Party Purity

So, there's going to be a Democratic Party primary election in Connecticut soon. Joe Lieberman, the incumbent, now seems likely to lose the party nod to Ned Lamont, who is basically buying the party nomination (after giving money to past Lieberman campaigns). His candidacy grows out of his opposition to the U.S. involvement in Iraq and Lieberman's support for it.

This is going to be the first of several big skirmishes in the Democratic Party over Iraq. The so-called "Left" or liberal base of the party, represented by many on the blogosphere, interest groups, and, arguably, the New York Times editorial and news pages is attempting to assert its power in several campaigns.

There is a similar struggle within the Republican Party. A so-called "conservative" group, the Club For Growth, is supporting opponents of G.O.P. incumbents in the primaries. It is targeting RINOs (Republicans In Name Only) for political extinction because they do not adhere to the supposed party philosophy of lowering taxes & spending, cutting government regulation, and supporting a strong national defense.

The concern over party purity is nothing new in American political history. There have been "boll weevils"-Democrats who opposed civil rights legislation, "gypsy moths"-moderate Republicans from Northeastern states, and more recently, Reagan Democrats.

The problem I have with parties basically requiring an ideological purity test is that it is inherently dishonest and deceitful, given how our political system now operates. In most campaigns, party platforms and TV commercials are worded in such a way as to appeal to the greatest number of voters. That's why John Kerry was branded as a flip-flopper-"I voted for the $70 million before I voted against it." If some Democrats are opposed to the Iraq policy and want to demonize and punish Lieberman for it by purging him, fine. If some Republicans want to get rid of incumbents who do not support every single tax cut proposal, fine. But say what you mean in no uncertain terms and then mean what you say when elected to office.