Principle vs. Party
Nov/04/09 07:46 AM
There’s all sorts of debate going on right now about the New York 23rd District election that takes place today and its effects on the Republican party and the 2010 midterm elections. 
In upstate New York Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman entered the election with the support of “tea party” supporters and gained unexpected support, appearing tied or ahead of his competition in the most recent polls. His soaring popularity lead to the withdrawal of liberal Republican Dede Scozzafava and her subsequent endorsement of Democrat Bill Owens. The previously boring race gained national attention when Republican heavyweights like Sarah Pailin publicly endorsed Hoffman over the Republican on the ballot. While many conservatives and Republicans rallied for Hoffman, Newt Gingrich warned that having a conservative litmus test for Republican candidates would only drive the party into obscurity and hurt its chances in attracting more moderate, Independent voters. Politico has a nice article today titled “Uncivil War: Conservatives to challenge a dozen GOP candidates” that speaks to the effects of this race on up and coming elections, as moderate Republican Senators and Representatives like Charlie Crist now face more conservative challengers backed by the tea party faction.
So, is this challenge from conservatives healthy for the Republican Party? Or will the tea party activists turn away the ever-important Independent voter and cement a Democratic U.S. government?
Conservatives have every right to challenge liberal to moderate Republicans and should continue to do so. The conservative principles in question here are winning positions both ideologically and with U.S. voters. Americans are fundamentally hesitant to allow Uncle Sam to stick his nose in their medical business and decide what type of medical care one may or may not receive. The same goes for European-style carbon trading and its subsequent astronomical effect on the already stretched wallets of ordinary Americans. Republicans strayed from their most basic party principles while in power over the last decade and paid dearly for their betrayal last November.
Why vote for a dishonest Republican who preaches fiscal responsibility while spending like a drunken fool when you could vote for a Democrat who will at least be honest with you in his desire to tax and spend on various social programs? A party that comes to be defined by hypocrisy or blurred ideologies cannot campaign or govern effectively. Unconventional political players who are appropriately enraged at past and present spending habits are performing their duty in standing up for principle over party and challenging what has become the status quo over the past years. If a Republican is so willing to sacrifice his supposed political beliefs for the sake of the letter R on a ballot, as Mr. Gingrich and other crooked Republican Party leaders are, one must question the genuineness of their positions. It’s time for the Republican Party to reinforce its most basic values and drive a disciplined, consistent punch to the ongoing and upcoming political fights that have the potential to drastically alter the shape of American government.
In upstate New York Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman entered the election with the support of “tea party” supporters and gained unexpected support, appearing tied or ahead of his competition in the most recent polls. His soaring popularity lead to the withdrawal of liberal Republican Dede Scozzafava and her subsequent endorsement of Democrat Bill Owens. The previously boring race gained national attention when Republican heavyweights like Sarah Pailin publicly endorsed Hoffman over the Republican on the ballot. While many conservatives and Republicans rallied for Hoffman, Newt Gingrich warned that having a conservative litmus test for Republican candidates would only drive the party into obscurity and hurt its chances in attracting more moderate, Independent voters. Politico has a nice article today titled “Uncivil War: Conservatives to challenge a dozen GOP candidates” that speaks to the effects of this race on up and coming elections, as moderate Republican Senators and Representatives like Charlie Crist now face more conservative challengers backed by the tea party faction.So, is this challenge from conservatives healthy for the Republican Party? Or will the tea party activists turn away the ever-important Independent voter and cement a Democratic U.S. government?
Conservatives have every right to challenge liberal to moderate Republicans and should continue to do so. The conservative principles in question here are winning positions both ideologically and with U.S. voters. Americans are fundamentally hesitant to allow Uncle Sam to stick his nose in their medical business and decide what type of medical care one may or may not receive. The same goes for European-style carbon trading and its subsequent astronomical effect on the already stretched wallets of ordinary Americans. Republicans strayed from their most basic party principles while in power over the last decade and paid dearly for their betrayal last November.
Why vote for a dishonest Republican who preaches fiscal responsibility while spending like a drunken fool when you could vote for a Democrat who will at least be honest with you in his desire to tax and spend on various social programs? A party that comes to be defined by hypocrisy or blurred ideologies cannot campaign or govern effectively. Unconventional political players who are appropriately enraged at past and present spending habits are performing their duty in standing up for principle over party and challenging what has become the status quo over the past years. If a Republican is so willing to sacrifice his supposed political beliefs for the sake of the letter R on a ballot, as Mr. Gingrich and other crooked Republican Party leaders are, one must question the genuineness of their positions. It’s time for the Republican Party to reinforce its most basic values and drive a disciplined, consistent punch to the ongoing and upcoming political fights that have the potential to drastically alter the shape of American government. |