It's a paaaaarty!

    You've probably known since you were old enough to know the difference which party you were: Democrat or Republican. I happened to grow up thinking I was one, and then when I got older I realized that I was the complete opposite.
    Yes, it was a childish mistake, but you'd be surprised at how many people get caught up in Party Identity. I've observed time and time again people who looked around at their towns, their neighborhoods, their families, their friends, their churches and said "well, all of these people are one party; we live similar lifestyles and have similar opinions so I m ust be that party too." Which is a fair enough conclusion to make, but I think party identity is something a lot of people take for granted, and it's essential to look VERY closely at your true, lights-off, no-one's-looking opinions before you register with one party or another.
    A great way to solve this problem is to register Independent. That's what I did (although it was more for the fact that I am really bad with commitment, and registering with a party felt more permanent than getting a tattoo... which I had no problem getting at the same age. We're all a little weird...)
    The one downside to registering Independent: you can't vote in caucuses (those are reserved for members of the respective party only). To me, that's alright as long as I have all the freedom I want to vote all across the proverbial board. And yes, you can do that.

Here are the parties we are currently working with (**please click the links to see COMPLETE candidate listings respective to each party!!!**)

The Big Two

Michigan Democratic Party. You know the Dems! From Thomas Jefferson to the Big O, we've had tons of them in the White House and plenty in Lansing as well. Among their many concerns are union promotion, small business development, and welfare; they are opposed to privatization, outsourcing, Big Business and the like. The Democratic Party is commonly associated with the Middle Class: the underdog, the working man, the American Dream. If the Democratic Party was a book, it would be The Grapes of Wrath; if it were a rockstar, it'd be Bruce Springsteen; if it were a collar, it'd be blue. Not that all Democrats are factory workers or anything; far from it. In fact, Entrepreneur Extraordinaire Warren Buffet is an avid supporter of Democrats (some say he is fundamentally a Republican because of he is what you would call a capitalist; this is false; capitalism is an economic system, not a political system, and being a capitalist does not make you a Republican, it makes you rich).
 
Michigan Republicans. Aaand of course you know the Repubs as well. What you may not know is this fun factoid: the Republican Party was FOUNDED in Michigan, back when the two-party system consisted of the Democratic Party and the Whigs. Strangely, back then, the Republican Party's values probably could have been considered Left Wing by today's standards: they abolished slavery (thanks Abe!), fought for free speech and women's suffrage. Republicans stand for, among many things: "free enterprise" and entrepreneurship, believing it reaches its peak in the form of Big Business; fiscal responsibility and the principle of laissez-faire; and, last but not least, their credo: the government which governs best, governs least.