Party Treason
Michael J. Totten, who famously (by blog standards, anyway) moved from being a moderate Democrat to a moderate Republican an Iraq War supporting, Bush-leaning Independent* and is now wavering, has received a rude reaction from some on the hard Left saying he is a traitor not welcome back into “the fold.” Michael observes,
Dictionary.com has plenty of definitions for the word “fold,†and these two stand out in particular.
A flock of sheep
and
A religious congregation
I am neither religious nor a herd animal.
People like BP have no desire to actually be successful in politics. No politician would ever act that way. You don’t win elections by pushing potential supporters away. It’s just plain suicidal. This is the behavior of people who approach politics the way a fundamentalist takes his religion. Heretics must be punished. Stubborn heretics must be banished. The more compassionate inquisitors may (if they feel like it) allow the wayward children to return if they prostrate themselves before the tribunal and beg for forgiveness.
While I’m far less prone to wavering in party preference than Michael (although I stay annoyed at the GOP most of the time) I share his bemusement at the people who think the two parties are warring factions.
*Correction as per Michael’s comment below.
I was never a moderate Republican. I’m still a registered Democrat, though I do plan to change my registration to Independent before the election.
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