But the Hypocrisy Differs in Depth and Kind
After two parts documenting transactional empathy and Stage 2 moral reasoning, a predictable objection arises: “Both sides do it.”
This is true. Both parties exhibit hypocrisy. Both say one thing and do another. Both claim to represent working people while serving corporate donors.
But the question isn’t whether both sides are hypocritical. The question is: What kind of hypocrisy, how deep does it go, and do the patterns differ?
If the hypocrisy is identical—same depth, same scale, same systematization—then focusing on one side is partisan hackery. But if there are measurable differences in the type and depth of hypocrisy, those differences matter.
So let’s examine the evidence.
Democratic Hypocrisy: Saying One Thing, Doing Another
Democrats brand themselves as the party of working people. Labor unions. The middle class. Healthcare for all. Higher wages.
Then they take Wall Street money and vote accordingly.
Banking Deregulation (2018)
In 2018, Republicans proposed gutting key Dodd-Frank banking regulations—the protections put in place after the 2008 financial crisis.
17 Senate Democrats voted with Republicans to pass it.
The Democrats who led the effort: – Jon Tester (Montana) – received $274,944 from commercial banks – Heidi Heitkamp (North Dakota) – received $320,891 from commercial banks
– Joe Donnelly (Indiana) – received $232,966 from commercial banks – Claire McCaskill (Missouri) – received $236,743 from commercial banks
These were the top recipients of bank donations that cycle. They became the top recipients while writing the deregulation bill.
The American Bankers Association ran ads thanking Tester. The Koch-funded Americans for Prosperity thanked Heitkamp.
Result: Silicon Valley Bank collapsed in 2023 because of these exact deregulation provisions.
Pattern: Democrats who took the most money from banks voted to deregulate banks, which led to bank failures.
Private Equity Tax Shield (2022)
Democrats controlled the Senate. They were passing the Inflation Reduction Act with climate provisions and corporate tax reforms.
Republicans proposed an amendment to shield private equity firms from the new 15% corporate minimum tax—a $35 billion gift to wealthy donors.
7 Democrats voted with Republicans to pass it: – Kyrsten Sinema (Arizona) – Mark Kelly (Arizona)
– Raphael Warnock (Georgia) – Jon Ossoff (Georgia) – Jacky Rosen (Nevada) – Catherine Cortez Masto (Nevada) – Maggie Hassan (New Hampshire)
Five of these seven were among the top Senate recipients of private equity donations. Collectively: over $1.4 million from the industry.
Same vote count (57-43) came up for capping insulin prices. The private equity tax shield needed only a simple majority and passed. The insulin cap needed 60 votes and failed.
Pattern: Democrats who took money from private equity voted to protect private equity from taxes, while voting against affordable insulin.
Single-Payer Healthcare
Obama, 2003: “I happen to be a proponent of a single-payer universal health care program… A single payer health care plan, a universal health care plan. And that’s what I’d like to see.”
Obama, 2009: Democrats control the House, Senate, and White House. They have the votes to pass single-payer.
Instead: – Obama shut single-payer advocates out of hearings – Had single-payer advocates ARRESTED when they showed up – Passed the ACA, which was written with insurance industry input – Never even brought single-payer to a vote
California Democrats: – Passed single-payer bills TWICE when Republican Governor Schwarzenegger would veto them – When Democrat Jerry Brown became governor: Suddenly couldn’t find the votes – As one activist put it: “We are being gamed by the Democrats”
2016 Democratic Platform Committee: – 81% of Democratic voters support Medicare for All – Committee votes it down 7-6 – Also votes down: $15 minimum wage, opposition to fracking, opposition to TPP
Obama, 2018: Back to supporting “Medicare for All” (now that he has no power to pass it).
Pattern: Campaign on single-payer when it can’t pass, block it when you have power.
The Democratic Pattern: Individual Hypocrisy
This is classic hypocrisy: Say you support workers, then vote for Wall Street when they pay you. Campaign on Medicare for All, then block it when you have power.
