I’m going to tell you a dirty little secret about politics: There are Democrats that are against abortion and Republicans that are pro-choice. Now of course I’m talking about the voters and not the politicians because even if the politicians felt that way, they couldn’t say so in public if they wanted to continue their political career.

Take the case of former Omaha Fire Chief and current State Senator Mike McDonnell. He was recently censured by the Nebraska Democratic Party because of his votes on abortion and transgender issues. The Senator said he voted for tighter abortion laws and against transgender care for children based on his strong Catholic faith. McDonnell’s votes went against the Democratic Party platform and therefore the party showed their disgust by censuring the Senator. A censure is the political equivalent of slapping McDonnel on the wrist. The party told McDonnell he was a bad boy for voting his conscience.

My younger readers might find this hard to believe but there was a time when Democrats won statewide races in Nebraska. The last Democrat to hold a major position in the state was Senator Ben Nelson. And guess what? Ben Nelson was a pro-life Democrat. Yes, it was a simpler time back then when a politician could take a position that was contrary to the official party stance and still get the support of that party. Those days are long gone. Nuance is no longer allowed. Tow the party line on the litmus test issues or get out.

But it’s not just the Democrats. Can you think of a pro-choice Republican politician? I can’t. The closest I can think of is Steve Forbes. Forbes ran for the Republican Presidential nomination in 2000 and said that, although he personally was pro-life, he supported a woman’s right to choose and felt that abortion should remain legal. He believed that you should educate to stop abortions; not legislate. You haven’t heard from Steve Forbes since. Like I said, there is no room for nuance or common sense anymore when it comes to politics.

Now I’m not here to debate the abortion or transgender issues, I am here to say that I think you should look at the total policies of each candidate. You should look at the moral qualities of each candidate. You should ask yourself if you believe a candidate to be honest and trustworthy. No vote should be based on just one issue used as a litmus test.

Now if Mike McDonnell decides to run for mayor — as many believe he will — personally, I won’t vote for him. But that’s not because of his vote on transgendered issues or abortion. I wouldn’t vote for him based on his actions as the head of the fire fighter’s union when he negotiated a contract that almost bankrupted the city. I wouldn’t vote for him based on the arrogance he showed as the fire chief for the city. I know a lot of people who like Mike McDonnell. I don’t happen to be one of them.

However, that doesn’t mean I think the Democrats should kick him to the curb. McDonnell has a strong pro-labor record. He’s the head of the Omaha Federation of Labor AFL-CIO. He has voted with the Democrats in the officially nonpartisan Unicameral the vast majority of the time. All things that traditionally would have endeared him to the party.

If he runs for mayor, it will be a competitive race that he could possibly win. But even though the Democratic Party is weak in this state, without their support it will make it harder for him to become Omaha’s next mayor. Especially if Jean Stothert decides to run for reelection.

Life is complicated, and contrary to what some would want you to believe, not one political party or candidate has all the answers. No politician, or for that matter, no person should be judged solely on one issue.

Nebraska needs to have two strong political parties. What the state Democratic Party did to Mike McDonnell weakens the party statewide. Accepting McDonnell’s vote would have shown that there was room for a pro-life Democrat … you know like back in the day when Democrats were still winning statewide offices.

Tom Becka is a long time Nebraska broadcaster who for over 30 years has been covering Omaha and Midwest issues on both radio and TV. He has been a guest on numerous national cable and news shows, filled in for nationally syndicated talk radio programs and Talkers Magazine has recognized him as one of the Top 100 talk show hosts in the country 10 times. Never afraid to ruffle some feathers, his ‘Becka's Beat’ commentaries can be found online on Youtube and other digital platforms.