What does GOP stand for, and who decides?

By Walter Duke

Ask most long-time registered Democrats that question, and they will mistakenly tell you the WV Republican Party is the party of “the rich and big business” while they define their own Democrat Party as the party of the “working man and woman” that protects the little guy from abuse by the privileged and powerful special interest groups who place their own interests above those of the people.  This is the mantra passed down for years from officials in the WV Democrat Party to their party members.

But the facts tell a different story.  First, take a look at any election year in WV, and you will see that the Democrat candidates are the ones who amass the largest campaign war chests, often from the privileged and powerful and special self-interest groups like the trial lawyers association or the gambling industry.  The Democrat candidates almost always outspend their Republican opponents by wide margins.

A second contradicting fact concerns which party’s agenda is actually leading the charge to help the average citizen.  Today’s WV Republican Party is the party pushing for progressive reforms.  These reforms we Republicans seek—whether eliminating the sales tax on food, increasing the value of the senior citizen Homestead Exemption, promoting a more fair and unbiased court system, reforming business taxes to spur job creation in WV, allowing more local control in WV, cutting waste, making state government more accountable, giving citizens the right of initiative, referendum and recall, etc.—are all designed to help the average WV citizen. 

Thirdly, which party is it that has perpetuated, enlarged, empowered and entrenched the existing state government bureaucracy in Charleston—thereby creating and fostering special interest groups?  (And power is a finite thing—power either rests in the hands of government, or else in the hands of the people.)  Since the early 1930’s, the WV legislature has been solidly controlled by Democrats.  In 1936, Democrats gained control in the WV Supreme Court of Appeals and have continued to hold the majority ever since. Additionally, 14 of our last 16 governors were Democrats.  It has been under the Democrat’s watch that WV state government has gained immense power and influence in people’s everyday lives.  Decades of WV’s ever more centralized government have forced more and more people to look to Charleston for help.  Many WV citizens developed an unhealthy dependence upon state government, and gradually an entitlement mentality took root.

In turn, these recipients have for generations staunchly supported Democrat state officeholders (benefactors) who have generously distributed state tax dollars to meet the dependent needs of individuals, groups and communities in WV.

And so, state government has grown more powerful, and Charleston is now home to the privileged and special and self-interest groups (government dependent and sometimes government created).  Ironically, instead of protecting the average man and woman from the privileged and powerful and special self-interest groups, our Democrat controlled state government has created what many would suppose the Democrat Party should be protecting us from.

The Republican Party in the US is the party of Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, and Ronald Reagan.  Among other things, it has steadfastly stood for protecting individual freedoms, promoting equality of opportunity and limiting the role of government. Responsible Republicans favor reasonable protective regulation, but at the same time strive to allow each citizen to have more freedom and power to shape their own destiny.  Today’s Republican Party in WV still fully embraces those ideals, and we enthusiastically support any and all measures to bring these ideals into full bloom.

It really should come as no surprise that many registered Democrats philosophically agree with the proposals and ideals championed by the WV Republican Party.  Yet surprisingly, they refuse to vote for Republican candidates who espouse these views because of their party loyalty and false preconceived notions about party “brand.”  

So we have our work cut out for us.  Every one of us Republicans needs to work tirelessly to promote the WV Republican Party’s true identity regarding what we stand for, who we are, and how we differ philosophically from the Democrat Party.

We must successfully spread the message about the WV Republican reforms we favor, which will foster and rekindle a new found self-reliance in the citizenry.  To do so will require a commitment of time and money, and it is time ALL Republicans stepped up to the plate.  Making our Republican vision a WV reality will help build a strong and prosperous future for all West Virginians—regardless of party affiliation, social status, sex, race or income level.

Both the Democrat Party and the Republican Party want to create a better West Virginia.  The big difference is that we Republicans want to do so by empowering WV citizens, while the other party seeks to do so by empowering WV government.  WV Democrats have annual dinners honoring Presidents Jefferson and Jackson, who they consider heroes and founders of the Democrat Party.  But I wonder if their party members know the famous Jefferson quote, “The government is best which governs least.”  Today, it is the Republican Party in WV that best exemplifies and espouses this Jefferson governing ideal. 

Walter Duke is a member of the House of Delegates from the 54th District.