Left and Right and Evidence-Based Policies

Pondering of a Sunday afternoon, I find myself recalling this part of a comment from Dan:

… imagine that the reverse were true, with Anchor Rising finding itself in a perpetually depressed conservative state hemorrhaging young talent as sympathetic right-wing candidates – endorsed by the AR staff – were overwhelmingly reelected season after season while nothing ever changed for the better. Imagine the cognitive dissonance progressives must feel every day waking up in Rhode Island and winning political victory after victory as the state falls further and further behind nationally.

It isn’t merely ideological fidelity that leads me to think this wouldn’t be the case with the Anchor Rising contributors.  I don’t know if it’s true of every single one of us, but there’s a strong strain of having once held different views, among conservatives of our stripe.  I know I once held every opposite opinion from those I now proclaim.

We’re conservatives, that is, because the evidence of reality has led us here.  We’re also kind of counter-cultural types, disinclined to toe a party line just because it’s our party.  So, if hypothetical conservative policies were failing Rhode Island as badly as actual progressive policies are failing Rhode Island, we’d be reevaluating our policy beliefs and realigning politically with people who might fix what’s broken.

I’m sure there are analogues on the Rhode Island Left.  They’re just kind of difficult to find.

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