February 23rd, 2012
More DCGOP commentary...

The Folly of Principle Before Party By Mark Baisley (Chairman)
July 25th, 2011

The following is an excerpt from my TownHall article at:

http://finance.townhall.com/columnists/markbaisley/2011/07/24/the_folly_of_principle_before_party

 

I appeal to conservatives who are disappointed in Republican leadership to get even more involved with the GOP and to recruit your like-minded friends to join you in the struggle.


Republicans are at a natural disadvantage because we are motivated by open philosophical principles, whereas Democrats are motivated to defeat those damned, judgmental Republicans.  As a result, Democrats tend to reliably vote for their candidates no matter how they behave.  And Republicans will withdraw their support from impure GOP leaders, handing an unwarranted number of elections to the Democrats.


Along with my fellow officers, I have instituted the following three standards that seem to have cleaned up the town considerably:

  1. Operate a sound nomination process with fairness and integrity.  Confront bullies and keep them out of leadership.  Treat candidates with honor and respect.
  2. Be willing to debate internally, using the GOP Party Platform as the touchstone.  Understand that GOP membership sometimes serves to mask a patriotic heretic like abstract art can be a cover for an untalented painter.  We need to challenge bad actors, hold elected officials to account, and not be afraid of losing their membership.
  3. Once the party’s nominee is selected, close ranks and stand together against the enemies of freedom.  Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good when it comes to the party nominee.  Remain involved.  We cannot afford to lose a single conservative member in this unending struggle for our heritage.


The rallying cry of “principle before party” is a surrendering folly.  Buck up and integrate yourself.  Principle within party.  And the issue standard is the Republican Party Platform (www.gop.com/2008Platform).  Conservatives should read it and hold elected officials to it.


Tea Party activists, the Republican Party needs your direct involvement.  Maintain your independent voice, but register and participate as Republicans.  Elected officials won’t hear an outside voice nearly as clearly as they will hear an inside voice.  There is no home for you in the Democratic Party and America’s political system only functions well with a two-party process.


Just before signing the Declaration of Independence that began our journey of freedom, Benjamin Franklin said prophetically, “We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.”  Believe it.