Next weekend the Republican faithful of California will descend upon San Francisco for our spring convention. In the last few weeks, delegates have been treated to a deluge of emails and letters encouraging us to vote on leadership positions and various issues coming before the convention. All the matters we will consider are very important not only to the future of our party, but our state. However, the most important matter we will debate is the content of our party platform.
A party’s platform is its heart and soul. It is what unites a diverse group with various interests towards a common goal. Based on a platform’s content, and the adherents’ fidelity to its content, voters are drawn to political parties. The ability to clearly and succinctly communicate our Republican platform is what made President Reagan our finest spokesperson.
When it comes to governance, debates over ideology and political philosophy will inevitably produce heated arguments. Consider the founding of our nation. While all of our Founding Fathers shared the common vision of free and united states, the debates over the document that would bind the nascent republic were incredibly intense. These brave men had pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor to a cause greater than their individual comfort or prosperity.
The Republican Party has long been the group of citizens that protects and promotes not just a free market, but the moral foundation upon which our country was established. Unfortunately, there have been attempts to remove the “divisive” planks of the platform that deal with such “controversial” issues as personal morality. Our party must defend these indispensable principles.
There have been arguments that the California Republican Party platform should only deal with economic and national security issues—we need to eject all those pesky parts about family and abortion. This would essentially gut our party and move us closer to a ditto-Democrats platform. Those who want to remove the moral fiber from our platform falsely argue that it causes us to lose elections when we’re so divisive. In fact, it is when we stray from our core principles that we lose elections. Voters are yearning for elected officials that stand for something.
We could approve a party platform that only promotes economic issues. But as history has taught us, a free market unfettered by morality will inevitably lead to tyranny and corruption. Abortionists make good money—but they are violating the most basic moral belief of all: life is precious and deserves our ardent protection. Corporations lead our economy, but as myriad recent scandals have proved, without ethical leadership, companies crumble. And national security is a moral issue—defending freedom and life is our duty.
Creating a state in which families can flourish—by protecting traditional marriage, the innocence of children, and unborn life—is our party’s highest calling. Families are the cornerstone of our society. These are the issues that should define us. Dumping the planks of our platform that define the distinct difference between Republicans and all other parties will lead to a soulless party adrift in the tide of political correctness.
We should hearken back to the Republicans’ first party platform of 1856 that argued for the abolition of slavery. For Republicans, it was a moral issue, not simply one of economic interest. In fact, it was probably argued that it would have benefited the economy to continue slavery. But Republicans took a principled, moral stand in favor of the sanctity of life—we truly believe that all men are created equal. As Republicans, we recognize that we answer to a higher power and our actions on this earth are of eternal consequence.
President Reagan once stated that we need a party whose principles are displayed as bold colors, not pale pastels. Next weekend, we once again have the opportunity to make sure our platform proudly displays those bold colors. To save our party, and our state, let’s paint with the boldest colors possible.
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February 17th, 2008 at 12:00 am
What the platform should do is to present a cohesive vision that will attract the support of a majority of Californians — both Conservative and Moderate.
This does not mean that any positions should be muddied or deleted, only phrased in such a way that we can go forward together.
February 17th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Thanks, Meredith! I’m on the platform committee and look forward to supporting such a document on Friday afternoon.
February 17th, 2008 at 12:00 am
And from this editorial here we see yet again the reasons why Calif. Republicans have descended into irrelevancy. Except for some jerrymandered ‘safe seats’ in Senate/Assembly (a form of affirmative action setasides for Republicans), it’s well-nigh impossible for a Republican these days to hold statewide office. (Steve Poizner’s a noted exception, and he’s in a somewhat down-list office.) The only strength the Republicans have right now is the ability to hold the budget hostage to get other gains.
Why this irrelevancy? California R’s are tainted by their “antichoice” message, and further confounded by a perceived severe religious slant due to “Orange County Christian Conservative” dominance.
Time after time, interviews with middle- to upper income suburban homeowners – a demographic the R’s should OWN – (and similar sentiments for fairly ordinary generally conservative swing voters) reveal issues around ‘choice’ to be a major concern.
