Gay Conservative

No one. 

That’s right. I will not publicly endorse any of the contenders for the 2008 GOP presidential nomination.  Don’t get me wrong.  They are all worthy contenders (mostly).  I have just decided that 2008 is too important to me. If I endorse one candidate, I do so at the risk of alienating another.  Given the prospect of President Clinton Part II, I will demur when it comes to any formal endorsements.

The GOP’s 11th Commandment is “Thou shalt not speak ill of another Republican.”  Ronald Reagan is often cited as the source of the 11th Commandment.  In fact, it was the former California state GOP Chairman, Gaylord Parkinson, who conceived of the rule in 1966 during Reagan’s run for Governor of California.  Parkinson was motivated by the events a few years earlier that plagued the GOP during Barry Goldwater’s presidential run against LBJ.  Liberal Republicans, disenchanted with Goldwater’s conservatism, gave fodder to the Democrats with their words and condemnations of Barry.  Parkinson was convinced that the Democrats needed no such assistance from within the party during an election.

Reagan owned the Commandment to the extent that he embraced it and made it an integral part of his political life from that point forward.  The Gipper won respect from Republicans of all strains due to his refusal to pound away at fellow Republicans during campaign season.

I would be an utter hypocrite, if I described myself as a strict adherent to this commandment.  I have always described myself as a conservative first and a Republican second.  I believe that distinction is more relevant today than it was even a decade ago.  I have freely chastized Republicans such as Chuck Hagel, Olympia Snowe, Arlen Spector and others who have, at times, abandoned basic Republican principles.  You could argue that these folks have often violated the 11th Commandment themselves by casting doubt on other Republicans.  I won’t use this opportunity to debate whether it is appropriate to denouce Republicans who denouce Republicans.

For the 2008 GOP primary, however, I am willing to call a truce. I have made some remarks about current contenders in the past.  But as the threat of a Dem in the White House grows, I am willing to hold my tongue. As I survey the field of GOP candidates, I see no one (except Ron Paul who is a Libertarian, not a Republican) that should raise the ire of conservatives to the point that they should allow Hillary, Obama or Little John to take up residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.  The issues at stake for 2008 are too critical.  This is no time to protest the details when we are faced with bigger threats.

I am calling on all fellow Republicans to embrace the 11th Commandment.  I cannot promise that I will not speak my mind in other races, but the White House must remain in the hands of a person that will stand strong and act against the forces of terror that threaten the very security of our nation.  I am satisfied that any of our candidates (except Paul) will do that.

I will have my favorite candidate.  I can honestly say that I have narrowed the field.  But most of you won’t know who I will vote for when I walk into the voting booth for the Texas GOP Primary election.  Why should it matter who I endorse?  When November 2008 rolls around, I will vote for the candidate with the (R) beside his name.  To that extent, my favorite is irrelevant.

I commend Steve and others who have active roles in the primaries.  Their advocacy is part of the job. And I don’t want anyone to believe that my stance in unprincipled or wishy-washy.  This public neutrality will be a first for me.  But I fully believe that 2008 is an exceptional year with important ramifications.

In the meantime, I will implore my fellow conservative bloggers to avoid personally bashing any of the GOP contenders.  There is too much at stake for us to allow a Democrat to be elected.  I hope that, in the end, we will all be able to unite around the Republican candidate for President.