Reply #12: Here is the sad truth of much of the advocacy you see here.

[MADem]

There is a subset of people who are so 'lockstep' in their ideology that they believe that anyone who doesn't follow their agenda is a Party Traitor. Ironically, these are the people, often as not, who are eager to dump the party anytime their little ideological feelings get hurt. They sometimes post the "Why should I STAAAAY?" whines (my attitude: Close the door behind you; quickly now--we're conserving energy that we need for NOV 08).

Now, back to that 'agenda' these locksteppers have. They actually believe that their AGENDA is more important than the political process--that to get what THEY want, it's "OK" to wipe your ass on the Constitution, to abrogate representative government, to use dictatorial methods to get their own way. In other words, it's "OK" to pull a Tom DeLay, because see, we're "true blue, fair and faithful" and the other team is "bad, evil and mendacious." They just can't grasp the 'two wrongs don't make a right' philosophy--if it is wrong when DeLay or McConnell or Frist or Specter does it, it's wrong when WE do it.

Unfortunately, that takes an ability to actually consider the importance of the process, and of 'rule of law.' It takes thought. It takes understanding.

There's not enough of that going around up in here, though, lately.