Learn from your history, Republicans

History should have taught the Republican Party a valuable lesson: Don’t let infighting destroy the party as you are not the party of those in charge but a party of the people. All hell broke loose when Fitial decided he wanted to be governor and split the party, creating the Covenant Party and look at what happened. He got the governor’s seat and still ended up right back where he started as a Republican.

But it is how Fitial got to be governor that is the lesson for Republicans. It all started when Heinz wanted to unseat a sitting governor, which really goes against the ideals of the national parties in the mainland. Heinz’s challenging Babauta the primary killed the best chance for the Republicans to win the governor’s race. Even though he won the primary, it divided the Republicans. Heinz might be governor now and the CNMI might be a lot different and better had he waited. Now the scenario is reversed, with the primary offering an opportunity to reunite the entire GOP. Babauta is still a member of the Republican Party but the powers-that-be will not give him the chance he deserves and Heinz is also a Republican without a party, which tells me both men have a real uphill battle.

Babauta did the right and honorable thing by giving Heinz his primary that split the party to this very day. Now the same scenario can work in reverse to meet the need for Republicans to fully reunite as a party. Avoiding the primary will only diminish the party’s chances of capturing the governor’s seat. It would be prudent to give the people you want to support the Republican Party a chance to decide, not party figureheads who are likely do what their leader wants instead of doing what the people need want and deserve! The Republicans have committed to Inos & Torres but Inos is not an elected governor so the party doesn’t even knows his actual political value to the party, which should be tested anyway. The party leaders also need to realize the Republican Party is still splintered and the power play of reuniting with the Covenant Party really didn’t get anyone excited in the general public—just the party loyalists. The IRs are still out there and there are still Independents that were once Republicans and one is now a Democrat candidate for the governor’s seat. So Inos & Torres have an unclear but sure uphill battle too.

Given the potential number of gubernatorial candidates there is going to be a runoff anyway, as a majority is required. So why not save us all some time, save some money, save the Republican Party’s face, and try to unite the entire GOP through a primary and even invite Heinz to join in and for the IRs to give their support for a Republican candidate. We the people need only two strong candidates for governor: a Democrat and a Republican; not a pecking list to choose from. I’m pushing for a two-candidate election for governor because we need to get back to the basics of politics serving the people and not parties that serve individuals. This may be the only chance to reunite the entire Republican Party, so be men/women enough to come together in the best interest of the CNMI and let the chips fall where they may in a primary.

P.S.: Kudos to the Democrats for taking the necessary steps to inject a possible cure into our sick democracy with your candidate for governor. The absence of the Democratic Party is the primary reason our government was breeding such horrible politics that went unchecked for seven years until the people just got fed up. I truly wish all the gubernatorial candidates the very best of luck as it will be the people who will make the final decision for governor—not parties or party leaders.

Ambrose M. Bennett
Kagman, Saipan