Like most military officers, most cops are conservatives. But just as military officers have been known to adjust their political ideologies so as to conform to those held by people who might assess their worthiness for higher rank, so too do police officers if such an adjustment suits their ambitions.
Witness George Gascón, formerly a deputy chief in the Los Angeles Police Department. Gascón left the LAPD in 2006 to become chief of police in Mesa, Ariz. In 2009, he was appointed as chief of the San Francisco Police Department. Earlier this month, departing Mayor Gavin Newsom named him as district attorney for San Francisco, replacing Kamala Harris, who was elected California attorney general.
In a move clearly calculated to enhance his prospects for reelection when his term expires, Gascón, who once described himself as a longtime Republican, has changed his party affiliation to Democrat.
From the San Francisco Examiner:
In an interview, Gascón told The Examiner he picked the political party “to fit my beliefs.” He said he voted for President Barack Obama, President Bill Clinton and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. “I’ve always voted for the person,” he said.
Yes, convictions are fine until they become a burden on your path to higher office, at which time they can be altered or shed altogether.
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