It's time for this destructive meme about shutting up during elections to stop,

[tama]

86. Is it really?

Authoritarian bullies can and do ruin any party - political and other, but in bipartisan system both parties are big tents and the Republican party has also their libertarian / anti-authoritarian wing and tendencies. Which, as it seems, are now being largely purged out from the party and/or leaving. But the myth still lives among them that they are the "rugged individuals" of Wild Wild West and in their perception Dems are the commie control freaks of Big Bad Government.

For me, as a former member of a trotter party, among many things, it's been long clear that the age old tradition of sectarian divisions of Left are caused by centralist model of organizing, which by rule of thumb becomes ruined by power hungry authoritarian bullies competing for position at top of the hierarchy and then demanding blind unquestioning allegiance from authoritarian followers.