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This is an issue that is starting to concern me on a national level, but first let me preface it by stating that I am a candidate for the First Congressional District here in Iowa who is running against a woman in the primary and, getting through that, will be facing another woman in the general election. Also, it pleases me immensely as to the amount of diversity we are seeing in people willing to step forward and make the sacrifices necessary in committing themselves to serving their fellow citizens and trying to improve all our lives.
That being said, here is the problem. The Republican Party has, since its inception, promoted the Ideals of equality expressed in the Declaration of Independence. The Emancipation Proclamation; 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments; women’s suffrage; the 1964 Civil Rights Act; and the First Step Prison Reform Act are all examples of Republican commitment to steadily working towards achieving this lofty goal.
I am, however, starting to hear things that disturb me because they seem to be indicators of us veering off our storied course. “We need a woman to run against another woman,” and “a woman is more photogenic” (in the case of my race this is most definitely true, but beside the point) are bad enough, but when people start accepting proclamations from candidates that they are more qualified for the job based on the fact that they are a woman, that is the sound of the train coming off the tracks.
As Republicans, we have been adamant in stating that the best person for the job is the most qualified person regardless of any other personal attributes. Straying from this path is antithetic to our Republican principles and caving into the victimology philosophy of those who are constantly trying to divide America in an effort to retain power. We should not be aiding and abetting them.
– Thomas Hansen
