Journeys
Michele ruminates on how the more extreme factions of our two major parties are tearing at the center, which causes me to ponder about my own political journey.
Once upon a time, in my wayward youth, I was a Republican. This is because, when I first registered to vote, I thought Republicans were all like the Republicans I had grown up with. The Northeastern Republicans, formerly known as Rockefeller Republicans. Socially liberal, but fiscally conservative. Like me. I knew that the Democrats weren't like me. They were socially liberal, but also fiscally liberal. I didn't like that last part, so I didn't join the party.
One day I discovered that a lot of Republicans throughout the country, the ones that were leading the national party, were not like me. They were socially conservative and fiscally conservative. Well, I didn't like that first part, so I left the party. Actually, I think it was the term "Moral Majority" that convinced me to leave the party. On issues of abortion, school prayer, and a host of myriad issues (add gay marriage to that now), I was on the opposite side. By that definition, I had to be part of an "immoral minority." While it is certainly anyone's right to label me as they see fit, I am not required to embrace those who label me negatively. In fact, I won't embrace those who label me negatively. If I am of no use to them, neither are they of any use to me.
Since that time I have not been a member of any party. I have most often voted for Republicans on the state and local level, because those are the Northeastern Republicans. On the national level, up until 1992, I voted Democrat for President. I figured that if I had to choose between a government that would legislate my life or my wallet, I'd opt against my wallet.
Then one day it occurred to me that was a false choice. Granted, one or the other would wind up in power, but I didn't have to choose either one of them. I could vote for something different (no, I did not vote for that nutjob Ross Perot). So I voted Libertarian for President (although not this year, as I do not like Badnarik). In fairness, seeds of my third party votes were in evidence at the age of 16. I wasn't old enough to vote in 1980, but I really wanted to vote for John Anderson (a former Republican, might I add). Had I been two years older, I would have voted for John Anderson. I lost sight of that for awhile, though, coming back to it 12 years later.
Since that time, I have never regretted my decision to not join a political party. Over the years, my views have altered slightly, but are, basically, still the same. During that time period, though, the more extreme edges of both parties have become more influential. More vocal. Many of those who fall towards the extremes have embraced a notion of associative guilt for the other side I find both hypocritical and disturbing. Many of those are also more intolerant of dissent whether inside or outside their own ranks. Things are more stark. The other side is collectively identified as evil. I prefer to be independent of all that. So I can't vote in the primaries. For me, a small price to pay.
Hobbes* once wrote that a nation with an assembly as its sovereign was a nation doomed to be at war with itself. Well, I'm paraphrasing, but that was the gist of it. I think he had a point and that we are seeing it manifest today. We are not literally at war with ourselves, but we are figuratively so. Neither side has a significant enough advantage to squash the opposition and declare total victory. Our only hope, therefore, is that enough of us will eventually tire of the war that we will sue for peace amongst ourselves. I hope that day comes before the day that our factionalism has grown so strong that we cease to function effectively as a country.
*Please don't take the fact that I think Hobbes has a point regarding factionalism that I agree with everything he wrote. I am NOT advocating a monarchy or any kind of authoritarian regime. I do not think that a country divided is the worst possible thing that could happen. I consider the negatives of authoritarian regimes to be much worse, unlike Hobbes.