Contested Senate primary is healthy for GOP

Spectrum, by Jim Turner

In 480 B.C., as the ancient Greeks were preparing to battle the Persians at Salamis, there was disunity among the Greeks. As Herodotus relates, it was a "war of words" or "a great pushing match of words," as the Greeks debated who was to lead, and where, when, how and even if to fight. On the Persian side, King of Kings Xerxes allowed no dissent. Those who had doubts about how to fight were advised to "Keep your silence … If your words were reported to the king, you will lose your head." And so in battle the Greeks, outnumbered, annihilated the Persians.

The Greeks, having come to decision on the eve of battle, went into combat with unity in full knowledge of the circumstances they faced. Each Greek felt that his counsel had been heard and that he was a free individual fighting for Greece. The Persians went into battle with weaknesses of tactics unexamined and disunities undisclosed. The individual Persians went into battle as no more than slaves to be used at the sole discretion of Xerxes.

While the events of our current U.S. Senate race are certainly less fateful, there are lessons here for Republicans.

I am a Republican; I have not always been a Republican. I grew up in a Democrat household and for years I believed I was a Democrat. I remember many years ago I had a heated discussion with a cousin of mine, who was a Republican, over politics and he ended it by exclaiming that I was a conservative, that I was a Republican. It took me still more years to realize he was right. And more years after that to register as a Republican. Old prejudices die hard.

What I have appreciated most about the Republican Party is that it is the party of ideas and the party of change. It is a big, raucous party where social conservatives, libertarians, fiscal conservatives, religious conservative, free-market conservatives and "classical" liberals, that is, those who believe in the founding principles of our country, come together to act to better America. We don't always agree with each other on every issue. But the one underlying idea we all agree on is the dignity of the individual, "that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights." We believe in liberty and the individual responsibility that is essential for liberty.

In the U.S. Senate race, much of the Republican Party leadership has discouraged dissent among Republicans and wanted Lisa Murkowski anointed with the mantle of the party nomination. They feared dissention and disunity and they allowed their of fear Tony Knowles to rule their judgment. As with the Persians at Salamis, they would go into battle with their weaknesses and disunities unexamined and with the party's grassroots not consulted. Not only does this violate the spirit of the Republican Party's belief in liberty and individual responsibility, it would, I believe, lead to defeat in the general election in November.

Now with Mike Miller and perhaps others declaring their candidacy, we have a contested Republican primary. Republican voters and like-minded independents can now decide who will be the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate. The individual Republican's counsel will be consulted, loyalties will be given and received by both the voters and the candidates, and issues and concerns will be aired. And a stronger Republican candidate will emerge to face Tony Knowles in November. If Lisa Murkowski wins, she will have earned it, and earned the Republican's voter's support, and if Mike Miller wins, then Lisa Murkowski would have been a poor candidate for Republicans to run in the general election. Let the Democrat party have an uncontested primary and let their political bosses decide who their candidate is.

Most important, as the Greeks at Salamis on the eve of battle united, so must the Republicans on primary night enthusiastically unite to support our candidate in the general election. And that candidate, with the whole support of all Republicans, will go on to victory in November.

Jim Turner is a former Mat-Su Borough assembly member, currently serving as vice-chair of District 13 Republicans. He is a supporter of Mike Miller for U.S. Senate.