Choosing Sides

David Brooks on City Arts & Lectures said that he thinks most people choose political sides early in adulthood and just stick with the candidate who proclims to embody that label. I think he may be right. Especially after seeing John McCain (social conservative, has criticisms about the way Bush has handled the war on terror) and Rudy Giuliani and Arnold Schwarzenegger(socially liberal, supportive of the war) on the same stage. The new "BIG TENT" philosophy of the Republicans seems to be that you just have to answer yes to one of their platform points and BAM - You are Republican. Despite the fact that W. doesn't seem to follow all of his stated platform. And, maybe Nader is right...there isn't really that much difference between the parties. At some point, 40% of us decided we were liberal, and 40% decided they were conservative, so the parties really just have to pick up those 20% in the middle who haven't picked a side. I wonder what the parties would have to do to lose their bases (D- become pro-life? Sexually harrass an employee? R- support the rights of homosexuals to marry? Increase the size of government?). See? It's hard to shake the base. As long as they want to have a say in who governs, they won't vote for a 3rd party. So we hold our noses and vote for the candidate who is slightly closer to our stated side. Even if he is a "conservative" increasing the size of government, or a "liberal" signing a Defense of Marriage act. If only I knew enough about John Kerry to use him as an example, but you get the idea.