Loving this thread.
Galt, think of it this way, if it helps you grok this thing:
If the Tea Party was actually a thing, and their mouthbreating membership were called Tea Partiers, Tea Baggers, or whatever...the Tea Party would
still be the Tea Party. Not the Tea Partier Party. Or The Bagger Partier Party. Or whatever. It would simply be the Tea Party, regardless of what individual members call themselves.
"Democratic Party" is a proper noun, and not open to interpretation. At least not to anyone who cares how the English language works.
But, of course, you already know all of this as well as everyone else does, and we're both just playing along because its the internet and somehow amusing to harp on about it.