dc0de wrote:

So, it seems to me that having an opinion that falls outside the party lines is "... simply isn't allowed in the Democratic party."

I can't even begin to describe how far off the mark this is. While being pretty much uniformly against the war is one thing that the Democrats agree on, there is a very wide margin as to degree and reasoning. In this case Representative Baird has taken a position that if the military aspect of the surge really is working, the cost of not seeing what happens is very high. I can understand that position, and at the same time have a very different opinion about it.

That (to use a Reaganism) "Big Tent" is not just related to the war but on pretty much every level. If it's a point people can have a reasonable disagreement about, and you can explain why you're positioning on one side or the other, then there's room. Where Baird is having issues with his constituency is his explanation is pretty light, and if he wants to keep them he's going to have to win them over to his side. This is in severe contrast to say Joe Lieberman, whose explanations have been mealy-mouthed crap at best, who if the majority in congress were another vote or two in the Dems favor, would likely have been ejected.

This is the reason I don't follow party politics, it's time for this country to find a better way to represent ourselves, because this polarized party system breeds a dangerous hotbed of thinking among the American people. Republican v. Democrat / Conservative v. Liberal, these are dangerous distinctions today.

Personally, my views are mostly moderate, however they can sway from far left to far right, depending on the issue. I want to be able to find someone that clearly represents my views. Of course that's not going to work all the time, but I'd like to actually vote for the best person for the job, not the best party.

Personally, I'm a a fiscally conservative social liberal. That puts me squarely on the Democratic side, because the other side blows through money like it were going out of style and tries to shove its Cromwellian agenda down my throat.

As Edmund Burke said, "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." Staying out is doing nothing and why I watch these things.

RE: Rep. Baird Gets Blasted for Iraq war views