Democrats frequently disappoint me on environmental issues. Republicans rarely do. The reason for this isn't that Democrats are worse than Republicans on environmental issues—far from it. The reason is that I expect most Republicans to have no regard for the environment, so it's impossible for them to disappoint me.

We see similar apparent double standards on other issues such as hypocrisy and women's issues. The press and many of us have learned not to expect much out of Republicans, so it's hardly news when they vote against women's issues or are caught in another hypocrisy. Dog bites man vs. man bites dog and all that.

Of course, pride comes before the fall.

Judging from past voting histories in this nation, much of the voting public doesn't seem to understand this built-in bias of the media: why would they report on another violation of women's rights or another instance of hypocrisy when it's hardly news?

What's the answer to this? One answer is to make sure Republican friends and family are aware of each of these instances. Of course, it's important to do so in a way that doesn't turn them off, which will vary from person to person. Most of my friends and family members are quite willing to listen to my points without getting upset, but not all of them, so I tailor my message to my audience. That's the advantage of one-on-one conversations, and we need more of them.

So, next time you notice the double standard, accept it as a compliment to the Democrats, but fight against it nonetheless.