A case FOR Partisanship

By David Sander

Republican's didn't lose Congress in 2006 because they were too partisan, they lost because they stopped being Republicans, tolerated incompetence and corruption for the sake of power and failed to keep their promises.

In fact, I believe that Partisanship is a good thing.

Political Parties are not social clubs. At least they are not supposed to be. Parties are supposed to be about shared ideas and values - they are supposed to believe in something.

Partisanship means that each party has its own ideas and values - and sometimes those ideas and values conflict. It's not a bad thing.

Post-partisanship is a washed out, bland amalgam of ideas pleasing everyone and standing for nothing.

Being a member of a political party is an act of commission to those values and ideas. People join a Political Party because they shared at least most of those beliefs and values. That's not to say every member agrees with every other member of their party - but there's set of shared beliefs.

Some folks claim that voters are sick of partisanship - and DTS (decline to state) is the fastest growing segment of the voter rolls.

But I'll think there is a different reason: voters are sick of politicians' who abandon principles in a self-absorbed quest for power. They are tired of politicians who fail to address critical issues. They are frustrated by "leaders" who talk a lot, but don't actually stand for anything.

Republicans don't need to be fence-sitters, side-liners or obstructionists - they need to engage the vital issues facing California using Republican principles, values and ideas.

Republican's didn't lose Congress in 2006 because they were too partisan, they lost because they stopped being Republicans, tolerated incompetence and corruption for the sake of power and failed to keep their promises. We don't need "post-partisanship" - we need relevant and effective partisanship. I know some of the lefties will get themselves all atwitter and start tossing "obstructionist" labels and ripe tomatoes at me. But I'm not advocating gridlock - I'd just like to see more elected officials with the courage of their convictions and fewer with a blue light special sale price.