Hoosier superdelegate Joseph Andrew, as all political junkies know by now, has violated the rule of sticking with the one you brought to the dance and ditched Hillary for Barack. Lots of people have lots of things to say about that, so I'll just remark on his unintended perfect description of what the Democratic Party is about these days:
Here is my message, explained in this lengthy letter that I hope is perceived as a thoughtful analysis of how to save America from four more years of the misguided polices of the past: you can be for someone without being against someone else. You can unite behind a candidate and a vision for America without rejecting another candidate and their vision.
Well, no, you can't. Your aren't for one person and against another; you listen to their ideas and visions. Some ideas are right, and some are wrong. Some visions make sense, and some don't. You accept the right and sensible, which means rejecting the wrong and nonsensical, even if that means rejecting (hurting the feelings of) the people who insist on clinging to the wrong and nonsensical.
How could anyone -- indeed, millions of anyones -- think like this? Well, it's easy:
The difference between the Republican Party and the Democratic Party is that you are always welcome in the Democratic Party.
Because Democrats don't care if you are black or white or brown or a nice shade of green, you are welcome in the Democratic Party.
We don't care if you pray in a church or a synagogue or a temple or a mosque, or just before math tests, you are welcome in the Democratic Party.
We don't care if you are young or old, or just don't want to tell your age, you are welcome in the Democratic Party.
We don't care what gender you are, or what gender you want to hold hands with; as long as you want to hold hands, you are welcome in the Democratic Party.
We don't care about the size of your bank account, just the size of your heart; and we don't care where you are today, just where you dream you want to be tomorrow.
Notice the superficial diversity valued here -- what people look like or how much money they have or what age or gender they are. Not a single thing about what they might think. OK, I'm old and white and middle class and Midwestern. Am I an acceptable Democrat? That tent got enough room left in it? OK, fine. I also believe in a limited federal government that leaves me alone and doesn't spend too much of my money, and I value individual responsibility over group identity. Hello? Still there? Can you hear me now?
