Bigotry, Democrats, and Kevin Nicholson
Bigotry is often associated with conservatives and republicans in general. Here's the definition of bigotry from Merriam-Webster:
obstinate or intolerant devotion to one's own opinions and prejudices
So bigotry has nothing to do with what you believe as mush as your tolerance or intolerance of those who believe differently. I think all of use have a bit of bigotry in our personality. In fact, I have a joke I have told for years that there are two ways to do things in this world: "my way and the wrong way". If you think that makes me a bigot, thank you for noticing. Keep in mind, it is just a joke.
Bigotry is so deeply associated with conservatives in our society that one of the synonyms of bigotry is illiberalism, the opposition to or lack of liberalism. But there is a great deal of bigotry coming out of Democrats, especially liberal Democrats, these days.
One of the greatest examples I can give you is an article by Wisconsin Republican Senate candidate Kevin Nicholson. In this article Mr. Nicholson discusses his being raised by a family of Democrats to be a Democrat. Through his life experiences Mr. Nicholson observed that in his opinion, conservative values were better for him. He didn't develop this mindset as a teenager trying to rebel against his parents but after critical thinking as an adult.
As a reward for his critical thinking and encouragement for his future success, his parents have turned their backs on him. They as Democrats are so bigoted they can not stand the fact that their son, who should be a Democrat in their mind, is running for Senate as a Republican. I was raised by Southern Democrat parents but they would have still supported me if I had ever been successful enough to run for Senate.
Give the article by Mr. Nicholson a few minutes of your time. If you live in Wisconsin, why not give Kevin Nicholson a little more time to see if he deserves your vote. I don't live in Wisconsin and know nothing about Mr. Nicholson, but I do admire his character for being strong enough to make the break from his parents. I just hope his parents come around at some point. It would be ironic if Mr. Nicholson's political career were successful enough that his Democrat parents were eventually invited to the induction ceremony for their Republican son to be the first president ever from the state of Wisconsin.
You just have to wonder just how deep their bigotry goes.
All issues of bigotry (which is rarely a one-street) aside, Nicholson seems to be more of a poster boy for conservative values than a potential political force in the U.S. Senate.
Full disclosure: I am a Wisconsin resident who frequently votes for Democratic candidates. I do, however, do my best to determine the comparative qualifications of candidates before casting my votes.
Nicholson's political experience appears to be confined to his early years. Unfortunately for his GOP candidacy, that experience was as a Democrat, prior to being "converted" to conservatism by his then future wife. (No pressure there.)
I am wholeheartedly for any candidate who shows genuine promise to represent the best interests of his or her constituents and the nation as a whole, but I have grown weary of those who aspire to high office citing their lack of experience and dearth political debts as their primary qualifications. I've seen how well the theory of being a political "outsider" has worked out in practice.
Bottom line for me: When I need a broken pipe fixed in my home, I call a licensed plumber. When I need broken political system fixed in Washington, D.C., I vote for an experienced politician.
Despite the source, I think that this is a fairly even-handed look at Nicholson's background.
https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/09/22/kevin-nicholson-wisconsin-republican-senate-2018-former-democrat-215631
Good article, thanks for recommending it. Nicholson probably is a long shot for this election but he is young and reportedly ambitious. Doesn't sound like the type to quit after one set back. A lot of people change as they get older, few would say they hold exactly the same ideas in their 40's as they did in their 20's.
Thanks again for the article. Often I have trouble reading complete articles on Politico because of the liberal slant, but I also have issues with some articles on Fox News as well. This article was well balanced.
Living in Wisconsin we have heard little about Mr. Nicholson's family contoversy.
His parents should hide their head in shame. Disowning a child over his beliefs is inexplicable. He is not a serial killer. Oh, wait, he is Republican....just as bad.
Strong convictions make for a good candidate. He obviously stands up for his beliefs.
I agree, their actions are not rational.