Why assume the democrats care about the poor enough to cost themselves votes. they come up with every idea you can imagine to play the role of santa but how hard do they fight? besides obamacare I should say, they did go to the mat there.
The libs do want to be santa, the conservatives would let people starve to death. the moderates want to feel like they support programs for the poor but they really don't want to fund them. so here we are .
The only way to fix this is to come up with a method of culling out the rejects who can provide for themselves if they have to then helping the rest with actual compassion . the party who's willing to run with that will win the moderate vote and have the keys to power.
They won't, so get used to what you're seeing.
Stay thirsty my friends