Aneurin Bevan, an early to mid-20th Century British Labor politician otherwise best forgotten, once said “Politics is a blood sport.” He was right, of course, and as American politics in the 21st Century has become more partisan, so it has become bloodier and bloodier. But while we expect to engage in bitter partisan conflict against our increasingly radical opponents of the left, we can sometimes become mired in internecine fights against our fellow Republicans, and that is the subject of today’s post. And it just so happens that right now would be a good time to make some New Year’s resolutions…
If you are reading this you are probably a Republican, or at least a conservative. Perhaps you are a veteran political activist of many decades; perhaps you are a brand new, wet-behind-the ears political novice. Whatever the reason that you joined the LAGOP or began identifying yourself as a conservative, something caused you to commit to a set of ideals and goals which we all espouse. (I always assume it was just plain old common sense that caused you to join our ranks.) Yet we have seen an increasing number of Republican v. Republican races in the last few decades. That’s a great indicator of our party’s growing strength, but it can present serious problems if we let it.
You may well ask, if we are all committed to the same or nearly the same goals, why should there be any strife among us? After all, we have battles to win, battles which we must win to save our state and our country. Well, there are a couple of reasons.
Obviously, more than one Republican may seek any one office. Of course, this is a major factor in causing internal divisions. Because Republicans have the right set of beliefs and ideology, and the LAGOP is growing in strength and numbers, we frequently attract more than one quality candidate for any given office.
While an abundance of good candidates will inevitably cause some divisions within our ranks, this problem is a natural outgrowth of belonging to a successful political movement. However, the problem can be controlled; in fact it must be controlled, or we’ll continue to lose the occasional race which we should otherwise win. Let’s briefly examine some of the factors which may play a role in our choice of a candidate:
Personalities are always a factor in politics. Psychiatrists and psychologists have long noted that there are distinct personality types among us, and certain types get along better or worse with other types. Different personality types are a fact of human nature, and this can play a huge role in our choice of a candidate. This factor is more important now than ever, because almost every voter can be in direct virtual contact with the candidates through mass and social media.
Political differences, even among Republicans and our allies, are also a fact of life. There will inevitably be some political differences among us, simply because we aren’t likely to agree with all of our colleagues all of the time. And this isn’t something new- it’s a fact of life in parties which operate within a democratic system of government.
In addition to personalities and political differences, other factors often come into play when we choose a candidate. He or she might hail from our city or region, or might have an accent we identify with. (We really do have lots of accents in Louisiana.) Maybe one candidate attended the same school or university, or attends the same church, or would be more likely to give you or someone you know a job or some appointment or other.
There are all types of considerations, but remember, the fact remains that only one person can be elected to a given office. So I propose that we all adopt a short set of resolutions for the new year. Taken together, they may help us avoid some considerable disasters in the future:
(1) Resolve to never allow personal candidate preferences or anything but the most fundamental political differences to allow us to risk losing an election against a liberal and/or progressive candidate, and I mean never let this happen.
After all, this would be a betrayal of our fundamental political beliefs. I don’t care how mad we may become with each other over a particular candidate or issue. There is simply too much at stake to risk another debacle like the ones we suffered in 2015 and 2019. That’s not to say that we should give up on our principles- by all means we must hold our own in discussions and disputes with fellow Republicans, but remember that they may have a point and be respectful. (You should always be respectful anyway- civility and politeness are some of the traditional values that we are fighting to preserve.)
(2) Resolve to forgive your Republican opponents for past and present differences and grievances.
I’m not asking you to love all of your political colleagues. (That’s a commandment from a far higher authority.) But please, please be willing to work with them. Remember that we have far more in common with our fellow Republicans with whom we may occasionally disagree than we have with anyone in that other political party which has lost its collective mind. And don’t forget that you may need the help of your colleagues one day. This is the reason for one of the basic rules of politics- never hold a grudge!
(3) Resolve to spend a few moments early in this new year to recall the reasons that you joined our movement, and recommit yourself to your original goals and principles.
I think you’ll find this to be the most important resolution of all. I know I do, because it helps me to clear my mind of all the mental debris from the previous year’s fights. When I realize the importance of the battles we are fighting for the soul of a great nation, which in turn affects the lives of billions of my fellow human beings, this puts my personal feelings in perspective. I quit worrying about the slights and grievances that I’ve suffered or that I imagine that I’ve suffered. I then understand the deeper message: I could no more quit and go home to a quiet apolitical life than I could grow wings and fly off into the sunset. That’s simply not an option for me- I’m in this fight to my dying breath. How about you?
LOUIS GURVICH, Chairman
Republican Party of Louisiana
