Democratic and Republican Parties Have Inverted

Much of my life, I considered myself a Republican and moderate conservative. There were various reasons, but 3 important ones for leaning right were:

1. Anti-Communist, anti-totalitarian stance.
2. Valuing facts over feelings.
3. Not resorting to gloom-and-doom, America-is-a-disaster politics.
4. Stupid, self-indulgent threats and hyperbole.

25 years later, the parties have flipped. There is no global Communism, thankfully. But the American right is more authoritarian in sentiment than the left. And that was before Trump's love affair with Putin.

Facts over feelings? Watch this John Oliver clip. (Also, climate change, anyone?)

Glood-and-doom? Just contrast the two conventions. David Brooks (moderate conservative) goes into detail.

Threats and hyperbole? I used to choke when lefties would threaten to move to Canada if Reagan/Bush I/ Bush II were elected. Now the dishonorable right, the likes of Paul Ryan, defends blank-checkbook support of Drumpf with the justification that anything is better than Hillary. That's just a crock, whether you agree with her politics, or find her personally likeable, Hillary is centrist, safe hands. She may not inspire, but she won't crash the car.

Truth is, I felt this way before the Trump nomination. Just listening to Lindsey Graham or Mitch McConnell speak used to be enough to make me gag. And I thought putting Palin a heartbeat away from the Presidency was unforgivable for a generation. How ironic that they are the relative voice of reason in the party now, and a heartbeat away looks like a comfortable distance.

The Presidency is not a sporting event. Winning today, at all costs, is not worth any price.