Psychologists call it "projection"

I’ve been highly critical of the Republican Party for not sticking to a constant political philosophy. Here is yet another example. The party is constantly looking for something negative to say about Democrats, but in doing so sometimes reveals more about itself than about its enemies.

“Hatch, 57, of Burnsville, has a history of bucking the party establishment that will control the convention this weekend. ‘Mike has burned a lot of bridges over the years,’ Democratic National Committee member Jackie Stevenson of Minnetonka said earlier this week.” (Bill Salisbury, “Front-Runner Hatch Has His Work Cut Out,” Pioneer Press, June 7, 2006)

I already know that Republicans are suppose to regard Mike Hatch as the spawn of Satan. But if Hatch is evil for bucking “the party establishment that will control the convention this weekend,” then is anyone that bucked “the party establishment that controlled the convention last weekend” evil to Hatchian levels as well?

This little email tells me that Republicans put party unity and uniformity above discussion and debate. Yet it’s hard to form any kind of unity behind principles that are easily sacrificed in the name of compromise and getting something done whether the “something” has value or not.

Hatch may be a bad guy, but how can Republicans label him evil for bucking a party that we have defined as our “worst nightmare”?