Can I work for a Republican

[Andrew Fletcher]

I'm a college student, so all of this should be evaluated in terms of future career options.

I'm a fairly liberal Democrat. I'd like to change the world, but I also need to make some money in the future. I want to work in politics. I've worked for labor unions, elected officials, and several non-profit organizations.

I have an opportunity to work for a moderate Republican who is being challenged by a right-wing nutcase in a primary. The district is solidly conservative and a moderate Republican is the best possible option for that seat. The challenger hates everything I hold dear. Seriously.

If I worked on the campaign, I would have fairly high access to the candidate and could potentially play a positive role. Obviously, this would be a big deal for a college student and I might have a lot of doors opened for me.

However, I am worried that working for a Republican will hurt my future chances for employment. While I'm not a hardcore radical or anything, I do have some ideology. I can't be a Dick Morris or anything like that.

What do you folks think? In particular, what do people who actually work in politics think?