RNC Purity Test = Suicide Pact?

[babylonsister]

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_11/021203.php

RNC PURITY TEST = SUICIDE PACT?.... Washington Post columnist Kathleen Parker has been encouraged of late by what she sees as good signs for Republicans. She sees the leading political issues of the day -- health care, KSM trial, and global warming -- as "unpopular Democratic ideas," which in turn gives the GOP hope.

But that was before the "purity test" for the Republican National Committee came up. Parker sees it as a "suicide pact" to help "weed out undesirables from their ever-shrinking party."

In fact, the 10-point checklist proffered by Bopp and others is the antithesis of conservatism. As Kirk wrote in his own "Ten Conservative Principles," conservatism "possesses no Holy Writ and no Das Kapital to provide dogmata . . . conservatism is the negation of ideology: it is a state of mind, a type of character, a way of looking at the civil social order."

Each of Bopp's bullets is so overly broad and general that no thoughtful person could endorse it in good conscience. Some are so simplistic as to be meaningless. As just one example: "We support victory in Iraq and Afghanistan by supporting military-recommended troop surges." What does that mean? Do we support all troop surges no matter what other considerations might be taken into account? Do we take nothing else into account? Does disagreement mean one doesn't support victory?

Whatever the intent of the authors, the message is clear: Thinking people need not apply. The formerly elite party of nuanced conservatism might do well to revisit its nonideological roots.

Noting what a departure the proposed litmus test is from intellectual seriousness, Parker added, "When did thinking go out of style?"

I don't share Parker's policy preferences, but I would love to see prominent Republican leaders ponder why thinking is discouraged in contemporary conservative circles.

—Steve Benen

[sudopod]

1. Hopefully when this is all over

They'll be able to go buy their Big Tent at Dick's Sporting Goods.

[tanyev]

2. Kathleen, thinking went out of style in GOP circles years ago.

Why are you just now noticing?

[TheBigotBasher]

3. I have an element of sympathy with the "purity test"

but as usual the Republican right are getting it all wrong and will use this to move even further to the right.

There are always debatable issues, but a Political Party should have settled political positions. The electorate do expect a Party to deliver the agenda it set out. When it does not deliver, they tend to get kicked out. The DLC types have used this to move the Party further to the right. The Party does not get voted out for being too left wing, in fact with the exception of the Greens the Democratic left in America is equivalent to the centre right in Europe. Every European Centre Right European Party has moved further to the centre. Merkel has more in common with Obama than any Republican. British Conservative Party MP's on an individual basis helped campaign for the Democratic Party.

Parties should not have "purity lists" but they should have principles that guide them and a discipline in office. Watching our own Congressional representatives almost tear down every thing the Democratic Party worked for last year and as a result kick those who voted for a Democratic House, Senate and Presidency in the teeth.

On abortion, Catholics will always be against it. The settled position of the Democratic Party is in support of the right of a woman to choose. We should find a way to make them safe, legal but rare. That certainly does not mean that one of our own should push legislation that sends the rights of American women back to the dark ages.

On health care, the Democratic Party has always supported moving towards universal health care. Therefore those blocking or threatening to block even small baby steps towards that goal should indeed question their Democratic credentials. A few dejected Party hacks have managed to find themselves great power because the Republicans are in lock step with each other. This is bad Party discipline and divided Parties do not remain in office. In fact as a result of caucuses within caucuses the Democratic Party is showing itself to be in office, but not in control. This division may have raised the profile of people some Blue Dawgs, but it is their seats that are the first to fall.

On the economy, the Democratic Party should work for good jobs for Americans. It should seek to protect institutions such as Social Security and Medicare. So again, certain Senators who now want to outsource part of their job, (while still retaining full pay and benefits) should simply opt out of their job. The Democratic Party should not be about cutting pensions for old people.

If they want their agenda then they should fight to lead the Party. We have a Leader. 69 million voted for him. They sit in Congress, largely on his coat tails. Until they do that they are nothing but an indisciplined guerilla warfare unit that serves only to be an increasinly virulent cancer as we go into 2010.