In this week’s column I am going to take shots at lots of locals (many who are friends), including family and a whole bunch of state and national figures. Yeah, I’m what you call a true  blue masochist.

Several years ago, when Wife Patti was the  Republican chairperson of the Walworth Republican Committee, she denigrated a local board member for refusing to follow the Party line and support the party chosen candidate. The board member instead supported another person he felt was a better choice. How dare he?

I told her I thought it was a person’s political decision based, not on Party loyalty, but rather their decision as to who they thought was the better candidate.

Her argument was it was okay to vote how he felt, but as a member of the committee, he should follow the party line

At first, she refused to budge on her disdain of a personal choice. She felt the Party knew best and always chose the best person for the position. Over time she began to see how party loyalty can be deceptive and contrary to logical thinking.

This past week after a county board meeting, a supervisor mentioned he was upset about the pre-meeting Republican caucus, where most decisions are made before the public can view their impartial (?) decisions. Apparently the supervisor felt that all Republicans should follow the party line and show a united front. Mind you, there currently are only Republicans on the Board of Supervisors, so therefore no real disagreement should be displayed in public.

Yeah, those pre-meeting meetings are closed to the public and press, but that is a problem to be fought at another time. Privately there are a number of County Republican members who think Congresswoman Claudia Tenney is a true blue red idiot, but support then they her in public before entering the voting booth.

The same goes for Trump and his pack of lies. The loyalists are loyal to the max, while those who challenge Trump’s sanity and policies soon learn the Party Line is above all.

I was a Republican of a different color. I refused to follow the party line and was soon chastised for my outward writings.

Republicans sought revenge on so many levels as often they do. The Times was no longer just a newspaper with an editor who disagreed with the Party, but an anti-Republican media.

It didn’t matter that the paper was neutral on press coverage, but opinion on a columnist was verboten?

I left the Republican Party due to these loyalty disorders, even though I support many of the old party’s views.  Over the years I have heard from many who did the same and some who stick with the republican moniker, but think contrary to the party line.

Yeah, it cost some subscribers and town and village support, but I can live with that.

Now, let’s get down to LOYALTY Disorder.

Loyalty is defined as the quality of being loyal or faithful to someone or something.

Disorder is defined as a state of confusion. As a verb, the definition is: disrupt the systematic functioning or neat arrangement of: "they are disordering the political landscape".

Don’t get me wrong, LOYALTY Disorder is not exclusive to Republicans, it just defines the Party stance on supporting candidates they wouldn’t otherwise touch with a ten foot pole.

You can call the competition within the Party all sorts of names and denigrate them and their family and policies. You can berate them to the max...but when the chosen one is elevated, all sins of the past are forgiven, if not forgotten, and the win is more important that character.

Yes, overlook the prejudice, the immoral statements, voting blockades, the challenge to democratic principles, even actual laws. When the Party chooses, all is forgotten, we just move on to victory, which is the principle goal of this so-called democratic system. 

Sounds a bit dumb when you break it down, this Loyalty Disorder.