Some time recently the GOP—or some faction of it—decided on a purity test for all candidates. Some Republicans have come out against that ten-point bulletin list and Mike Huckabee has recently come out somewhat in favor of it.
Now, I don't really care what a political party does. After all, I vote for the candidate not the party. Even though of late my votes have gone all Democrat that's because I'm so scared of the Republican party, not necessarily because of love for the actual candidates. But Huckabee's and the purists' attitude disturbs me because they are absolutely resisting anything resembling a big tent. Shit, they don't even want a small tent. They want a minimum of adherence of three out of ten points and any deviance from them will kill funding for the candidate.
But I'm not purist and I don't care about adherence to party principles. I care about nuance and pragmatism. So even though I share quite a few conservative viewpoints, the Republican party and conservative movement doesn't care about me because I don't meet their seven out of ten criteria? Seriously?
Let me give you a few examples of my non-purist but still conservative viewpoints that will still make me persona non grata in this particular movement (and will subsequently cause me to continue to vote Democrat):
Guns:
I love guns. I love shooting guns. I don't want anyone other than people I personally know and respect owning guns. I support gun rights for every qualifying American citizen because it's in the Constitution. I would love to change the second amendment. I will only support real gun control by changing the second amendment. I am a card carrying member of the NRA because of the second amendment. I don't love gun rights because I love gun rights. I love gun rights because it's in the Constitution and until that changes, I won't change my stance there. I love the Constitution more than I love gun rights. Squishy and weird to some, sure. Clear to me.
Fiscal Responsibility:
I'm all about fiscal responsibility. I'm also all about government stepping in where it makes sense, particularly when we have situations that affect all Americans whether they like it or not. For example, I'm a big supporter of private enterprise except when it's proven to fail. I'm a complete pragmatist in this area. I do believe in small government and limited spending, until such time that everything completely goes to shit (see healthcare). You are not going to get me on ideology. You are going to get me on specifics. Stop your ideological rhetoric when the private sector has so obviously failed.
Freedom of Religion:
I completely support religious institutions to run their institutions any way they see fit. I'm not so cool when they take tax dollars to do what counters federal law. I'm ridiculously pissed off at religions getting tax breaks. I'm ridiculously supportive of religion not being forced to perform gay marriage or gay couple adoptions. Until tax dollars are involved. Then I'm ridiculously opposed to religions avoiding civil liberties. But none of my positions should be considered ridiculous.
See, nothing that either really counters what a true conservative wants, but completely counters what fake wannabe conservatives say. But as long as you subscribe to purity tests, you will never get my vote. I'm a pragmatist/ideologue who while subscribing to some of your core beliefs, refuses to adhere to your ideological purity test.
You and I will continue to lose in coming elections as you continue to insist that there is no room for maneuvering. The only thing I have to say to you about that, in the immortal words of Grayson, STFU.
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