I’m Republican, no matter what ‘they’ say

I must get something off my chest. No one can tell me that I’m not a Republican. My political background with the Republican Party since I’ve been able to vote is extensive. I supported Linda Lingle in 2002 in her winning bid to become the first female Republican governor of Hawaii. I volunteered for Ernie Fletcher, a former Republican congressman who ran for governor of Kentucky and won. I worked for Republican Elizabeth Dole’s Senate campaign in North Carolina, which she won convincingly. I interned in House Republican Conference chair Deborah Pryce’s office in the House of Representative. I received a Republican Scholars Award for my distinctive work within the Republican Party from members of the U.S. Congress. Most recently, I campaigned for President George W. Bush in Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and Maryland, a campaign that I was extremely proud to be part of. I supported Benavente and Babauta during their first gubernatorial bout because I thought I shared their vision for the CNMI. I have not once supported a Democrat for any elected office in both the CNMI and the US.

That being said, there are two questions that a few Republicans ask me: “Why am I not supporting the re-election of our Republican Gov. Juan N. Babauta?” and “Why am I not a ‘loyal’ Republican?”

There is a simple reason why I am not supporting Governor Babauta: His administration can not and will not come to terms with the reality that the rest of the CNMI is suffering. There is one phrase that discredits his entire administration: “The State of the Commonwealth is still pretty darn good.” Also, few months ago he insinuated at a Youth forum that we’re still better off because we’re not dead or starving yet. We can rest assured that there will be no sense of urgency, but rather a sense of complacency if we give him another opportunity to serve another term.

I do accept the excuse that 9/11 changed our world and hit our lives and economy pretty hard. But that is all they have done. Their policy prescription for each impending crisis that has occurred has only been to offer excuses. They have offered excuse after excuse without a clear plan to make anything happen. I have higher expectations for my Marianas than simple excuses.

Secondly, I have been told that because I support Heinz Hofschneider for governor, I’m not being loyal to the Republican Party. My view on loyalty is that it is a two-way street. If a party is not loyal to its members, then those members have no obligation to be loyal to that party. To believe that Heinz Hofschneider, David Apatang, or any of their Republican followers aren’t being loyal to the Republican Party is absurd. The CNMI Republican Party ditched loyalty to anoint Babauta as the standard bearer of the Republican Party while leaving Heinz-David and their supporters out in the cold. We pleaded our case, not wanting to divide the party that we called our own, only for our pleas to fall on deaf ears.

The party that argued fairness to the Republican National Committee was not being fair at all. Although the primary issue had been brought up many times before, I found it hypocritical that one of the top reasons why Heinz-David was denied a primary was because Apatang ran as an Independent in one election. Only months after their rejection, the GOP resoundingly endorsed two candidates from Rota who ran against the Republican Party four years ago. Hypocrisy? Yes. It was hypocrisy with a purpose and that purpose was to ensure that Babauta and his cronies are assured another shot at 4 years.

To conclude, I find it appropriate to quote my favorite Republican President, Ronald Reagan (with a few changes): I did not leave the Republican Party, the Republican Party left me.

Roman ‘Bo’ Palacios Jr.
Senior, George Washington University
Registered Republican

PS. Endorsements from elected Republican officials like Gov. Linda Lingle, President George W. Bush, or other Republicans to the BB campaign should not impress anyone. It is the modus operandi of the Republican Party during an election.