One of the first things I sunk my teeth into when I left the Watchtower was national politics. For the better part of my life I considered national politics as a dirty, or unholy, thing entirely. I actually cannot remember a single positive thing said about politics during my childhood. Although, I remember a good portion of negativity. I bought into this black and white thinking for a long time. The choice was between completely removing myself from all national politics, even so far as to avoid holding an internal opinion about it, or succumbing to satanic, mind controlling Nationalism.
Why was there no middle ground?
Now that I am out I can see clearly that there is a middle ground within the political system and I'm sure the Watchtower is aware of this. If a Witness even gives a small amount of internal(mind) attention to national politics they are liable to end up sympathizing with the certain more "neutral" parties. Because of this the Watchtower then paints ALL politicians as scandalous and weak. They will actually pay attention to political smear media frenzies such as the Anthony Weiner scandal or John Edwards. The Watchtower will find any reason to smear them all. I remember as a child laughing with family and friends about the "feeble politicians" with their failed governments. Now, as I think back, I chuckle to myself because instead of being neutral, as we claimed, we were actually engaging in radical behaviour.
I remember, every now and then, hearing some thought control tactics being used on the podeum. An Elder or a CO/DO would exclaim to the audience, "Maybe we are rooting for a candidate (of whatever election was going on at the time) within our minds." And then he'd ask a follow up guilt question such as, "Would a true Christian with a neutral political position be rooting for any candidate? Would Jesus root for any candidate?"
These kind of guilt trips being given from positions of senior authority would effectively stiffle most people's dabblings into an actual political neutral stance.
-Sab