On Wise Partisanship

Be partisan but don’t be foolish.

After my last two posts advocating the need for partisanship at this time, I should tie up some loose ends.  For partisanship can be a destructive force as well as constructive.  So it must be used wisely.  I will make two main points about that.

First, there are times when partisanship should be given a break.  One is in mixed political families.  Most of us find obnoxious the woke college kid who goes home and gives woke lectures to family over holiday dinners.  Don’t be like that.

My left-of-center dad and I used to have heated political arguments.  We both learned it was better for both of us to tread lightly on politics.  We get along better now.  Really we get along great.  We even occasionally surprise each other about what we end up agreeing on.

Church is another area.  No, I am not saying teaching from the Bible should be censored because it might rub Democrats or Republicans the wrong way.  My Reformed Episcopal Church has a policy of at least one sermon each year on the sanctity of life.  I am saying political topics should be addressed carefully and selectively and not in a partisan manner.

That includes conversation after the church service.  We should want people of different political persuasions and parties to feel welcome.  Yes, someone at church might be flat wrong about an important political issue, but we all have areas in which we need to repent.  To so grow as Christian, we need to stay in a good church.  Love your brother/sister/neighbor and be forbearing and considerate so he will come back to church — and because it’s the right thing to do anyway.

Even in politics, partisanship should be given a rest at times.  I know that if there is another attempt to restrict beach access in my area, both Democrats and Republicans will once again work together to stop that.  And just like last time, I will give partisanship a break to join that effort.  On the national scene, it is good and wise to give credit to Democrat Senators Sinema and Manchin for opposing Democrat efforts to end or weaken the Senate filibuster.

Second, wise partisanship includes not being blind to problems in your own party.  In my younger days, I could be rather naive about assuming an official with an “R” after his name was probably a good man or woman.  I have since been cured of that.

It is important that the Republican Party puts forth good nominees who are at least somewhat faithful to the positive conservative values of the party.  So be active in party primaries and conventions (depending on party organization in your state) to nominate good people and, yes, defeat RINOs.  And if you don’t have much time or inclination to be active, at least become informed enough to vote wisely in party primaries.

By the way, the time for that is soon in some states.  The Texas party primary elections are on March 1st this year with early voting for a couple weeks beforehand.

Wise partisanship includes doing your part to assist your party to do right.  Just defeating the other party isn’t enough as we found out the hard way after 2010 and 2014, landslide mid-term defeats of Democrats that ended up bearing little fruit thanks to feckless Republican leaders.  Partisanship has to be more than just defeating the other guys.

I apologize if the above points seem obvious.  But we all need reminders.  I know I need reminding.   

So don’t be afraid to be partisan when the times demand it as now.  But be smart about partisanship as well.

By way, if you think I have been overwrought in these posts in saying Democrats have a dangerous totalitarian streak, perhaps you should think again — before it’s too late.  A lot of them would be fine with putting a lot of us in camps.

Defeating them is not optional.