Andrew Server
aserver@uwyo.edu
This primary election season has emerged to be one of the most perplexing cycles in recent history. Here we see a democratic socialist gaining considerable ground against an already considerably liberal candidate in the Democrat Party primary. Conversely, the Republican Party still sees its field far larger than many deem comfortable. Both parties have at least one candidate in their respective fields who have been loud, emotional and oftentimes obnoxious voices. They appear to have successfully exploited similar bases that are angry at the establishment in D.C., Wall Street and elsewhere.
While both parties are similar in that their primaries are certainly becoming races unlike we’ve seen in our lifetimes, the Republican Party faces a particular struggle. It is a struggle that has been a constant hindrance for the party in recent elections. The Republican Party suffers from “No True Scotsman” syndrome.
The No True Scotsman fallacy occurs when one sect within a particular group declares another sect within that same group to be invalid or untrue simply because that group does not act exactly as they do. You’ve likely witnessed this fallacy yourself. “You’re not a real Christian unless you go to church once a week” or “you’re not a true sports fan unless you go to all of the games.”
Too many individuals and too many groups within the Republican Party have decided that their idealized brand of “republican” is the only true brand and anyone else is the enemy and not a true republican. Too many Trump supporters will not accept anyone who doesn’t want to build a wall along the US-Mexican border as republican. Too many Rand Paul supporters refuse to admit that you can indeed still be republican and be in support of a little bit of government spending.
This is dangerous for the GOP.
Scour the social media pages for republican candidates and you will witness comment upon comment made by supporters declaring that if their candidate- the “true” republican- doesn’t win, they will refuse to support the winning candidate in the general election. I personally have been approached by libertarian republicans asking me if I would support Rand Paul in the general election should he receive the nomination. Naturally I respond in the affirmative, but when I ask them if they’d support whoever the nominee is if it’s not Rand, they shrug and suggest voting third party.
I must admit, this case of hypocrisy is largely prevalent among libertarian republicans. That being said, the establishment republicans malign the libertarian republicans and tea party republicans as damaging rogues. All of the above cases demonstrate uncomfortable rifts within the party that might lead to the fall of the party itself.
Here is where we may find optimism: the Republican Party is a big tent party and we ought to embrace that. Libertarians, establishment types, tea party republicans or any other brand of republican is just as justified and legitimate as the next republican. We ought to champion this, not shun it. It is acceptable to advocate the republican primary candidate who adheres to your own personal beliefs. But it helps no one besides the democrats to refuse to support another republican should your ideal republican not receive the nomination. It is damaging to the Republican Party to act this way and even threaten to. It shows disunity.
Republicans should use this primary season to unite regardless of there being so many candidates still in the republican primary field. Appreciate that as a party, republicans offer a plethora of ideas and solutions to the problems that we face. Appreciate that as a party and through their nominees, the Republican Party is demonstrating that they are more diverse than the Democratic Party. If the Republican Party can do this, we will win the presidency this election season.
