I follow politics avidly. I like sensible people of all

"I follow politics avidly. I like sensible people of all political persuasions. My ideal political party would be a pick and mix." Thus spoke Alexander Armstrong, with humor and clarity, pointing to a wisdom that transcends factions. His words reveal the folly of rigid allegiance: that truth is not the property of one banner, nor virtue confined to a single creed. The wise do not worship a party, but seek the sensible, wherever it may be found.

The ancients, too, knew this. In the councils of Athens, factions fought bitterly, yet the survival of the city often depended on gathering the best voices from opposing camps. Solon, the lawgiver, was revered not because he championed one side alone, but because he balanced the many, tempering the extremes. True politics is not blind loyalty, but the art of weaving harmony from discord.

History offers us the example of Abraham Lincoln. His “team of rivals” was composed not only of allies, but of opponents, men who once despised him. Yet he gathered them into his cabinet, knowing that wisdom lay not in one narrow path but in the blending of perspectives. By this "pick and mix" of talents and views, he steered a nation through its darkest storm. His genius lay in loving the sensible, not merely the loyal.

So too did Winston Churchill embody this truth. Cast out of favor by his own party, he stood alone against the rising threat of tyranny. Later, in the crucible of war, he drew strength from unity across party lines. The salvation of Britain came not from one camp, but from the courage of men and women willing to cross barriers for the sake of survival.

Therefore, let this lesson endure: do not chain yourself to faction, for truth is larger than party. Seek out the sensible, honor wisdom wherever it dwells, and gather strength from diversity of thought. The ideal party, as Armstrong declares, is not built from uniformity, but from the courage to blend the best of all. In such harmony lies the true spirit of politics—not conquest, but cooperation, not division, but the common good.