Lookee what I found online: a new proposed doctrine from Jim Bopp Jr., a member of the Republican National Committee, which is officially entitled the “RNC Resolution on [Ronald] Reagan’s Unity Principle for Support of Candidates.” More direct sorts have dubbed it the “Republican Purity Test” since Mr. Bopp is proposing that GOP candidates for elected office check off which of 10 statements they agree with, knowing that failure to agree to at least eight will disqualify them from any RNC support, financial or otherwise.
The 10 points are:
(1) We support smaller government, smaller national debt, lower deficits and lower taxes by opposing bills like [President Barack] Obama’s “stimulus” bill;
(2) We support market-based health care reform and oppose Obama-style government run healthcare;
(3) We support market-based energy reforms by opposing cap and trade legislation;
(4) We support workers’ right to secret ballot by opposing card check;
(5) We support legal immigration and assimilation into American society by opposing amnesty for illegal immigrants;
(6) We support victory in Iraq and Afghanistan by supporting military-recommended troop surges;
(7) We support containment of Iran and North Korea, particularly effective action to eliminate their nuclear weapons threat;
(8) We support retention of the Defense of Marriage Act;
(9) We support protecting the lives of vulnerable persons by opposing health care rationing and denial of health care and government funding of abortion; and
(10) We support the right to keep and bear arms by opposing government restrictions on gun ownership; and be further
No no no. Too wordy. Let me pare that down a bit, make it leaner and meaner:
1) We agree to abandon our common sense, individual wills, and desire to do what is best for the American public, and mindlessly follow RNC leadership on every issue; and, when in doubt, automatically oppose anything a Democrat says, does, or proposes..especially if it’s that Obama guy.
The Irony Fairy obviously tapped this document with her magic wand, since there is also a passage that reads:
WHEREAS, the Republican National Committee shares President Ronald Reagan’s belief that the Republican Party should espouse conservative principles and public policies and welcome persons of diverse views…
Diverse views? You welcome them? Really?
I think this is a good point for this…
Interesting that this should pop up so soon after the GOP royally blew what should have been a slam-dunk victory in the recent special election for the New York 23rd Congressional seat by backing a third-party candidate over the registered Republican because the latter was not conservative enough (she then left the race and endorsed the Democrat). Shout-outs by the usual suspects (Rush, Palin, etc.) weren’t enough to buoy the non-resident non-interesting conservative-but-not-Republican candidate to victory over the Democrat, who captured a seat that had been held by the GOP for 160 years.
One hundred sixty years.
All flushed down the bog because the Republican wasn’t Republican enough by the RNC’s increasingly narrow standards.
That’s talent.
What’s particularly bothersome about this Republican Purity Test is not how it asks candidates to be good little cookie-cutter drones, but how it asks them to voluntarily reinforce the attitude that is impeding the country’s ability to move forward effectively on anything. If anything is steering the country in the wrong direction — to borrow a favorite GOP euphemism for “We’re bitter because we’re not leading the parade anymore” — it’s our elected officials’ slavish loyalty to party dogma and the entailing knee-jerk opposition to anything coming out of the…well, opposition.
(And yes, I am applying that to the Democrats too. They’re every bit as bad.)
I would like to offer up my own resolution for politicians to review, and my stipulation: if you can’t agree to every single one of these statements, you have no business in public service.
1 ) I support a government that is responsive to its constituents and honors the will of the voter, even if that will is contrary to my personal opinions
2 ) I will do my best to communicate the intricacies of an issue, in a clear and factually accurate manner that does not reflect my own subjective opinions, to my constituents so they may make informed decisions, and will actively seek their input before acting on a matter to ensure my vote reflects their will
3 ) I support a government that engages in efficient and responsible spending, and if faced with a choice between making personal sacrifices and placing additional financial burden on the public, I will make any and all reasonable sacrifices first
4 ) I will base my decisions on hard data, common sense, and above all, on what is in the best interests of all people; I will not automatically oppose an idea based on the party affiliation of the individual(s) proposing it and/or its disagreement with my own party’s philosophies
5 ) I will disregard any outside influence on my decisions by lobbyists, special interests, and the leadership within my own government; only my constituents may influence my vote
6 ) I will not hesitate to speak out against my own party — its leadership or its members — if I honestly believe they are not acting in the public interest
7 ) If I ever abuse the public trust and act in a manner unbecoming of my station, I will immediately accept full responsibility for my actions by resigning my office and relinquishing all claim to any perks or benefits I would otherwise be entitled to
8 ) If defeated in an election, I will honor the voice of the voters and gracefully accept that defeat; I will not re-enter the race under legally valid and ethically dubious conditions in the selfish interest of keeping my job
9 ) I will endeavor to recognize when and if I become ineffectual as a legislator, and when that time comes I will voluntarily bow out of the next election to make way for someone with new energy and ideas
Got any you’d like to add?
Tags: 2010 election, Barack Obama, Democratic Party, GOP
The views and opinions in the Enterprise blogs are those of the author and are not neccessarily shared by Falmouth Publishing.
I am disappointed in the people that listen to the ‘talking points’ and don’t realize they are being played. Rush, O’Rielly, Hanity, waving the flag and flapping their gums. “This is the best country.” – What the hell does that even mean?! Does it mean the United States are perfect and no longer need to become a more perfect union? That’s it? We’ve arrived.
Enjoyed the article – I wish people would start to understand the points you have made that seem like common sense but like Voltaire said “Common sense is not so common.”