Mm. Good point, I suppose, though I think even in those circumstances it would be reasonable, in the absence of further evidence, for others (who did not know you) to suspect you of partisanship. And if one were fighting a mudslinging campaign and the other focussing on issues, and you consistently defended the former and attacked the latter, then the conclusion would be even more inescapable.

There's a lot to be said for neutrality. It keeps one out of the fighting, and gives one an air of moral superiority, if one so desires. And when one genuinely believes that neither side is right, then the fence is the only place to sit. What I've never been entirely comfortable with, in any of the imbroglios on which I've found myself on one side or another, is those people who claim the benefits of impartiality while actually fighting for a side.

In the next British election, assuming there is one (I no longer assume this as a matter of course), I shall probably be voting LibDem and criticising both Tories and "new" Labour. The advantage of this is that the same criticisms will do for both. :(