Switching parties: like changing genders?

by Bob Shirtliffe

I haven't chimed in on the Paul Froehlich party switch, and I'll admit I don't know the State Rep personally, but as an outsider, one can't help but note how much this party switch is like a sex change.

My transgender friends tell me that before they underwent the surgical operation and changed their birth certificates from "male" to "female," they dressed like the opposite sex for a longtime beforehand.  As a man, they pretended to be a woman, and experimented with women's clothes, makeup and hair, to see if they liked it.

If they did, they went another step further and began taking hormones, and their appearance began to change.  They didn't have to shave so often, their voices grew higher, and their identifying body parts began to mutate.  Gradually, they made the change permanent.

How similar is this to Froehlich's party switch? 

Evidently, all this time, Froehlich was a Democrat in a Republican body.  He was dissatisfied, and felt insecure, unfulfilled.  He sought relief.  He began pretending to be a Democrat by voting wrong on important Republican issues and wanted to find his way into a body where he'd feel more like what he desired to be.  Finally, just this week, the good rep outted himself as a Democrat with a complete voter registration identity shift. 

Froehlich is no longer an "R".  He's a "D."

Point is -- the public announcement doesn't change Froehlich.  He's still Froehlich.  It's how people view him now that makes all the difference.  And with this week's switch, there's no going back.

Good luck in your new life, Rep. F.  The grass is always greener on the other side.   

Comments

[Don Castella]

Since Rep. Froehlich has often waxed biblical, I thought it fitting to offer this scriptural admonition:

2Co 6:14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?

Eph 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

[Noel]

He (Froehlich) is what people hate about politicians.

[Jerry]

When someone goes the 180, I always wonder: were they lying before, or are they lying now?

Well, Paul, which is it?

[Sue]

What about Bassi?

[PhilCollins]

Besides Bassi, other republican state reps. are at least as liberal as Froehlich, including Beth Coulson, Pat Lindner, Mark Beaubien, Sid Mathias, Rosemary Mulligan, Skip Saviano, and Renee Kosel. All of them should have conservative primary opponents. That would probably encourage more conservatives to vote, in the primary, and help conservative candidates for president and the U.S. Senate.

[Fran]

Phil,
Check out the URF's mid-session report card on Renee Kosel. I think you'll be surprised how well she votes on conservative issues. Just an FYI.

[John John]

With all due respect to the author, Paul Froehlich has been a pretty conservative vote in Springfield. Obviously, you know little about the subject matter at hand.

If Paul thinks he was out of place with the GOP, wait until he spends his first few weeks with the Democrats. He's pro-life, pro-gun, fiscally conservative.

And if the author knew anything about Paul Froehlich, they would know that he made the switch, not on principle, but to advance his own well-being. Meaning that he is trying to save his own skin, while trying to make sure his friends and family get state government jobs. Just like he did when he became a GOP committeeman in 1998.

He voted for DLs for illegals and had a couple of other strange votes, but for the most part he was a solid Republican vote.

In the future, you shouldn't write about people you don't know or on subject matter you know little about.

Maybe your next piece should be on transgendered individuals...

[Jerry]

JJ, it sounds like we have Froehlich pegged pretty close: a corrupt politician without any discernable ideology who will pander and vote as benefits him personally.

No argument here, I don't think.

[Bob]

"Switching parties: like changing genders?"

Well, there have been a few cross dressers lately.

[Jerry]

All right, I have come back to IR several times since the photoshopped cross-dressed picture was up, and I have to say two things:

- this is pretty rough stuff, and quite amusing to me, since I like rough stuff, and

- Paul/she has great legs.

[Winston Smith]

"And with this week's switch, there's no going back."

No going back? I must disagree. Winston Churchill switched parties, twice, and wound up Prime Minister and adored by many who condemn party-switchers as traitors.