Now he, too, has become a Republican. The party of Bill Clinton and Al Gore, he says, has moved too far to the left even for him. That's an ominous sign for Democrats. Critics may say Martinez is angry because his bid for a 10th term was derailed in the primary election this year. Martinez voted to ban partial-birth abortions and, more recently he supported ending the marriage penalty and death tax.
Critics say the split was over party loyalty.
Supporters say it was over extremism. Unless the Democrat leaders soften their stance, they will continue driving people away. Not that they aren't doing it already. Democrats have been defecting since the liberal wing hijacked the party in the 1960s. That's leadership, of a sort.