For Some, Politics > Religiion

Several years ago, I was having a conversation with a couple of friends (S. and D.) in the parking lot of our LDS wardhouse after church one Sunday. D could not understand how S and I could vote for both Republicans and Democrats. S said "My political party is not my religion."

It offended D so much that I laughed at S's comment, I don't think he and I have talked much since.

(Incidentally, both are running for the Legislature this year. D as a Republican and S as a Libertarian.)

I was reminded of that conversation when I read this last week in the Tribune:

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., was invited by a fellow Mormon to give a fireside talk at an LDS stake center in Las Vegas last weekend and readily agreed to speak about his conversion to the faith and his belief in its gospel.
But when word got out that Reid was speaking, the reaction was so nasty the fireside was canceled for fear the meeting would turn violent.

Organizers of the fireside reportedly received e-mails and phone messages threatening that if Reid spoke before the congregation, they would heckle him inside the chapel and harass him with demeaning signs and slogans.

Those familiar with the planned meeting say his talk was not intended to be political, but only about his spiritual awakening and connection to the LDS Church.

Maybe it would be more acceptable to some of the more vitriolic church members there if they got Glenn Beck to speak in his place -- or, perhaps, the other Nevada senator: John Ensign.

Partisanship

The Third Avenue:

For some reason, I was a moderate Democrat when I lived amongst and worked for liberal Democrats in Massachusetts. I was also fairly moderate when worked for the DLC, although I strongly disagreed with their advocacy for the Iraq war. But living in Utah again has made me much more partisan, although I was pretty partisan from birth.

I think it is because the Republicans in power in this state--with a few exceptions--are really radically reactionary. All of the Congressional Republicans from Utah carry water for the radical presidency of Bush-Cheney, who has claimed an unprecidented [and unconstitutional] amount of executive privilege and power. Some--like Rep. Bishop and Sens. Hatch and Bennett--have placed this duty above those of their constituents. I dislike bootlickers of all stripes, and Clinton appologists are just as annoying to me [and dishonest] as folks like Hatch and Rep. Patrick McHenry.

For its part, the state legislature seeks to outdo their congressional counterparts in unconstitutionality, partisanship, and ideology over constituents.

I, too, have found myself getting more and more partisan over the years, but my views on most issues haven't changed significantly.

The first election I voted in (2000), my ticket was split 50%Republican/50%Democratic, including a vote for George W Bush. 2002 Saw me lean a little more Republican. 2004 saw me lean a little more Democratic (I wrote in Mickey Mouse for President). In 2006, I voted for exactly one Republican, and she lost.

I once considered myself a moderate Republican. Since early 2004, I've been a moderate Democrat.

-Bob