Many years ago, a very nice lady with whom I was having a political discussion announced to me, “I’m a Democrat.” My immediate response was, “By birth or by choice?”
It’s a relevant question for many Americans, as some treat party affiliation as if it’s akin to ethnicity. It can work like this: Their pappy was a Democrat, and their grandpappy was a Democrat, and their great-grandpappy was a Democrat, so they have to be one, too. This is despite the fact that the party has changed along with the generations. Their grandfather is gone — and so is the party which he once supported.