Depth: Not all Democrats are hypocritical (32 voted NO on bank deregulation, 42 voted NO on private equity shield). A progressive faction actively fights the hypocrisy (Warren, Sanders, AOC, Porter). Voters sometimes punish hypocrites (Heitkamp, Donnelly, McCaskill all lost).
Republican Hypocrisy: The Entire Platform Is Contradictory
Republicans have a different pattern: Their stated brand systematically contradicts their actual policies across multiple issues.
“Fiscal Responsibility” While Exploding Deficits
Republicans have campaigned on fiscal responsibility and deficit reduction for decades. It’s core brand identity.
The Record:
- Reagan: Tripled the national debt from $997 billion to $2.85 trillion
- George H.W. Bush: Increased debt from $2.85 trillion to $4.41 trillion
- George W. Bush: Increased debt from $5.73 trillion to $11.91 trillion (Iraq War, Medicare Part D, tax cuts)
- Trump: Increased debt from $19.95 trillion to $27.75 trillion (pre-COVID: $3.3 trillion increase from tax cuts alone)
By contrast: – Clinton: Decreased deficit, left with a surplus
– Obama: Reduced deficit from $1.4 trillion (inherited) to $585 billion
Pattern: Every modern Republican president exploded the deficit while campaigning on fiscal responsibility. Every modern Democratic president reduced it.
This isn’t individual politicians being hypocrites. This is the party platform itself contradicting reality.
“Law and Order” Led by Convicted Felon
Republicans campaign as the “law and order” party. Tough on crime. Back the blue. Respect for law enforcement.
Current Reality:
- Party leader: Donald Trump, convicted of 34 felonies
- January 6: Trump supporters attacked 140 police officers
- Republican response: Called attackers “political prisoners” and “patriots”
- Trump’s promise: Pardon January 6 defendants who attacked police
Pattern: The “law and order” party is led by a convicted felon who promises to pardon people who attacked police.
This isn’t hypocrisy in the normal sense (saying one thing, doing another). This is the platform itself being contradictory. You can’t be the “law and order” party while being led by a felon and defending cop-attackers.
“Family Values” and Christian Morality
Republicans campaign on “traditional family values.” Sanctity of marriage. Christian morality. The 81% evangelical support is based on these claimed values.
Current leader:
- Three marriages
- Divorced twice
- Admitted affairs
- Found liable for sexual abuse
- “I don’t ask God for forgiveness”
- “Grab them by the pussy”
- At Kirk memorial: “I hate my opponent and I don’t want the best for them” (directly contradicting Christian teaching)
Republican evangelical response: “We’re not electing a Sunday school teacher.”
Pattern: The party campaigns on Christian values while being led by someone who explicitly rejects core Christian teachings, with full support from evangelicals.
“Small Government” While Expanding Government Control
Republicans campaign on “small government.” Limited federal power. States’ rights. Individual freedom.
Actual policies:
- Military budget: Over $800 billion annually (largest in history)
- Patriot Act: Massive expansion of government surveillance
- Abortion: Federal ban proposals (overriding state decisions)
- Book bans: Government control of education content
- Drag show bans: Government control of expression
- Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay”: Government control of classroom speech
Pattern: The “small government” party systematically expands government power over bodies, books, speech, and surveillance.
“Party of the Working Class” While Voting Against Workers 100% of the Time
Republicans increasingly brand themselves as the party of working people. Trump won 40% of union households.
Actual votes:
Minimum Wage: – Every Republican in Congress votes against raising it – Federal minimum: $7.25/hour since 2009 (16 years) – Louisiana House Labor Committee: Rejected increases 52 times since 2009 – Workers earn $42/week less than 52 years ago (adjusted for inflation)
Union Rights: – National Right-to-Work Act: Make all 50 states union-hostile – Effect: Lowers wages 3-4% for ALL workers – Support: Marco Rubio (co-sponsor), every Republican senator
Worker Protections: – NOSHA Act: Eliminate OSHA entirely (workplace safety) – Davis-Bacon Repeal: Eliminate prevailing wage for federal contracts – Overtime: Voted against expanding to 3.6 million workers – PRO Act (worker protections): 100% Republican opposition
Trump quotes: – “I used to hate to pay overtime” – His companies violated overtime laws 24 times
Pattern: 100% of Republicans vote against workers 100% of the time on every issue, while claiming to represent working people.
