The shrinking conservative tent and the left foot of fellowship

by John MacBeath Watkins

Joe Dupree recently posted this on the WoodenBoat forum:

I used to be a conservative, and never really thought much about it, and pretty much always voted Republican. Somewhere along the line, probably before I actually started reading the WBF, (way back in the days of the old Kingdom of Miscellaneous), I started to question what I believed about politics and religion and culture. There was a growing disconnect between what I was hearing from conservative leaders (political and religious), and what I was seeing them do. When the disconnect got too great, I had to separate myself from the conservative movement. Actually, I didn't really leave so much as I got the left foot of fellowship from them. It started in 1991 or thereabouts when the conservatives said me and my kids were not a 'real family' because we didn't have a mother in the picture. Then I wasn't even a real Republican any more, just a RINO. And before I knew it, Sarah Palin was saying that I wasn't even a 'real American'. I ain't the sharpest tool in the kit, but even I can tell when I'm not wanted. So, I left.

 The only quibble I have with this is, Joe is one of the sharper tools in the kit.