That sort of whataboutism misses the point. As the OP say, we know how Reps define themselves: "Republicans, for good or ill, know what they stand for: on economic issues, an interminable litany of libertarian lite clichés; in foreign affairs, recklessness and posturing adventurism; on the so-called social issues, a holding pattern in which something is opposed half-heartedly until it's inexorable." Dems define themselves in terms of their opposition to opponents and little else, thus few can say what they stand for.