The Republican Pattern: Systematic Hypocrisy
This is systematic hypocrisy: Not just individuals being hypocrites—the entire platform systematically contradicts the brand. Fiscal responsibility party explodes deficits. Law and order party led by felon. Family values party led by someone rejecting Christian values. Small government party expands government control. Working class party votes against workers.
Depth: ALL Republicans participate (not 17 out of 49, but 53 out of 53). NO reform faction exists fighting it. Voters REWARD the hypocrisy (Trump won union households while opposing all worker protections).
The Key Differences: Types and Depth of Hypocrisy
Both parties are hypocritical. But the type and depth differ:
| Aspect | Democrats | Republicans |
| Type of Hypocrisy | Individual: Some politicians betray platform | Systematic: Entire platform contradicts brand |
| Depth | Partial (17/49 on banks, 7/49 on private equity) | Total (53/53 on workers, every president on deficits) |
| Reform Faction | Strong (Warren, Sanders, AOC, Porter) | None |
| Voter Response | Sometimes punish hypocrites (Heitkamp, Donnelly, McCaskill lost) | Reward hypocrisy (Trump won union households) |
| Internal Conflict | Civil war between hypocrites and reformers | Unified hypocrisy, no internal opposition |
Why the Depth of Hypocrisy Matters
When we say “both sides are hypocrites” and stop there, we miss crucial distinctions in how deep the hypocrisy goes:
Democrats: Individual hypocrisy. Some Democrats (Sinema, Manchin, Tester) are hypocrites who take corporate money and betray workers. Other Democrats (Warren, Sanders, AOC) fight the hypocrites. The party has competing factions.
Result: Salvageable through internal reform. The anti-hypocrisy faction exists and is growing.
Republicans: Systematic hypocrisy. The entire platform systematically contradicts the brand. Not “some Republicans are hypocrites”—the hypocrisy IS the platform. Fiscal responsibility party explodes deficits. Law and order party led by felon. Working class party votes against workers 100% of the time.
Result: No anti-hypocrisy faction exists. Nothing to salvage. The contradiction is complete.
Both Sides Are Hypocrites
Here’s what both parties have in common:
Both are hypocrites: – Democrats campaign on Medicare for All, then block it – Republicans campaign on fiscal responsibility, then explode deficits
Both take corporate money and sometimes vote accordingly: – Democrats: 17 voted for bank deregulation, 7 voted to shield private equity – Republicans: 53 voted against all worker protections
The hypocrisy is real on both sides.
But the depth of hypocrisy differs:
Democrats: – Partial: Not all Democrats vote for Wall Street (32 voted NO on bank bill) – Contested: Progressive faction fights corporate wing – Sometimes punished: Voters rejected Heitkamp, Donnelly, McCaskill
Republicans: – Total: ALL Republicans vote against workers (53/53) – Unified: No pro-worker faction exists to fight it – Rewarded: Voters support Trump despite anti-worker record
This isn’t “one side is good, one side is bad.”
This is “one side is corrupted and fighting about it, one side is corrupted and unified.”
What the Different Types of Hypocrisy Mean for Solutions
If both parties were hypocritical in identical ways, the solution would be: abandon both, start over, third party.
But the hypocrisy differs in type and depth:
Democrats: Individual hypocrisy. Some members are hypocrites. Other members fight the hypocrisy. Reform possible through the anti-hypocrisy faction (Warren, Sanders, AOC). Strategy: Primary hypocrites, elect reformers.
