Since declaring my candidacy to represent NM’s 3rd Congressional district, I have learned a lot about partisan politics. When people ask me, “What party are you?” I immediately answer Republican, but many times, I get dirty looks. I often follow up with, “But I’m not a party line guy, and the GOP has seriously lost its way. What I’ve learned from folks around here, is that the bases of both parties are so grossly misrepresented by the national leadership, we have more in common with each other than anyone in Washington.” Because so many Americans are disgusted by national politics, our campaign’s message of honoring the Constitution to restore individual rights and push power locally is resonating across the board.
While Democrats are drunk with power and spending us deeper into debt, the national leadership of the Republican Party fails to offer a principled alternative and pretends to forget the irresponsible spending supported by Republicans. Now only rarely do we hear any Republican member of Congress addressing issues from the perspective of the Constitution. When anyone advocates policy that is contrary to that document, it is a slap in the face to every active duty service member and veteran like myself, who swore the same oath to the Constitution that members of Congress do when they take office.
Meanwhile, the Republican leadership is imposing litmus tests on candidates based on divisive wedge issues. This is a sure-fire way to ensure the GOP becomes a permanent minority party. It would be far more powerful, to ask for simple integrity and demand a commitment to honor the oath of office, vote the Constitution, and be faithful to the principles of freedom behind it. As Pat Buchanan said, “The Republican Party needs to stop trying to be all things to all people, and instead be one thing to all people.” That one thing must be freedom.
We should not be running our party from the top down, demanding specific policy positions, but rather from the ground up, as the inclusive party of big tent, smaller government. If we are going to bring people into the big tent, we cannot support leaders who erect walls to keep people out. We need leadership that will stand tall on principle to prop it up.
To read the rest of the article: http://kokeshforcongress.com/posts/kokesh-challenges-gop-asks-salary-pledge
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