G.O.P. Considers ‘Purity’ Resolution for Candidates

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http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/23/gop-considers-purity-resolution-for-candidates/?nl=us&emc=politicsemailema3


The battle among Republicans over what the party should stand for — and how much it should accommodate dissenting views on important issues — is probably going to move from the states to the Republican National Committee when it holds its winter meeting this January in Honolulu.

Republican leaders are circulating a resolution listing 10 positions Republican candidates should support to demonstrate that they “espouse conservative principles and public policies” that are in opposition to “Obama’s socialist agenda.” According to the resolution, any Republican candidate who broke with the party on three or more of these issues– in votes cast, public statements made or answering a questionnaire – would be penalized by being denied party funds or the party endorsement.

The proposed resolution was signed by 10 Republican national committee members and was distributed on Monday morning. They are asking for the resolution to be debated when Republicans gather for their winter meeting.

The resolution invokes Ronald Reagan, and noted that Mr. Reagan had said the Republican Party should be devoted to conservative principles but also be open to diverse views. President Reagan believed, the resolution notes, “that someone who agreed with him 8 out of 10 times was his friend, not his opponent.”

Hence the provision calling for cutting off Republicans who agree with the party on seven of 10 items. The resolution demands that Republicans support “smaller government, smaller national deficits and lower taxes,” denial of government funding for abortion, and “victory in Iraq and Afghanistan.” It calls on candidates to oppose amnesty for illegal immigrants and repealing of the Defense of Marriage Act.

-snip holds a list of 10 requirements_
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pitiful

stupid

and amusing

[Speck Tater]

1. Good! The more people the Republican party excludes the smaller and more irrelevant it becomes. nt

[AlinPA]

8. When Olympia Snowe leaves the republican party I'll believe that they are becoming irrelevant.

The rest of them including Collins are already in tight with teabaggers. I don't hear anything in public about them wanting to get rid of any republicans except Gov. Crist.

[Cirque du So-What]

2. Well, it's official

The Repugnican party has been totally co-opted by elements of its nuttiest wing. They're scrambling to keep teabaggers in the fold at the expense of 'moderate' voices in their party. It's still an epic fail, as this 'purity ball' will drive out the only voices that are even marginally sane.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

5. Funny but true - the GOP has become one big purity ball

They're pledging their bodies to their Daddy, Ronald Reagan.

[hobbit709]

3. KO did one on that last night-Reagan would have flunked their test.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

4. RONALD REAGAN! RONALD REAGAN! RONALD REAGAN!

Do they really think that citing him three times will have his magic rub off on these idiots?

[Brewman_Jax]

6. Great idea

the republicans will become irrelevant and totally disappear when they find they can't find any candidates that can pass their "purity" test. Couldn't happen to a more deserving bunch of... :rofl:

[Barack_America]

7. Yes. This is something I really encourage.

The odd thing is how many Democrats/DUers recognize what this would do to the Republican party, yet turn around and propose the same thing for the Democratic party.

[derby378]

10. I cannot and will not apologize for asking folks to "DU" the Democratic Party

Any political party is what its active members make of it. And there is so much that is good, optimistic, and altruistic about the Democratic Party that I do not want to see that energy diluted by the forces of compromise, surrender, and apostasy.

That's why I want DUers to take more of an active role in their party. Two other long-time DUers had to kick my butt around a bit before I realized how important it was to get out there and get involved, and now I'm simply paying it forward. If someone doesn't like where the party is headed, I tell them to do something about it besides wring their hands.

[derby378]

9. The interesting thing about "Purity Control"

...is that while I agree that Democrats need to sit down and hammer out some core issues that we will not compromise on, there still needs to be a "big tent" approach towards Democratic outreach.

As far as elections go, we're dealing with newly-minted Democrats on the local, state, and national level who have admitted, to varying degrees, that they switched from Republicans to Democrats just so that they could get more votes. I made my shift on general principles and on the conviction that the national Republican machine had been taken over by those who did not have the best interests of the little guy at heart.

[Blue For You]

11. G.O.P. = Gang Of Puritans

:crazy:

[ensho]

12. and they are afraid of witches

poor things

[OffWithTheirHeads]

13. Cant they just practice abstinence?

Then their entire species can just die off quietly.

[TheCowsCameHome]

14. They're 99 44/100% idiots, so it should be easy.

Anybody remember that soap commercial?