Quo usque tandem abutere, Peregrinus, patientia nostra? Quam diu etiam furor iste tuus nos eludet?
How long, O Wanderer, shall you abuse our patience? And for how long will that madness of yours mock us?
Since I posted a diary here on Kos describing myself as a Ben Tre Republican, I have had the leisure to consider some of the ensuing comments at length. Several people questioned my continuing affiliation with a political party that has distanced itself from me and from good sense over the years.
Many of the comments were couched in much the same accusatory tone as the Roman orator Cicero once flung at Catiline. That magnificent excoriation, with a minor modification, has formed the introduction to this diary.
I had three primary reasons for retaining my affiliation:
1. My original intent as a person intent on assisting the Party in destroying itself was to play the part of a sapper, helping to undermine the Party’s foundations by deliberately voting in primaries for candidates that I knew stood about as much chance of gaining a nomination as I had of being elected Pope. Failing that, my intent was to vote for the candidate least likely to cause harm to the Republic. Of course, once a nominee had been selected, I would vote for the Democratic opponent. Therefore, I voted for Gore in 2000, and Kerry in 2004.
My primary vote in 2008 was for John McCain, and my calculations held up until he was pressured into accepting Sarah Palin as his running mate. I’m not infallible, of course, and her selection was an unexpected move on McCain’s part.
2. My state, insofar as I know at this writing, does not allow Independents to vote for either GOP or Democratic candidates in primaries. An amount of inherent laziness must now be factored into the mix.
3. I have a certain filial devotion to my parents, who were also Republicans, so part of it is rank sentimentality that should be considered as a negative factor. In fact, when my father was in a coma in 2004 (from which he did not recover, and died after life support was removed) I attempted to revive him by telling that I intended to vote for Kerry. He did not attempt to strangle me.
Ideologically, I have been drifting somewhat Left since eighth grade. I have noted the collapse of the Republican Party into the morass of its extremist fringes over the years, and have also noted with some satisfaction the statements made recently that if Romney fails to win this November the Party may as well give up.
This may not be a bad thing.
If my memory serves me correctly, the Republicans originally arose when some of the younger members of the Whig Party grew discontented with the organization’s increasingly ossified positions. The GOP’s first candidate for President was a young lawyer and Congressman from Illinois – I think his name was Abraham Lincoln or something like that.
But the party of Lincoln has strayed, embracing Nixon’s Southern Strategy to gather in the old Wallace voters along with the John Birchers and other extremists. Now it stands foursquare against intelligence, critical thinking and tolerance of any kind – just look at the people on the Value Voters Summit’s guest list.
We must re-elect Barack Obama.
We cannot afford to let Romney win, or allow the GOP to gain control of the Senate or retain control of the House.
This will be my last election voting as a Republican.
I am a patient man, but even patience goes.