A Republican Case for Mayor Pete (Part 1)
In deciding how I was going to reconcile 20 years as a Republican with newfound support for a Democratic candidate, I had to look at what it was that made me a Republican in the first place. During one of the Democratic debates, Mayor Pete challenged Republican leaders.
“If you are watching at home, and you are a Republican member of Congress, consider the fact that, when the sun sets on your career, and they are writing your story, of all the good and bad things you did in your life, the thing you will be remembered for is whether, in this moment, with this President, you found the courage to stand up to him or continue to put party over country.”
This struck a chord with me. Not as a member of Congress but as a member of the Republican party. I realized I could not verbalize what it is the GOP believed in anymore. I searched to see what the core values were and found the Republican Party’s “list of what it means to be a Republican.”
I am not sure that the current set of politicians bearing the R next to their name have really read or understood this list. In fact, some of these seem like they fit the Democratic party more than the Republicans. I am also no longer convinced that some of these are in the best interest of the America that I want to be a part of.
I am going to address the first seven in this article and I will follow up with another article for the second seven.
1. Country is exceptional
Do we even know what it means to be exceptional in this era? We are a nation that once stood up to a tyrant in order to become free and independent. We saw injustice and rose up against it. We sent men to the moon. However, it has not been great for everyone. We enslaved generations of families. We kept women and minorities from having a voice and from taking part in the process of choosing our leaders. We experimented on our citizens. We prioritized the economy for those with means over those without. America has done a lot of great things in its young history, but we can do better.
In June of 2019, Mayor Pete gave a speech at Indiana University in which he challenged us to do just that: be better.
“The world needs America. But not just any America. Not an America that has reduced itself to just one more player, scrapping its way through an amoral worldwide scrum for narrow advantage. It has to be America at our best: the America that possessed the forward-looking vision to do things like confront Nazism and rebuild Europe and even invent the Internet inside a research arm of our Defense Department. It has to be an America that knows how to make better the everyday life of its citizens and of people around the world, knowing how much one has to do with the other.
To do so is to keep our nation safe, it is to master change rather than be made small and fearful by it, it is to see vindicated the values that make our nation what it is, and it is to deserve to be described in terms like ‘greatness.’”
Democrats get a lot of flak for being against American exceptionalism. Some of it is founded. At the same time, there is not a sense they are against the idea of being great. What makes a person exceptional is not just what they say and do, but the willingness to evaluate one’s self and overcome shortcomings. We all have those moments in life where we look in the mirror and don’t necessarily like what we see. We can choose to ignore it, but greatness comes from accepting those faults and making the changes needed to improve. Now is one of those moments for America.
2. Constitution should be honored, valued, and upheld
Listening to fellow Republicans, you would think that Democrats hate the Constitution and would prefer to rip it up and start over. The truth is that most just want it to be applied equally to all people.
America’s founding document is one of the greatest in history but it’s not perfect. Even from its inception we amended the Constitution to protect the rights of the people. Freedom of speech, the right to bear arms, protections against illegal searches and seizures were not part of the original document. They were added as an afterthought. We then outlawed slavery, prohibited (and then allowed) the sale of alcohol, gave minorities and women the right to vote. Is it somehow dishonorable to offer up new ideas and change the Constitution to benefit the population as a whole?
Mayor Pete has suggested bold changes including dismantling the Electoral College prescribed in the Constitution in favor of a popular vote. While this idea is radical and may have unintended consequences, it is being offered up from a genuine goal that everyone in America gets a voice. The fundamental purpose of our government is to serve its people. The Declaration of Independence even spelled out that, “Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”
There is no question that Mayor Pete will uphold the Constitution. As a member of the United States Navy, Mayor Pete took an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. He deployed to Afghanistan to put that oath into action. He stood beside a diverse group of the best and brightest to uphold this core belief.
3. Leaders should serve people, not special interests
It’s rather ironic that the Republican Party added this. Congress is rampant with dirty money from lobbyists and special interest groups. Campaign finance rules have allowed both parties to benefit from corporations and Super PACs that donate huge sums of money. Politicians are held hostage to legislation that does not serve the best interest of the people. There is no evidence to suggest that this core value is one that is taken seriously.
When donating to Mayor Pete’s campaign you have to agree that, “you are not a federal contractor,” “not a registered Federal lobbyist,” and “not an executive of a fossil fuel company.”
Let’s not be so naive as to believe that special groups will not get a say in the political process though. At times it’s what we as citizens want. We join unions, organizations, or clubs with likeminded people so that we can have a united voice. Whether it be a Teacher’s Union, AARP, the NRA, or NAACP these groups do serve a subset of the electorate that have a right to access our government officials.
The problem isn’t simply special interests. It’s the abuse by special interest groups that fail to reflect the values of the people they claim to represent. After the El Paso and Dayton mass shootings, President Trump suggested he would support universal background checks, something that 93% of Republicans support. Then the NRA called him and he changed his mind. This is not how the system is supposed to work for the American people.
4. Families and communities should be strong and free from government intrusion
Another laughable tenant from a party that has consistently dictated what is and isn’t acceptable in bedrooms and who should be allowed to marry. They consistently block the rights of LGBTQ+ families to adopt or have the same marital rights as heterosexual couples.
