To me this cartoon by Thomas Nast from 1880 pretty much epitomizes the divide between the two parties. And I'm willing to bet that the supports of each will see the truth in the characterization of their chosen opponent, while denying any relevance to the portrayal of their particular party.
Of course, there have been changes from Nast's day to today. For instance, I have no doubt that, if he'd drawn this cartoon today, the elephant would have had a Christian cross wrapped in it's trunk. But the basic premise of the Republican party seeming lethargic or tired, while the Democratic party seems energetically destructive has stuck with these parties for a long time.
Yet, as true as these caricatures still are, as the years have gone on, many things have changed about these two parties. Alliances have shifted. Means have changed. And it does not actually dig into any of the specific issues these two parties fight about. So, in order to update this I'll add my own two cents: The problem with the Democratic Party is that they somehow think that if the government pays for something, the people don't have to.
The problem with the Republican Party is that they somehow think that, in a country founded in part on the idea of religious freedom, they have the right to force their purely religious morals down the country's throat. And the problem with the voters of this country is that they somehow think that their chosen party is always correct. #ServingConjecture #DumbosAndAsses #PoliticalReformBeginsWithTheIndividualViewpoint #AlwaysQuestionWhatYouKnow