People, not parties

A Register-Guard Editorial
Published: Sunday, December 17, 2006

State Sen. Ben Westlund was elected in 2004 as a Republican. Now he's become a Democrat, after having attempted to run for governor as an independent. This may look like a betrayal to some in his Bend district, who thought they were voting for one flavor of senator but ended up with another.

But people didn't vote for a party. They voted for Westlund. Candidates wear party labels, not the other way around.

Party-switching is relatively rare. But party membership isn't like eye color - it can change. And occasionally, it changes while a person holds political office. Westlund says he's becoming a Democrat because he has grown uncomfortable with Republican positions on such issues as same-sex unions.

Oregon's most famous party-switcher was Wayne Morse, who ran a steeplechase over the political fences. Morse was elected to the U.S. Senate as a Republican in 1944. He declared himself an independent in 1953, and won re-election as a Democrat in 1956.

Even now, some long-time Oregonians regard Morse as a turncoat. But history has been kind to Morse's reputation, which stems largely from his willingness to place principle above party. Eugene's new federal courthouse is named for Morse, not for any of his opponents of either party.

The most consequential change of party in recent years came in 2001, when the U.S. Senate was split 50-50 between Democrats and Republicans. In June of that year, Sen. James Jeffords of Vermont shifted the advantage to the Democrats by leaving the Republican Party to become an independent. In recent decades, most party-switchers in Congress went the opposite direction, from Democrat to Republican.

In all these cases, an office-holder switches in an attempt to reconcile partisan affiliation with political principles. Representatives who are elected to exercise their judgment and apply their principles should always remain open to the possibility that their party label will no longer fit.

The voters are not betrayed when a politician moves from one party to another. A betrayal occurs when a politician's convictions dictate that he ought to switch, but he does not.