Us vs. Them

The gloves are coming off.  My political stance has always been moderate for the most part.  My votes have swung both ways.  But after voting today, the realization hit me that Republicans are ruining our political system.

The local clerk of the court was elected many years ago.  He has never had opposition.  The clerk's position is actually one that isn't a political position.  On the ballot, there is never a D or an R or an I or anything after his name.  This year he has an opponent.  Who is a Republican and vocal about the fact that he's a Republican.  And vocal about the fact that the current clerk does a fine job.  And vocal about the fact that the reason he's running is to take the position over to the Republican side.  Even though it's a non-political position.

A friend of mine who ran for city council a few years ago on the Republican ticket (yes, I voted for him) told me that he sees no reason to vote for the challenger.  My friend doesn't like the challenger's tactics of running his campaign.  The challenger has done a full-court press to oust the current clerk.  Who the challenger admits is doing a fine job.

I cut the party plenty of slack, wanting to believe that it really was the Grand Old Party of Teddy Roosevelt and Eisenhower.  Watching this local election, it's down right impossible to call it grand. 

Do you vote for the best person for the position or do you vote for their party affiliation?  The local Republican party let me down.  They don't want me to vote for the best person; they want me to vote for the Republican.  They're not synonymous.  The best person is the best person.  Sometimes that person is a Democrat.  Sometimes that person is a Republican. 

From now on, it'll be harder for me to look at any Republican candidate without wondering, if there were no R after your name, would your followers still be your followers? 

[Title taken from this.]