I See Hypocrisy

I remember in 2008 and 2012 when Super Tuesday came around. Being in GA, it was a question of which Republican would get the most votes as there are few Democrats in state outside the metro Atlanta, Macon, or Savannah area. After all, GA wanted to be part of the GOP nomination process and it is a big, big deal.

So in 2008 and 2012, there was a lot of talk about Democrats crossing over to vote to vote Republican to help an "easier" candidate get the nominee in hopes of helping the Democratic nominee come the general election. I remember Shawn Hannity and (I believe) Rush Limbaugh talking about it. It was all the buzz locally as anyone who didn't support ordained GOP front runner was labeled as a suspected RINO or, even worse, a Democrat doing the damnable crossover voting.

As I was talking to a friend yesterday -- who happens to be strong Tea Party -- he suggested that if there is a GOP leader of significant numbers by the time Super Tuesday comes around, he was going to vote in the Democratic primary. Even more amazing, he was going to vote for Bernie Sanders.

After I picked myself off the floor, I asked him if he had been drinking or recently had a serious head injury.

"No," he said. Then he smiled. "I just figure I will vote for Sanders hoping to make one more tick for the Socialist will make Hillary move further left so the Republican can get elected in November."

"Wait," I told him, "Didn't you say this was wrong for the Democrats who did that in 2008 and 2012? Why are you now doing the very thing you said was wrong for them?"

"Because this is too important. We must stop the liberals from destroying what is left of our country and if this is what it takes to do that, then we have to do it. This is my patriotic duty and any real American would do the same." He was dead serious.

"But don't you think it is hypocritical to condemn the Democrats who did that but you do the same?" Now I knew this question would never phase him but I thought I'd try.

It didn't work. Patriotism. Communism. Liberals. Taking our country back. Muslims. Socialists. There were other words he threw into the next 2 minutes of his speech. I'm sure you've heard them all before so I won't bore you with the full text. The rant was predictable.

Hypocrisy only exists for the other side.

Pharisees never see it  in themselves.

Update on "In God We Trust" Stickers

This updates my previous post about the placement of "In God We Trust" stickers on the sheriff patrol cars in my county.

I read the NY Times article about these stickers in the adjoining county to mine. After reading it, I'm certain -- 100% certain -- the stickers are intentionally placed on these sheriff department cars as: 

1. An explicit faith statement.
2. A very narrow theological view.
3. A vote pandering play.
4. An example of manipulating people who really have very little training in history.
5. A dangerous step that erodes the wall of separation between church and state.
6. Something that will be quite a political and legal fight one day.

Although I am not a member of FFRF, nor really even support their shotgun-style blasting with lawsuits, I do believe this quote is completely accurate:

“This motto has nothing to do with the problem of police forces’ shooting people, but it’s a great way to divert attention away from that and wrap yourself in a mantle of piety so that you’re above criticism,” said Annie Laurie Gaylor, a co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, a Wisconsin-based group that has demanded that law enforcement officials stop exhibiting the motto. “The idea of aligning the police force with God is kind of scary. That’s the first thing you’d expect to see in a theocracy."

Yep. That's exactly right.