Republicans: Systematic hypocrisy. All members participate. No anti-hypocrisy faction exists. The platform itself is contradictory. Strategy: Unknown. You can’t “fix” a party where the hypocrisy is total and unified.
This doesn’t make Democrats honest. It makes their hypocrisy different in kind.
One party has individual hypocrites and people fighting them.
One party has systematic hypocrisy with no internal opposition.
These differences determine where anti-hypocrisy reform is possible—and where it isn’t.
The Brutal Honesty
Both parties are hypocrites.
Democrats campaign on Medicare for All and block it. They take Wall Street money and vote to deregulate banks. This is classic hypocrisy.
Republicans campaign on fiscal responsibility and explode deficits. They campaign as “law and order” while being led by a felon. They campaign as “party of workers” while voting against workers 100% of the time. This is also hypocrisy.
But “both sides are hypocrites” doesn’t mean the hypocrisy is the same depth.
One side: Some members are hypocrites. Some voters punish hypocrites. Some faction fights the hypocrisy.
Other side: All members participate in the hypocrisy. All voters reward it. No faction opposes it.
That’s not the same type of hypocrisy. That’s individual versus systematic.
And recognizing the difference matters, because it tells us where anti-hypocrisy reform is possible.
Next in Part 4: Flooding the Zone – How systematic contradiction and information overload disable democratic accountability.
Part 3 of 5 in the “Do Unto Others” series
Sources and Documentation:
Democratic Policy Contradictions: – 2018 Bank Deregulation: S.2155, Senate roll call vote, OpenSecrets campaign finance data – Bank donation recipients: Tester ($274,944), Heitkamp ($320,891), Donnelly ($232,966), McCaskill ($236,743) – Silicon Valley Bank collapse: Federal Reserve analysis, FDIC reports (March 2023) – Private equity tax shield: Senate Amendment 5404 to H.R. 5376, vote 57-43 (August 2022) – Insulin cap amendment: Senate Amendment 5462 to H.R. 5376, failed 57-43 – Private equity donations: OpenSecrets data – Obama 2003 single-payer quote: AFL-CIO conference (verified by PolitiFact) – Obama healthcare policy: Physicians for a National Health Program documentation – 2016 DNC Platform vote: Healthcare-NOW documentation, C-SPAN video – Election results: 2018 midterms (Heitkamp, Donnelly, McCaskill losses)
Republican Platform Contradictions: – National debt data: U.S. Treasury Department, Congressional Budget Office – Reagan: $997B (1981) to $2.85T (1989) – Bush Sr.: $2.85T (1989) to $4.41T (1993) – Bush Jr.: $5.73T (2001) to $11.91T (2009) – Trump: $19.95T (2017) to $27.75T (2021), CBO analysis – Clinton/Obama deficit reduction: OMB historical tables – Trump convictions: New York State court records, 34 felony counts – January 6: U.S. Capitol Police (140 officers injured) – Trump personal history: Public records, court documents – Kirk memorial quote: C-SPAN video, September 21, 2025 – Military budget: Office of Management and Budget ($886 billion, 2023) – State legislation: Florida HB 1557, book ban documentation – Minimum wage votes: Senate roll calls (2021, 2025) – Louisiana rejections: House Labor Committee records (52 times since 2009) – Right-to-work effects: Economic Policy Institute, Western & Rosenfeld studies – Trump overtime violations: USA Today investigation (24 violations) – Union household voting: CNN exit polls (2016: 42%, 2020: 40%) – AFL-CIO donations: Center for Responsive Politics (91% Dems, 9% GOP, 1990-2020) – Republican bills: NOSHA Act (H.R. 272), Davis-Bacon Repeal, National Right to Work Act (H.R. 785) – PRO Act votes: Senate and House roll calls
Fact-Checking Invitation
If any facts in this article are inaccurate, please provide sources and I will correct them immediately. This series is about documented patterns, not partisan narratives. Every claim is checkable. If something is wrong, show me the evidence.
Even that's Odd 
Leave a comment