Parties and Their Backers

A friend sends an interesting opinion piece identifying the Democratic Party in the US as the “Lawyers' Party.” Barack Obama is a lawyer. Michelle Obama is a lawyer. Hillary Clinton is a lawyer. Bill Clinton is a lawyer. John Edwards is a lawyer. Everyone nominated by the Democrats since 1984 has been a lawyer, and every VP pick since 1976 except for Lloyd Bentsen.

So much for real change.

Compare the Republicans. McCain is a sailor. Bush Jr. is a businessman. So is Cheney. So is Romney. Huckabee is a Baptist minister. They have not nominated a lawyer since Gerald Ford.

That's a striking difference.

How about in Canada? Stephane Dion—academic. Bob Rae—lawyer. Michael Ignatieff—academic. Paul Martin--lawyer. Jean Chretien—lawyer. John Turner—lawyer. Pierre Trudeau—lawyer. Lester Pearson—academic. A bit more diverse—mostly lawyers, with a couple of academics.

On the PC/Alliance/Reform side? Stephen Harper—economist. Stockwell Day—teacher and minister. Preston Manning—professional politician. Peter MacKay—lawyer. Joe Clark—professional politician. Brian Mulroney—lawyer. It seems unpredictable—a Tory leader can come from anywhere.

To round it out, shall we look also at the NDP? Jack Layton—academic. Alexa McDonough—social worker. Audrey McLaughlin—social worker. Ed Broadbent—academic. David Lewis—lawyer. Tommy Douglas—minister. Obviously some kinship here with the Liberals; with a few social workers thrown in.

Taken together, it says something about whom each party represents. In the US, the Democrats are the party of the professional class; the Republicans are the party of the rest of us. In Canada, the Liberals are the party of highly-paid professionals: doctors, lawyers, professors, and MBAs. The NDP speaks for the interests of the lower-rung professions: teachers, social workers, nurses, mainstream Protestant ministers, university students. The Conservatives are the closest thing to a party of ordinary working people.