In his recent book, “Loyalty, The Vexing Virtue,” Eric Felton explores the “push and pull” of loyalty. Loyalty to a bad leader or organization can give loyalty a bad name. But there is no substitute for the right loyalty at the right time.

“As dangerous as loyalty can be, legitimate loyalty is essential to get anything done in an organization, whether a business or government bureaucracy,” Felton writes.

Especially in politics, where support is gained or lost based upon promises kept or broken, a reputation for being a disloyal politician can break a career. And a disloyal act can earn the betrayer calls of “ingrate.”

Jon Huntsman, the Utah businessman running for the Republican nomination for president, hopes to face incumbent Democrat Barack Obama in the general election. But in 2009, Obama nominated Huntsman to be ambassador to China, a post he held until a few months ago.

Running against the guy who gave you the best job of your life violates the oft-repeated political adage that “you dance with the one that brung ya.”

At 51, Huntsman could have waited until 2016 for his first White House bid. But ambition overtook him, calling his sense of loyalty into question.

Jason Altmire, of McCandless, ran and was elected to Congress in Pennsylvania’s 4th District in 2006. It was an accomplishment that required substantial support from organized labor. A registered Democrat, Altmire campaigned on a promise to support health-care reform, which clinched labor’s support.

But in 2010, given the chance to vote for health-care reform, Altmire vacillated publicly for weeks before voting with the Republicans and against the interests of his labor supporters. He narrowly beat Republican Keith Rothfus in 2010.

But Altmire isn’t out of the woods yet.

With congressional reapportionment (better known as “redistricting”) in the offing, and Southwestern Pennsylvania likely to lose a seat, not many Democrats seem enthusiastic about saving Altmire’s. Democrats feel betrayed and Republicans know that he can never be one of them — leaving Altmire as the man without a party.

In 2004, Rick Santorum, then Pennsylvania’s conservative Republican senator, supported Arlen Specter for re-election, Pennsylvania’s other Republican senator and a social liberal. As chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, No. 3 in the chamber’s pecking order, Santorum chose loyalty to his party over loyalty to his conservative base.

In 2006, when Santorum was seeking re-election, conservatives withheld their support and he lost to Bobby Casey, 59 percent to 41 percent. Now, as Santorum hits the campaign trail for the Republican presidential nomination, trying to rebuild his base, many conservatives still have not forgiven him.

And in the wake of any hotly contested election, in which loyalty had been demanded by the candidates, much loyalty is expected from the winner. When Rich Fitzgerald beat Mark Flaherty for the Democrats’ nomination for Allegheny County chief executive in the last primary, both candidates expected certain elected officials, political operatives and organizations to stand with them.

Fitzgerald won that race and those who stood by him will be watching to see if he stands by them in future contests, testing his loyalty. Candidates have already been shuffling about for the 2013 race for mayor of Pittsburgh, which will give Fitzgerald his first chance to show his stuff.

In politics, cynics shrug their shoulders when they encounter disloyalty. But loyalty still remains the benchmark of political character for many. As Felten says, “Loyalty demands that we make decisions that define who we are.”

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