The majority of the time I hear the word party I associate it with something pleasant.  I try to forget about the political assignments, instead looking forward to hearing about people getting together for fun and enjoyment.  Not to be naive about it all, I fully understand that most words in the English language have multiple meanings and uses.  It's easier to just make the same word mean different things rather than think of a new word.  That's the beauty of this language that we speak ...