These folks feel such a stance is intrusive Big Gov’t and actually in conflict with other generally favoroable Republican goals.
These folks are also rightly concerned that their already dumbed-down schools may be forced into pushing “creationism” and anti-evolution stances if religious R’s get too much sway. These families want the best for their kids – which might involve working in California’s growing biotech industry, where a Creationist would rightfully be laughed out of the front gate even before a job interview.
The California Republican party’s
continuing slide into irrelevance is best demonstrated by VOTERS BEING WILLING TO PAY (thru higher taxes) TO NOT VOTE REPUBLICAN. If your product is so bad that people pay more for something otherwise worse, you have a real problem with your message (and content behind the message). In the private industry that Republicans laud, this marketing behavior would not be tolerated thru even one product cycle – how many losing election cycles have CA Republicans gone thru?
From the above you might think I am ‘pro-choice-/pro-abortion. Not true; I just realize when a battle is so lost – lost beyond any hope of recovery given CA demographics – that it makes sense to move on to save every other issue R’s hold dear.
Until the CA Republican leadership kicks Christian Conservative leadership to the curb (and I find many things about these folks to NOT be conservative), this irrelevancy will continue.
I’m an advocate for gun rights in California. While that’s an issue supposedly ‘owned’ by Republicans, their increasing irrelevancy makes pro-gun bills very difficult to introduce/pass, or antigun bills to be defeated. So at this point I must regard some of the CA Republican leadership, especially those with a religious taint, as being de facto antigun because they have reduced the party into the heap it’s currently in.
Guys, you’re selling dog food even the pound puppies reject. Get wise, look at the numbers and reform. Any potential enmity from the ultrareligious section of the Republican base being kicked to the curb will be more than compensated for by essentially conservative middle ground/swing voters who’d really like to flee the Party of Perata & Nunez.
Bill Wiese
San Jose CA
February 17th, 2008 at 12:00 am
One of the arguments people are making for a shortened and neutered platform is that it must be easily understood as it is handed out.
As one that has been very engaged in the county fairs, parades, festivals, etc… no one has ever asked me to see the CRP platform. As I have worked our booths we have passed out the nice CRP piece, “What We Believe.” That works very nicely.
So what we should approve is a white paper type document platform detailing our positions and the nicely done, colorful, “What We Believe” fair handout flows from that.
But as a Drafting Committee member of the Platform Committee I have seen this does not fly for people who just want a neutered platform.
February 17th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Bill, a very wise and prescient post. But the religious right wing nuts will never give it up. These people don’t care if they win an election, they are sending a message. And they brook no backsliding. Unless you toe the line, even if you win your primary you get hit with a straw man far right wing nut write-in candidate who splits the vote so the Democrat wins. Then these right wing nuts squeal that the voters deserve what they get with a high tax nany regulation Democrat because they didn’t vote for the “good candidate,” the right wing nut.
February 18th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Bob & Bill please explain to me why the first Republicans to vote for raising taxes and expanding government are always the the “Pro-Choice” Republicans.
I agree abortion is a lost battle in CA but in my experience anyone who stands up and says I’m Pro-Life and promises to vote that way and then stands up and says I will never vote to raise taxes is someone who I can trust. What you are asking me to do is support more candidates like the Governor who is the biggest sell-out of all time.
You can be bold and simple however and for an example read the “Sharon Statement”!
February 18th, 2008 at 12:00 am
The middle and upper middle income suburban homeowners that we “should own” don’t care about the abortion issue or the creation/evolution issue. They are bright enough to know that those issues will be settle by the Supreme Court if and when any legislation is passed in California.
What they care about is the fact that most Republican lawmakers are more liberal than the Blue Dogs. The recently Republican controlled congress spent as much if not more than Democrats. There were as much, if not more, earmarks. The “moderate” Republican lawmakers were always the first ones to join the ranks of those calling for more taxes and the spent like there was no tomorrow.