They also condone surveillance of Muslim communities, and tell women what to do with their reproductive organs. How are these policies reflective of “free from government intrusion?” The Republican Party enjoys wrapping itself in images of the American flag and soaring bald eagles to represent “Freedom” while simultaneously deciding who that freedom applies to.
We also have to stop allowing every abortion conversation to descend into shouts of “baby killers.” Politicians love using emotional scare tactics to convince good, decent people to believe that the Democratic party is ripping full grown babies from women's wombs and murdering them. In a Town Hall on Fox News, Mayor Pete addressed the fear of late term abortions.
“So, let’s put ourselves in the shoes of a woman in that situation. If it’s that late in your pregnancy, that means almost by definition you’ve been expecting to carry it to term. We’re talking about women who have perhaps chosen a name, women who have purchased a crib — families who then get the most devastating medical news of their lifetime, something about the health or the life of the mother that forces them to make an impossible, unthinkable choice.
The bottom line is, as horrible as that choice is, that woman, that family, may seek spiritual guidance, they may seek medical guidance, but that decision isn’t going to be made any better, medically or morally, because the government is dictating how that decision should be made.”
Abortion is a family issue. It is an issue that stirs up the most emotional responses in people for a variety of reasons. The act itself should not be celebrated as some on the left are prone to do. However, it should not be demonized as the right has done. It is not so simple a topic as can be argued in 20–30 talking points and images passed around to shock the heart into an emotional reaction.
5. Institution of traditional marriage is the foundation of society
Why? Simple question really. “Traditional” is just codeword for “Straight.” As of 2019, 61% of Americans supported same-sex marriage. Has any heterosexual’s marriage or relationship been made better or worse by allowing same-sex couples to marry? If the Republican Party wants to be the party of Freedom then why would they not support people choosing to live a lifestyle that they disagree with? The responsibility that comes with living in a society that is free to choose is that sometimes you are going to be offended. Sometimes you will disagree with the way another person lives their life. You still get to choose the way in which you live yours without trampling on the rights of others.
There’s really no quote that speaks as much as Mayor Pete’s own marriage. He risked his career to come out as gay and proceeded to win reelection in a landslide.
If someone is willing to reject your policies solely based on who you love then we cannot begin to even have a rational conversation on anything important.
6. Government should be smaller, smarter and more efficient
Size is not as important if the other two pieces are falling into place. We need the right amount of government to protect the rights of all and in giving all citizens life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That means the size of government will sometimes grow and shrink with changes to the population and as the need arises for specific issues.
We have failed in making our government smarter and more efficient. Red tape and multiple levels of bureaucracy have bogged down the system so much that the average American has lost faith in the government’s ability to get anything done. The answer in Washington is if you are unable to stop something, just make it more difficult.
There’s no evidence that the Democratic Party, or Mayor Pete, will do anything to shrink government. There’s certainly no evidence of the Republican Party or President Trump doing this either. There’s still a lot of room to make it smarter and more efficient though.
7. Health care decisions should be made by us and our doctors
This is a core value that all Americans should agree with. There are a few fundamental differences between the sides. Democrats want female reproductive rights to be included and Republicans disagree. Democrats see healthcare as a basic human right and Republicans see it as a capitalistic idea.
One of the fears in allowing a Medicare for all or single payer type situation is an inherent distrust of the government. The Veterans Administration is a great example of government running healthcare and failing. If they can’t get it right for heroes, how can we expect them to get it right for ordinary citizens?
There is also a sting leftover from the Obama era that if you like your plan you can keep your plan, if you like your doctor you can keep your doctor. The reality for many was different. People were dropped from plans, doctors opted out, and many were stuck starting over or unable to find coverage.
The advantage of something like Medicare for those who want it, as Mayor Pete is proposing, is that perhaps we can transition over time and see where the pain points are. Once we see people moving to this type of plan, while allowing those who want to keep their own insurance plans, we can determine how to adjust the plan to work for even more Americans. This takes a lot of faith in our politicians to listen to us and not corporate interests though. Is that even possible?
Another complaint by those on the right is seeing some of the issues with other countries that have implemented government run healthcare. There is fear of the same inefficiencies happening in our own country.
As a personal story, I had a medical situation occur last year. I joined an online support group to interact with other people suffering the same condition. I was diagnosed, had surgery, and fully recovered in a matter of 2 months. Others in my support group from countries with a national health plan were in much worse condition, suffering longer while waiting for treatment, and then needing far more extensive care because of the delay in care. This is a real issue that needs to be addressed if America is going to look at this path.
In the end, what we have today is not working. Healthcare costs are skyrocketing and making it hard or impossible for some people to get the same level of care. This core value speaks to decision making but if you are unable to even seek treatment or fear the debt you will incur then you lose the ability to make informed decisions.
The whole idea of health insurance is to free you from having to worry about paying for healthcare for a reasonable premium.
Mayor Pete, Tipton Town Hall Event
Healthcare should be a human right. We should remove the connection between insurance coverage and employment. Allow people to transition jobs or start small businesses without the fear of losing their coverage or having to pay large sums of money to get treatment.
