Anti Orthodoxy

I hate orthodoxy.  I don’t like to be told what to believe, how to behave, what’s right and what’s wrong.  I like to think for myself and make up my own rules.

So with that context I read Fernando Ferrer’s comments this morning and had a knee jerk negative reaction.  For those of you who live outside of the NY metro area, Fernando (Freddy) Ferrer is the leading democratic contender in this year’s race for mayor in NYC.  Freddy said:

"I want to earn your support because I do believe, Democrats, I do believe this is the year we take back City Hall. This is the year we send the message coast to coast: It starts here in New York City. Then we go to Albany, and then we take back the White House for Democrats, but most importantly for Democratic values."

The problem I have with Freddy’s comments is that we have a person with Democratic values in City Hall right now.  Except he’s a Republican.  I don’t think electing Freddy Ferrer is the way to do anything good for the Democrats.  I think getting Mike Bloomberg to convert to the party he really belongs in, and once was a member of, would be a much better thing for the Dems.

Labels suck.  Liberal, progressive, conservative, right wing, republican, democrat.  I hate them all.  I prefer to look at the person and the policies.  I believe that the national Republican party is on the wrong side of most issues and that is why I am a Democrat.  But if they’d get on the right side of them, I’d be happy to call myself a Republican, as Mike did.

Fiscal conservatism and social pragmatism.  That’s my party affiliation.  Mike Bloomberg is a mainstream politician in my book and he’s getting my vote for sure.  And I don’t think it will have any impact on the Governor, Senate, or White House.

Said another way, if every Republican was like Mike Bloomberg and every Democrat was like Freddy Ferrer, I’d be a Republican.

#Politics