Should Tea Party Groups Endorse Candidates?

Recently I talked about the need for the liberty groups (9/12, Tea Party, etc.) to think about publicly supporting like minded candidates; which would merely be the natural extension of their influence. I strongly suggested that the liberty groups require that any candidate seeking their support openly affirm their commitment to the liberty group’s principles/philosophies. Needless to say, I received several interesting e-mails.

Some felt that it would be a “betrayal” of the cause if they simple started to act like the “political machines” they detest. By no means was I suggesting that. It makes no difference to me, nor should it to the liberty groups, whether the candidates are attached to a political party or stand alone (although I tend to avoid Democratic candidates, in large part because the party platform does not come close to any of my core conservative principles, and by extension a candidate for that party would be ineffective). We have to be very careful not to dismiss an individual merely because of an established, political partnership.

I also was not suggesting that the liberty groups support “just one candidate.” If several candidates come forth that meet the principles of the group, than it is fine to support more than one candidate. This happens already, often because we find that groups create a rating system to assign to candidates. It is important to note that the group is not merely supporting a candidate, but willing to publicly stand with an individual who has pledged to support the group’s mission.

There are several methods a group can use to indicate which candidates best match the groups principles. The methods that can be used to grade a candidate can range from a simple report card style assessment, a “yes/no” survey, or a pledge or oath of adherence.

If the group has a list of principles, the group would merely assign a point system to each principle. The group may assign a higher point value to some of the principles, or even designate “deal breaker” principles (mandatory principles that must be agreed to in order to get the liberty groups approval). A list of principles provides both the group and the candidates the opportunity for flexibility, but still allow for clarity. A good example of this can be found in a recent undertaking from within the Republican Party:

Proposed RNC Resolution on Reagan’s Unity Principle for Support of Candidates

WHEREAS, President Ronald Reagan believed that the Republican Party should support and espouse conservative principles and public policies; and

WHEREAS, President Ronald Reagan also believed the Republican Party should welcome those with diverse views; and

WHEREAS, President Ronald Reagan believed, as a result, that someone who agreed with him 8 out of 10 times was his friend, not his opponent; and

WHEREAS, Republican faithfulness to its conservative principles and public policies and Republican solidarity in opposition to Obama’s socialist agenda is necessary to preserve the security of our country, our economic and political freedoms, and our way of life; and

WHEREAS, Republican faithfulness to its conservative principles and public policies is necessary to restore the trust of the American people in the Republican Party and to lead to Republican electoral victories; and

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; and

WHEREAS, the Republican National Committee desires to implement President Reagan’s Unity Principle for Support of Candidates; and

WHEREAS, in addition to supporting candidates, the Republican National Committee provides financial support for Republican state and local parties for party building and federal election activities, which benefit all candidates and is not affected by this resolution; and

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Republican National Committee identifies ten (10) key public policy positions for the 2010 election cycle, which the Republican National Committee expects its public officials and candidates to support:

(1) We support smaller government, smaller national debt, lower deficits and lower taxes by opposing bills like 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

RESOLVED, that a candidate who disagrees with three or more of the above stated public policy position of the Republican National Committee, as identified by the voting record, public statements and/or signed questionnaire of the candidate, shall not be eligible for financial support and endorsement by the Republican National Committee; and be further

RESOLVED, that upon the approval of this resolution the Republican National Committee shall deliver a copy of this resolution to each of Republican members of Congress, all Republican candidates for Congress, as they become known, and to each Republican state and territorial party office.

Another good example of a liberty-minded pledge is the one currently being featured at Laura Ingraham’s web site, which she calls “10 for 10:”

1) Taxpayers' Bill of Rights (TABOR). Limit federal spending growth to the percentage in population growth plus the rate of inflation; provide taxpayers the option of filing a post-card sized return using a low, flat tax rate of 15%

2) End Tax-funded abortions. Stop federal payments to Planned Parenthood and prohibit any taxpayer-subsidized health insurance plan from covering abortion

3) Defend American Borders. Complete America's border-protection initiatives using remaining funds from the so-called stimulus bill

4) King Dollar. Preserve a strong dollar so that Americans' savings aren't wiped out by inflation and the U.S. dollar remains the world's reserve currency

5) Empower American Business. Immediately slash corporate tax rates to 15% and scrap the capital-gains tax altogether

6) Defend America. Strengthen America to defend our homeland and fully fund an operational, layered missile-defense system

7) Statism Exit Plan. De-fund czars; immediately cease bailout payments to failed companies; ban future bailouts

8) End Generational Theft. As few believe America's entitlement programs will be able to pay benefits to future generations, provide younger workers the choice of diverting payroll/Social Security taxes into personal retirement accounts

9) Restore America's System of Justice. Introduce penalties for frivolous lawsuits, where those who launch unsuccessful lawsuits are liable for the defendants' legal bills

10) American Energy Independence. All-of-the-Above strategy that embraces alternatives, expands and accelerates exploration and production of oil and natural gas, and jumpstarts dramatic increases in nuclear power

Some groups choose to require the candidates to commit to a pledge. The difficultly with a pledge is that they often do not allow much flexibility; and maybe that is the desired goal of the liberty group. But we must remember that 100% agreement (even from within the liberty groups) is nearly impossible. The pledge should convey a commitment to the cause, but respect the fact that there may be a difference of opinion on how to achieve a shared goal. If the language of the pledge is too vague, no candidate will agree to it; if the pledge is too rigid, then the group should be prepared to having very few, or even no candidates taking the pledge. An example of a pledge that liberty groups should consider is a piece called the American’s Creed.

The American’s Creed was commissioned by Congress in 1917, and it is the combination of the Declaration of Independence and the Gettysburg Address, so it sets a liberty tone that has stood the test of time:

The American's Creed

by William Tyler Page

I believe in the United States of America as a government of the people, by the people, for the people; whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed, a democracy in a republic, a sovereign Nation of many sovereign States; a perfect union, one and inseparable; established upon those principles of freedom, equality, justice, and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes.

I therefore believe it is my duty to my country to love it, to support its Constitution, to obey its laws, to respect its flag, and to defend it against all enemies.

The American’s Creed is one of the strongest dedications to the virtues that made our country great. The Creed respects the understanding that we are a unified nation bound together by core beliefs, while at the same time declaring the importance of States’ sovereignty (the fundamental idea that many believe helps to ensure that government is closest to the people). The Creed is tight enough to repel those candidates that are not liberty minded, while being flexible enough not to scare high-quality candidates away.

Regardless of the type of oath a group opts for, it is important for the group to commit to paper the core principles that best represent their values. By providing a written declaration, the liberty groups will not only provide guidance to potential candidates, but the group will also have a foundational document that will always remind them of their commitment.

And to those candidates seeking the support of liberty groups; do so only if you intend to honor the groups cause, and not just for votes. As I have stated on numerous occasions, much of the liberty groups wrath is directed at those politicians they feel have let them down. Trust me when I tell you that you do not want to be added to that list.