Redstate

By David Hinz Posted in 2008 | Reagan | Republicans | Spotlight Blogs — Comments (6) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »

The 1964 Presidential Campaign was a dismal failure for the Republican Party, with Senator Goldwater painted as a warmonger who would lob nuclear bombs all over the world against America’s enemies. In the aftermath of that debacle, a nadir of the Conservative movement, a coalition of political and businessmen approached actor Ronald Reagan, who had distinguished himself in defense of Goldwater, to run for the office of Governor of California.

At first dismissive of the idea, Reagan set out throughout the summer, on a series of speaking engagements, to, in his own words, find someone else who might be an acceptable candidate for that office. After that series of speeches, he, himself, was convinced that the people of California would welcome his candidacy, and reluctantly agreed to run for office.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Read on . . .

It was a bitter primary fight, as his primary Republican opponent, George Christopher, a former mayor of San Francisco, attempted to paint him simultaneously as a right-wing nut, and a Communist sympathizer. His Republican opponent used his early membership in organizations later determined to be Communist Front Organizations, against him, while ignoring the fact that he had resigned from those organizations immediately upon learning the true nature of their cause.

It was this bitter assault from fellow Republicans that caused the state Republican chairman, Gaylord Parkinson, to postulated what he called the Eleventh Commandment: Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican!

Over the years, this Eleventh Amendment has become associated with President Ronald Reagan, and has been attributed to him. While they were not his own words, they became his creed.

It is a creed well worth accepting, and internalizing as a Party. The Democrat Party, and their willing accomplices in the Mainstream Media, will do their best to vilify any Republican candidate, for any public office. With their juggernaut MSM machine, each and every negative word spoken by a Republican toward another Republican will be broadcast as though spoken by God!

A conflict erupting into fisticuffs among Democrats will be reported as a mild discussion of principles, while mud slung by one Republican toward another will become headlines for a week. It ill-behooves the Conservative movement to provide ammunition for our opponents.

It is time for the Party of Reagan to emulate that great leader. Partisan support for a candidate is the cornerstone of political discourse. Acclaiming your candidate’s positions provide the opportunity to influence voters. Decrying your Republican opponents does nothing to advance your own candidate, but only solidifies the notion that all politicians are crooks and evil. This does nothing to advance the cause.

President Reagan once said, “Republicans believe every day is the Fourth of July, but Democrats believe every day is April 15.” It was this eternal optimism, in the opinion of President Reagan that separated the two ideologies.

It is time for that Ideology of Optimism to step forward in the campaign!