The real answer
to the question is, of course, a difficult one, and
depends on how well a person understands just how
it is that a political party operates.
A political party,
Republican or Democrat, is a group of citizens united
for the common purposes of electing public officials
and fostering legislation that best represent the
values, principles, and beliefs of the majority of
the members of that group. While there is room in
a political party for persons of opposing viewpoints,
generally, on most points, the party is a relatively
homogeneous group, adhering to common principles and
beliefs.
Political parties
get their strength from the grass roots level. Parties
rely on their members' willingness to get involved
in the political process from the bottom up.
The process works
something like this. Every two years the parties hold
precinct caucuses. These precinct caucuses are announced
in the newspapers. Anybody can come to them, but to
have a vote, a participant must register as a member
of that particular party. Often, provisions are made
which allow party registration right at the caucus
itself.
A caucus is merely
a fancy name for a meeting. A precinct caucus is a
meeting of people from a precinct, to organize the
precinct along party lines. These precinct people,
generally neighbors of one another, meet and elect
precinct officers and discuss what they would like
to see happen in state government. If they agree on
certain beliefs, they write these beliefs down and
agree to put forth these beliefs at future party meetings
as proposed planks to a party platform. If they want
certain action taken, they draft resolutions and agree
to put forth these resolutions at future party meetings.
The precinct also elects delegates to the party's
district convention. These delegates will represent
the precinct at the district convention, and are assigned
the responsibility of pushing the beliefs and resolutions
passed by the precinct caucus at that district convention.
Usually a precinct caucus lasts only an hour or two.
Several weeks
later, the party schedules its district conventions.
At these conventions which, again, are announced in
the newspaper, delegates from the precincts meet,
elect district officers, elect delegates to the state
party convention, and discuss and vote on the resolutions
and proposed planks which were formulated at the precinct
caucuses. Those resolutions and proposed planks which
survive the district conventions then become the proposals
of the district, and the delegates elected from the
district have the responsibility of pushing those
beliefs and proposed planks at the party's state convention.
Several months
later, the party has its state convention. The delegates
elected from the district conventions meet, elect
state party officers, and discuss and vote on the
resolutions and proposed planks sent up from the various
district conventions. Resolutions passed at the state
convention become the items that the party pushes
for during the upcoming legislative sessions. Proposed
planks passed by the convention become the platform
of the party. The platform of the party is generally
printed, and constitutes an outline of what the party
stands for.
The convention
process of a party is an involved process. It is stressful.
It requires the input of a lot of concerned, interested
people. It is usually a lot of work, and a lot of
fun. But participants take it very seriously.
So, if you want
to find out whether it is Arliss, or Wally, who really
represents Republicans, their beliefs, and their principles,
forget the labels and take a look at the Republican
Party Platform, available at the Party's Headquarters
on Fireweed Lane. Then take a look at each candidate's
position on the same issues. The candidate that is
most in tune with the Party's platform is the one
that is the real Republican candidate.
But party labels
are only important for party members. About 25 percent
of Alaska's voters list themselves as Republicans
and a slightly lesser amount call themselves Democrats.
About half of all Alaskans do not designate their
party affiliation preferring to "keep their options
open". Rather than voting for a party and the principles
it stands for, these voters often pick and choose
their candidates, even if the candidates chosen reflect
widely divergent political views. Thus, in Alaskan
politics, it really doesn't matter what the candidate
calls himself or herself. What matters is how he or
she will perform in the elected position. Will he
or she get the job done, the way we Alaskans want
it done?
We haven't done
very well in picking our governors during the last
few elections. Often we have had to vote for the lesser
of two evils, rather than for the candidate of our
choice. Some people thought that after the primary
dust had cleared we faced such an election again,
a choice between Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy. These
people believe, that with Wally now in the race, Alaskans
at last have a real choice between candidates, and
political philosophies. An otherwise dull election
now has the potential of becoming very interesting.
