Lower Standards & The Alaska GOP

Six years ago Alaska Republicans had had enough. They were tired of candidates for state office flip-flopping between political parties based on which way the electoral winds were blowing.

You might call this the Menard phenomena since Linda and Curt Menard made this wavering a regular practice during their long public careers in the Mat-Su.

The GOP was tired of it and they weren’t gonna take it anymore. The problem? What could you actually do about it?

Republicans huddled up, put their collective heads together and came up with a solution. The result was the following Party rule:

“In order to be a candidate in any Republican Party primary election, a person must have been a registered voter of the Alaska Republican Party for a continuous period of six (6) months immediately prior to the filing deadline for the primary election. The SCC for statewide candidates and the district committee for district candidates may, by a 2/3 vote of each organized committee involved; waive this rule for specific candidates when they determine such action to be in the best interests of the Republican Party.”

Seems reasonable doesn’t it? If you want to run as a Republican you have to have been a Republican. No Johnny-come-latelys allowed. No five-minute pretend Republicans need apply.

Why do I bring this up now? Because many of the same people who got so cranked up about this kind of behavior are now apologists for it. When the Ron Paul/Tea Party/ Joe Miller coalition that just elected Russ Millette state party chairman was recruiting this man, they either didn’t bother to check to see if he really was a Republican or they knowingly recruited him knowing he wasn’t one.

That’s right, the fresh face of the Alaska Republican Party, by his own acknowledged timeline of his recruitment, only decided to change his party affiliation to Republican AFTER deciding to run for state party chairman (2/17/2012). The man claiming he wants to bring the party together wasn’t even in the party unitl after someone said he could run it.

So the question must be asked, “Why does Chairman-Elect Russ Millette not have to meet the same standards he will be enforcing on candidates?”

In order to avoid this kind of embarrassing and hypocritical situation in the future I will be proposing the following rule at the next appropriate state central committee meeting:

“In order to be a candidate in any Republican Party officer position, a person must have been a registered voter of the Alaska Republican Party for a continuous period of six (6) months immediately prior to the date of their district convention.”

Mr. Millette has stated he will enforce a purity test on Republican candidates for office. If he is serious about party purity I would call on him to start with the purity of his own elected position and support this measure when it comes up for a vote.

Wow Russ, purity can be a bitch when testor becomes the testee, can't it?