ok, let me rephrase because apparently you didn't get what I meant.
You're right, they are basically the same. They ACT like they are at opposite ends though, hence every arguement seems to turn into "OMFG DEMOCRAT vs. REPUBLICAN." When really, it's like an arguement between the black sheep and the "devoid of colour" sheep. hell, even less governmental shit seems to turn into that.
You don't see canadians going " are you a liberal or a conservative?" and you don't get bizarre looks if you say "I voted NDP!"
And yes, the democracy is a farce. One side fucks up, the other gets in, they fuck up and then we flop back. It's like a dead fish out of water, and its been that way long enough that its starting to rot and smell like shit. I can barely be bothered to vote anymore, because its so useless.