Intellectual honesty needed now more than ever
What is the point of a political power if it is dedicated only to advancing the interests of a specific clique, and not the principles they allegedly hold?
If you are a conservative, the most important thing you can do is criticize another conservative or a Republican officeholder, if that criticism is merited. If you are a liberal, the most important thing you can do is criticize another liberal or a Democratic officeholder, if that criticism is merited.
What we need today is not more mindless drones going along with the party line, and we certainly do not need people abandoning their principles because a Dear Leader has come in and is trying to radically change the party and the principles it has advocated for decades.
We live in a time where negative partisanship is intense, and hatred of the opposing party is a strong disincentive to any criticism of people within our own party. How could we criticize and split the movement when the Republicans/Democrats are so terrible and our going to ruin the country, take away our rights, victimize and oppress our neighbors, and lead us into a Communist/Fascist dictatorship? What we often forget is that iron sharpens iron. We become better-equipped to argue and advocate for our own position when we are being intellectually honest.
But while we might really hate the Republicans/Democrats, defending bad behavior or abandoning your principles because you must support Dear Leader or oppose "the bad guys" is ultimately counterproductive. It hurts us politically with swing voters and even some on our own side. This is because if there is one thing that almost everybody hates, it is hypocrisy. Certainly, no one respects a hypocrite.
What is the point pf a party if it stands for nothing other than political power? What is the point of a political power if it is dedicated only to advancing the interests of a specific clique, and not the principles they allegedly hold?
Always remember that the Apostle Paul withstood the Apostle Peter to his face and then wrote about it in Galatians 2:11-21. If we can have apostles openly rebuking each other and have that rebuke recorded in Holy Scripture for us, why should political activists be afraid of opposing their own party, candidates or elected officials? If you are a Christian, would you not agree that the Church that has stood for 2000 years is more holy than any man-made political party that has existed for no more than 250 years?
None of this means you must have a "perfect" candidate if you are going to support or vote for that person. Virtually no one demands total perfection. That is a childish argument.
As I have said before, I have voted for candidates for elective office in 21 different general elections dating back to 1995. (The 2019 city election was canceled and there were no opposition candidates on my ballot in 2023.) In that time and dozens of candidates who got my vote, I have voted for a candidate I agree with 100% of the time exactly three times. Each time, I voted for myself. Even then, I knew I was voting for a flawed candidate because I know my own sins.
But what it does mean is that there may be candidates on your ballot from your own party who you cannot support for some reason. You are not being "disloyal" or "traitorous" to withhold your vote. It does not mean you are demanding "perfection." You will always vote for a flawed candidate, no matter who you vote for. But the most important thing you can do is be as intellectually honest and consistent as possible, while recognizing that compromises must occasionally be made. Be part of a party or a movement, but never part of a cult.