John Carlson for Idaho
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Am I Republican Enough?

6/8/2016

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Election time in Idaho is here again.  It happens every two years and the battle rages as to who is a true conservative and who is a true liberal.  The Republican Party is known to be the conservative party and the Democrats the liberals.  But it’s not that simple: the Idaho Republican Liberty Caucus sees themselves as the “conscience” of the Republican Party and views those further to the left as RINOs (Republicans in Name Only).  And then there is the Tea Party that tends to overlap but is more like the IRLC. 
 
Many far right Republicans are evangelical Christians and base much of their conservative perspective on Biblical principles.  Research has shown that most Republicans in general have stronger religious tendencies than do Democrats. It appears to me that the Republican continuum from far right to more moderate has more to do with how willing a person is to negotiate.  And when dealing with other legislators, some of which might even be Democrats, ability to negotiate is an important qualification.
 
Most issues no longer have a yes/no Biblical answer.  Most issues are not even relevant to the vision of our founding fathers.  Therefore, the most effective Republican is one who negotiates from a conservative, but realistic, perspective.  For example, while a law allowing for the Bible to be used as a text in the schools is legitimate from a Biblical and conservative perspective, it was vetoed because of the potential legal battles that would likely result. 
 
So I think I meet all the qualifications for a Republican.  I believe the Bible, literally from front to back.  I am against abortion and am for marriage between a man and a woman.  I am for limited government.  I have a concealed carry permit, and actually carry quite often. Maybe I am more “conservative” than Republican.  But I am not a Republican in Name Only (RINO) even though I am sure I would fall in the middle of the Idaho Freedom Foundation Index.  So, from a sociological perspective, perhaps the index needs a major overhaul. Also, perhaps the Republican Party in Idaho needs an overhaul.

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    I ran for Idaho Senate in the 2014 election.  I lost, but my interest in the issues of Idaho has increased and I will use this blog page to discuss them

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