Top 10 Television Republicans

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Here we go, the sequel to our Top 10 Television Democrats! No pairs today, so it's truly ten characters listed below, including one who is very new this season but she's so staunch that we couldn't make the list without her! 

all images pulled from wikis and IMDB

10. Lucille Bluth, Arrested Development. Out of touch with the economic problems surrounding her, Lucille doesn't believe that it's her responsibility to take care of anyone she doesn't have to. She also has no concept of economics or poverty, believing that the poor must certainly be able to afford food, bananas are only like ten dollars. Humorously, she won't respond to to questions she doesn't understand, has a Bush/Cheney 2000 sweater, and the internet has created a Mitt Romney/Lucille Bluth tumblr, (and a Lucille Bluth/Mitt Romney one) if you need some laughs about her conservatism.

9. Ned Flanders, The Simpsons. It's not difficult to see that Homer's neighbor is a pretty conservative guy... in fact, he might top the list for Springfield. He has said that he wished they "lived in a place more like the America of yesteryear that only exists in the brains of us Republicans," solidifying his stance against change and the desire to turn back the clock, as many see Republicans to believe. When his son, Todd, asks him what taxes pay for, Ned explains that the go toward "policemen, trees, sunshine. And let's not forget the folks who just don't feel like working," another quote showing his anti-handout grounding. It's difficult to get beyond that because his Christian outlook begins to mingle with his political affiliation.

8. Cindy Sanders, Freaks and Geeks. Cindy is the head of the Young Republicans club at McKinley High, and receives the honor of introducing Vice President George H. W. Bush when he comes for an assembly. Cindy stops dating Todd partly because he is a Democrat, and she annoys Sam with her political rants to the point where he becomes disinterested in her. One of her key conservative lines may be, "poor people shouldn't get handouts; they should get jobs."

7. Jane Forrest, The New Normal. A new character this year, Jane is very proud of her Republican upbringing and beliefs. She forced her daughter to keep her baby at age 18, because she needed to face the responsibility of her actions. She also stole Goldie's ballot in 2008 and is shocked when Goldie might not vote Republican in 2012. She's very against the "definition of marriage" changing, so when Shania has a pretend wedding to classmate Wilbur, Jane organizes a protest with some of the girls at the school whose parents have Romney stickers on their cars. Not bad for a character who has only been in six episodes so far!

6. Howard Cunningham, Happy Days. Late in the second season, "The Not Making of the President" (which can be seen on Bing) has Howard as an Eisenhower supporter. That's not much, but when Richie decides to campaign for Adlai Stevenson because a girl he likes is the President of the Junior Democrats, Howard is upset that Richie isn't respecting his opinion. He's also upset that other people are putting Stevenson bumper stickers on his car, but he flips his lid when Richie makes a speech for a Democrat when the Cunningham family is a long line of Republicans. When Fonzie is also shown to support Ike in the 1956 election, Howard is intrigued, though he later admits that he respects Richie for thinking for himself. When Marion admits to voting for Stevenson, however, Howard again erupts! 

5. Carlton Banks, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. He doesn't miss an opportunity to remind people that he's a Republican. He thinks that wealthy people should be left alone and not have to pay higher taxes, that everyone should look out for their own interests, and that laws should have strict interpretations. He's not big on environmental protection like his sister, Hilary, and thinks that environment in which you're raised shouldn't affect your outcome too much - everyone knows right from wrong and has the ability to work hard. He follows that party line pretty hard... 

4. Stan Smith, American Dad. Stan is a very impulsive guy, latching onto and then abandoning beliefs as they fit his situation, though he doesn't sway from being a card-carrying member of the NRA. He's pro-surveillance (of course, he works for the CIA), patriotic to the bitter end, and opposed homosexuality and gay marriage for the first season of the show. He's offended when he's not chosen to give a speech at the Republican National Convention, and is an authoritarian to the point where he'll brainwash his family into obeying him. He quotes Reagan, considers George Bush to be a hero, and opposes abortion. Am I missing any glaring Republican traits?  

3. Charles Winchester from M*A*S*H. He's an uber-conservative. What's interesting, though, is that rather than adoring Republicans, he just really hates Democrats, like Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Harry S Truman. Charles is so conservative that he says things like "a lot of people dribble soup on their chins and vote for Democrats," that he'd rather "share his toothbrush with a Democrat" than ask to borrow Margaret's record player, and "he's so conservative that he'd make McCarthy look like a New Dealer.  

2. Alex P. Keaton, Family Ties. In contrast to his "hippie" parents, Alex is a staunch Republican, idolizing Nixon (both framed on his wall and appearing on his lunchbox!) and voting for Reagan and George H. W. Bush during the run of the show. Alex has a keen interest in economics, belongs to the Young Republicans, and dreams about the Declaration of Independence being written. A good chunk of the entire series features Alex being conservative in one way or another, actually. 

1. Archie Bunker, All in the Family. As the only Republican in his household (Edith voted for Carter in 1976 and Mike donated to the McGovern campaign, just for the tip of the iceberg), Archie maintains a conservative stance on many things, causing regular tension with his family. Though he is also seen as an extreme bigot, his Republican perspectives led him to support Nixon and Reagan, and oppose peace protestors and civil rights movement organizers. Additionally, when his neighbor, George Jefferson, runs for a local office on the Republican ticket, Archie supports him, regardless of his George's African-American heritage.

Here, take a look at him rail the Democrats.


Some honorable mentions include Matt Camden on 7th Heaven, Spinner Mason on Degrassi: The Next Generation, Charlotte on Sex and the City, and Leon Carp on Roseanne. Who is missing?