The real problem is we as Republicans are having a hard time communicating who we are. As Meredith said in this post, this is what Reagan did best. This is why the Contract with America worked. Moderate Republicans did not care that ultraconservative Newt Gingrich would be speaker. They believed what the Contract said and they supported it (even in California…the last time Republicans had control of the Assembly and held multiple statewide offices.)
That is what we need. What we don’t need is to water down our message and sound more and more like the Democratic Party.
February 19th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Mr. Ken Campbell must be pretty “thick” to resort to the wing-nut mantra. Says more about the writer and his feelings than it adds to this discussion. Would be interesting to know just what this mugwump stands for.
February 19th, 2008 at 12:00 am
To avoid becoming a footnote of history, the California Republican Party needs a new platform to attract more voters. New platform or not, we do not have to dilute our beliefs either personally, or in our own actions. Yet, there is a great majority out there who do not share all of the same beliefs we do. Even if we are right, what good does it do to go out of our way to alienate voters? To actually scare them away (that’s a fact). If they won’t listen, how do we advance our cause?
We can be right, be certain of our positions, and be among friends mutually patting ourselves on the back for our principled stands, and we can continue to be losers.
Voters don’t care much about theory. They want practical solutions. They are tired of undelivered promises. They want to know that someone will help them keep their job. That someone will help cut energy prices, defend our nation, and keep our streets crime-free. That their kids will have a decent education, and they have the right to be parents without interference by government. And of course, that someone is working to make sure the country will be a better place 20 years from now. I believe we can attract people to morality without forcing it on them. We can hold our moral principles dear, and more effectively advance them, if our less fervent supporters are not driven off.
We need a Republican platform that will bring new voters to the party and bring our old friends back home. At this moment, we have only one final purpose in Sacramento, and that’s to hold the line on tax increases. Oh, and to be made alternately demons and clowns by the media.
Ronald Reagan was able to rebuild America, doing good work for the people, and did more than just talk. After the Jimmy Carter years, the country needed someone who could set things straight. It was a rare moment in history that allowed President Reagan to be elected. Once elected, he was unafraid to do the right things for us. Because President Reagan had a chance to demonstrate his wisdom and determination, he was re-elected overwhelmingly. Key point: He had to be elected first.
Our platform must not be merely words, but must discuss practical action steps we support. We need to show voters why they need to vote for us. Theory is for the Libertarians. Empty promises are for Democrats. Reasonable, sober, and correct actions that solve problems should be for Republicans.
We need to follow through with actions, and not just occupy an office. That needs to be part of our branding. That’s where we have fallen short recently.
• Why can’t we elect good conservatives who will do the right thing?
We don’t have the votes. The conservative base is not enough. Personally, I’m not interested in martyrdom.
Let’s get the votes, win elections, and then do the right thing. If we don’t win, we can’t do anything useful. At this rate, in a few years we might as well change the party symbol from the elephant to the T. rex, at least in California.
We can use bold colors, but their use needs to be attractive, not garish. Remember, very few of us actually are Ronald Reagan. In fact, there was only one. We can’t assume merely speaking like him will automatically get us elected.
Case in point: Tom McClintock. How I wish he could be elected Governor! As much as I love to hear the Senator, sounding like Ronald Reagan won’t win him enough votes to get elected. He’s tried that already. However, using the principles of Ronald Reagan in office will definitely get him re-elected.
• How much more pain must we endure? How many more lost elections?
If we continue to lose, how are we going to appoint and confirm strict constructionist judges? How are we going to stop driver’s licenses for illegal aliens? How are we ever going to be able to reduce taxes? How are we going to keep businesses from being driven out of the state? How are we going to prepare California for a population of 50 million in a few short decades? How are we going to get existing roads repaved, and new ones built? What are we going to do about energy? Wait till you see your energy bill if we go solar. Do you think you’ll actually have water coming from your faucet in 20 years?
Look, we have a responsibility to the people of this state. We need a credible focus on answers to problems that matter to voters. Democrats never have any real solutions. Let’s win some elections so we can move forward.
JP Day
Sonora, CA