I change my underwear political party affiliation.
By mw | Related entries in 2008 Election, Elections, Ideas
On Monday last, there were 69,548,864 voting age Americans affiliated with the Republican Party. On Tuesday, there were only 69,548,863 as New York mayor Michael Bloomberg ended his six year membership in the GOP saying “… good ideas should take precedence over rigid adherence to any particular political ideology.” The GOP can ill afford any defections. They have enough problems with this Republican President hell bent on alienating every single voter in the country and this Republican Vice-President working to sever all legal ties to the government and the constitution. Enough is enough. I mean, it is not even fun beating this dead elephant any more. This is just not healthy.
With this announcement the Republican party is restored to the pre-Bloomberg defection level of 69,548,864.
I am completely serious. Although I have been a registered Democrat for 20+ years, I will be registering as a Republican in time for the 2008 primary in California. Why? I am simply acting on the lessons learned from Michael Bloomberg. He changes his party affiliation about as often as I change my underwear, and probably for similar reasons (comfort, style, personal hygiene, dirty laundry needing an airing out, whatever). He was a Democrat until it was more convenient for him to run for New York mayor as a Republican in 2001. Now being a Republican is chafing against his political ambition and personal convictions. It was time for Mike to drop those drawers. Bloomberg is right. Party affiliation really should only be worn under the cover of practical political clothing and the stylish ideological overcoats we show to the world.
Party affiliation is always secondary to, and in the service of accomplishing political objectives. Bloomberg’s objective in changing his underparty support may be an independent run for the office of the President of the United States. My objective in changing is to secure better government in Washington DC.
If, you believe as I do, that federal government should be limited, careful, fiscally responsible, with individual rights respected, oversight of our elected representatives effective, and laws enacted only after being tempered by the fire of partisan debate, then you also may want to consider the merits of changing your underwear party affiliation frequently. These objectives can be accomplished at the ballot box. Not by voting exclusively Republican, Democratic or 3rd party, but by voting consistently for divided government. That these objectives can be accomplished by following this path is documented historical fact. The most recent example is playing out before our eyes as a result of the 2006 election. Wearing a Bloomberg independent 3rd party “hairshirt” presidential bid may or may not serve to accomplish these objectives. Working for these objectives in a worn pair of cotton “divided government” boxers is a much more comfortable way to go…
continued at Divided We Stand United We Fall.
This entry was posted on Saturday, June 23rd, 2007 and is filed under 2008 Election, Elections, Ideas. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
January 7th, 2008 at 6:06 pm
[...] posts here and on my blog often feature opinion, analysis and news on the documented benefits of divided federal government. What can I say, [...]