Party Treason

James Joyner | Thursday, May 13, 2004

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.

About the Author: James Joyner is the publisher of Outside the Beltway and the managing editor of the Atlantic Council. He's a former Army officer, Desert Storm vet, and college professor with a PhD in political science from The University of Alabama. He lives just outside the Beltway in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife and infant daughter.

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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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Posted by Michael J. Totten | May 13, 2004 | 07:25 pm | Permalink

 

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