Can there be a "big tent" Republican party?

  by Sarah Marie Anderson

Sarah Marie Anderson explains how a "big tent" party still needs four, strong stakes in the ground to stay standing.

Defining the "big tent"

There are a number of incredibly irritating political catch-phrases that are rarely defined and so broad they ultimately end up meaning nothing.  Grassroots, establishment, RINO, liberal, libertarian, conservative, SoCon, NeoCon, tea party… the list is sadly endless.  But my least favourite always has been… “big tent”.

Most people use this to mean we should be inclusive of all ideas, races, creeds, etc.  The problem is, when you stand for nothing, you fall for everything.  This, in a nutshell, is the core problem with the Republican Party today—and I should know, I’m an officer of the Republican Party in one of the largest Republican counties in the nation.

The problem with the idea of a “big tent” is that no one sees the bigger picture.

For example, where you pitch your tent matters.  You build it on sand, and it’s going to collapse.  You don’t secure it properly, the wind will blow it around.  This is where we are right now, on a sandy, windy plain and our tent is flopping around in the breeze.  If there isn’t a tent, you can’t put people inside.

In addition, you can’t let everyone in.  Who invites a bear or a mountain lion into their tent?  This doesn’t mean necessarily creating a litmus test for everyone to enter, but maybe they should know the password.

Since it seems we’re stuck with the big tent mumbo-jumbo, we might as well define it so well no one can use it against us.  If we have to have a tent, let’s make it the best darn tent anyone’s ever seen.

First, we have to build it on the proper foundation.  No matter what stripe or variety of Republican you are, we can all agree on 4 core principles.  These principles, which are limited government, lower taxes, personal responsibility, and free markets, are the foundation of this party.  Seriously, I dare you.  Walk up to any Republican, be they libertarian leaning, socially conservative, moderate, defense hawk, elitist, establishment, grassroots or anything else… and ask them if they agree with those 4 principles.  I’d say easily 9/10 will, and probably closer to 95/100 or more.  THAT is what makes them core principles, because we all do agree on them.

Once you have a solidly-pitched tent on a firm foundation, people can start to gather inside.  Inside a large tent, you can build rooms.  Each “flavour” of Republican can build rooms and throw parties, wooing onlookers with chocolates and champagne (or donuts and coffee for the non-lushes), and rooms can expand or shrink as needed.  Under one roof are many rooms, and those rooms don’t have to all be the same… but when it comes to elections, we all know where we have to be in order to stand… and that’s in the Republican tent.  Go ahead and try to get Democrats or the Green Party or someone else to listen to you about social conservative issues.  You won’t find it.

Sometimes those in the tent lose their way, having a bit of a Lord of the Flies moment, where chaos and those drunk with power momentarily reign.  When someone is threatening the very foundation of the tent by breaking out a jackhammer… it’s time to send them out into the wilderness until they learn to fend for themselves, find another shelter, or just get so wet and cold they want back in.  If the party cannot keep its own in line, who will do it for them?

I believe very strongly in the 80/20 rule… that is to say, I don’t have to agree with someone all the time to be able to work with them or even vote for them.  We’ll never have a perfect candidate.  There must be a caveat to the 80/20 rule, though.  The 20% cannot violate the core principles of the party.  My personal hill to die on is reducing the size and scope of the federal government to the lowest level humanly possible (i.e. limiting government with lower taxes and an emphasis on personal responsibility and the free markets).  You vote wrong on any number of other issues?  I can forgive that.  You violate the Constitution you swear to uphold and platform you were elected on from the party you purport to represent?  I take issue with that and think you better find a different tent until you can uphold core party principles.