Chapter and verse on a litmus test
The Wall Street Journal has published on its website the text of the proposed 10-point checklist for determining whether a Republican candidate is orthodox enough to benefit from the party's endorsement and fund-raising.
The affirmations issues are quite a mixed bag. Some are perennial and cosmic, such as: "We support the right to keep and bear arms by opposing government restrictions on gun ownership." Others are micro-specific and could be obsolescent by the time they are proposed to the Republican National Committee in January. Take: "We support market-based health care reform and oppose Obama-style government run healthcare." In January, they might have to change "oppose" to "opposed."
And, even if you're a true-blue conservative, is legislation opposing "card check" as a way to organize unions as big a deal as abortion or the right to keep and bear arms? Presumably not, but all of the propositions are weighted the same. As George W. Bush said of Al Gore's economic proposals, this is fuzzy math.
-- Michael McGough
Here's what they forgot to add to the litmus test:
1) Do you dislike black people, Hispanics, Native Americans...and only wish to cater to those who like Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity?? Is yes, you are a Republican!
2) Do you desire the poor to be poorer...and tax breaks for the rich be made permanent?? If yes, you are a Republican!
3) Do you desire only the wealthy to be able to have health care....and refute the idea of universal health care? If yes, you are a Republican!!
4) Do you think that Sarah Palin can adequately address the nation's problems....knowing that she has NO idea what issues plague the nation's cities and ethnic minorities (of which she has FEW!)?? If yes, you are a Republican!!
Posted by: HDB329 | November 30, 2009 at 11:19 AM