Dear editor:
I have read about the plans for the Wyoming Republican party to endorse specific candidates in the upcoming primary election. It is my understanding that the state law currently prevents the Wyoming Republican party from officially endorsing a candidate. I agree with the party’s position that this is not in keeping with the party and its members’ first amendment right to free speech.
However, I think that the party should be careful in exercising this right.
As the purpose of the primary election is to select the candidate that the majority of the registered Republican party members feel is best suited for the position, it feels like there could be a conflict of interest in explicitly endorsing a specific candidate without receiving the input from all of the registered members of the party.
Without seeking the input of the entire Republican electorate, how will the party itself provide a fair and accurate endorsement of a candidate?
I certainly hope that the party leadership is not intending to offer an endorsement on behalf of the entire party based simply on what they (the leadership) might believe.
To offer such an endorsement without seeking the input from all of the party members would be anti-democratic and would invoke Orwellian images of the Party who, rather than listening to and responding to the input from the party members, would tell the party members what they should think.
If the members of the party leadership wish to offer an endorsement, they should do so as individuals and should not presume to speak for the entire membership of the party, at least not before the entire Republican electorate has had a chance to provide input regarding a party-level endorsement.
To circumvent this problem, I would recommend that the Republican party hold a vote among all of its registered members to determine whom the party ought to endorse.
Maybe we could hold an event where polling places are established, where party members can go to indicate their preference for that endorsement.
This would provide a fair and democratic method to ensure that the Republican party’s endorsement reflects the will of the party members. I think that there might be an event similar to what I have described scheduled for August 18.
Maybe the party could do more or less the same thing for their endorsement event . . . or just wait until then.
Sincerely,
Carlos Buckner, Casper
