Ex-Washington D.C. mayor Marion Barry.
Ex President of the United States George W. Bush.
Flip sides of the same coin. And proof positive of the nature of politics in America: tribalism.
I'm voting for the candidate who is most likely to be for me. I'm voting against the candidate who is most likely to be for you.
The competence of the opposition isn't particularly relevant. Even if the guy who is for me hasn't done a good job, I'd rather vote for him than the apparently competent guy who is for you.
In fact, a scoundrel, crook or idiot who is for me is better than a righteous, intelligent go-getter who is for you. Flaws in the candidate who's for you are crucial; those same traits in the guy who's for me might be virtues. If they're not virtues, they're forgiveable, and I'm mad at you for bringing them up.
Even if the guy who's "for me" isn't really for me; even if he's really for himself and his cronies, if he's willing to publicly accept the label of being for me, he's a better choice than the guy who's for you.
I'm horrified that people like you would continue to vote for guys like your guy despite all the evidence that he is the wrong man for the job. In fact, you must be stupid or worse to continue to support the likes of him. Meanwhile, I'm going to continue to vote for my guy, pretty much without any regard for what you might say or show about him.
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All of that, by the way, is fine, to a point.
Where is America, in relation to that point?
To be continued . . .
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