Posted by
ARestlessMind on Monday, March 10, 2008 9:34:10 PM
Rampant Rationalization
Republican has become synonymous with conservative, even religious conservative, over the past three decades. Critics, liberals, progressives, Democrats or whatever, constantly attack "conservatives," pointing out any character flaw or mistake and crying hypocrite. Our defense has always been sinning does not mean we are hypocrites. It just means we are human. This defense was blown completely out of the water on March 4, 2008 in Texas!
Thanks to Rush Limbaugh and a few other talking heads, an unknown number of Texas Republicans voted in the Democrat Primary in an attempt to derail Senator Obama’s seeming juggernaut. Their actions proved that they at least are hypocrites. The rest of us, unfortunately, may be seen in a similar light.
Rush and others argued that Texas’s primary was "open." Meaning, anyone was eligible to vote in either primary, regardless of party affiliation. While it is true that prior party affiliation was not necessary to vote in either, there were several declarations at the top of the ballot. One states, "I am a Democrat and understand that I am ineligible to vote or participate in another political party's primary election or convention during this voting year." (Sample ballot, Dallas County Elections Department)
The person using this ballot was declaring himself to be a Democrat. He was not allowed to strike out the word Democrat. He was not allowed to write in "crossover voter!" He was not allowed to say, "Kings X, just joking!" He was, by using this ballot, lying as part of one of our most sacred rights and privileges. I am sorry, but that is not the way a member of the party claiming Judeo-Christian values should act.
I would like to think this was simply the result fear or frenzy over the challenge we face in November. However, I am afraid that like our elected officials, many of us are becoming hard to distinguish from those we allegedly despise. A liberal, progressive, secular Democrat would likely have little problem lying to further his party’s goals. Apparently, many so-called conservative, Christian, Republicans felt the same way.
It is, disappointingly, a sign of the times. Rationalization and situational ethics are the standards in the United States today. Politicians on both sides of the aisle can rationalize their ethics away. Regrettably, it seems many Christians can as well. If it furthers a cause that is RIGHT in our minds, we seem willing to bend the rules or simply lie to achieve that cause.
Critics of this article will undoubtedly argue no one really lied. No one really sinned. Simply using a tactic a Democrat might use to damage another party’s candidate is not wrong. It is just politics. In fact, it sounds like something Teddy Kennedy would endorse in a similar situation.
Thanks Rush!