to indicate that someone interested in anti-Republican views should consider how they might relate to liberal views of various subjects. No inference regarding how liberals view government regulations on banks and businesses was ever made in the article, though perhaps it would make a good subject for another article.

anon150580

What does this website mean when they say an anti-republican would have liberal leanings on issues such as government regulations on banks and businesses? If the inference is that liberals are less intrusive in business it is incorrect. Liberals are constantly coming up with new ways to strangle businesses with more taxes and regulations, therefore the statement would be absolutely untrue.

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    • The US Capitol Building, the seat of the US Congress.
      The US Capitol Building, the seat of the US Congress.
    • The American party system has generally been dominated by the Democratic and Republican parties.
      By: Photo_Ma
      The American party system has generally been dominated by the Democratic and Republican parties.