In a piece published at Breitbart, Former Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-CO) announces that he is formally renouncing his membership in the Republican Party, in favor of being a no-party independent.
In a panel discussion at the University of Colorado after the recent Republican debate, I was asked by a student why she should be a Republican. The question forced me to ask myself the same thing.
I gave the young woman the standard talking points–that Republicans believe in smaller government, individual rights, fiscal responsibility, and free enterprise. But as I drove home, her question–and my inability to respond with any level of real conviction–got me thinking: Does the Republican Party leadership fight for these values and principles today?
After much thought, I reluctantly concluded that the answer is “no.” The proudly socialist Democrats are full of passionate intensity, while the Republican leadership is full of pathetic excuses. After this week’s House GOP “budget deal,” which betrays nearly every promise made to grassroots conservatives since 2010, I have decided it is time to end my affiliation with the Republican Party.
Not mentioned in the piece, is that Tancredo has already quit the GOP once before. In 2010, Tancredo ran as the American Constitution Party candidate for Governor of Colorado, placing second ahead of the GOP nominee with 36.4% of the vote. ACP is the Colorado affiliate of the national Constitution Party.
In January 2011, Tancredo switched his affiliation back to Republican, and in 2014 he unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for Governor.
Tancredo however is backing a GOP candidate that supports the neocon agenda on foreign policy and didn’t go ACP but lower-case independent instead- which doesn’t do him any favors with genuine constitutionalists.
Question is, if Hostettler is interested in joining and running for president as the CP candidate.
Tancredo didn’t leave the GOP, the GOP left Tandredo. How can a principled conservative who is demanding immigration control and enforcement stay with the unprincipled Republican Party/political corporation? I left in 2010 and join the Constitution Party simple because the GOP no longer represented the American people, only moneyed special interest.
Even though he came in second, Tancredo’s 36.4% showing in the 2010 Colorado gubernatorial race was actually higher than what Independent Lincoln Chafee received to be elected governor of Rhode Island (36.1%) that same year.
He should’ve stayed with ACP of Colorado and helped it grow. Tancredo had/has a home there because his views are similar to that of the ACP.
That was my initial reaction too. I had to look up and confirm that he had in fact left the GOP when he ran ACP in 2010, and had rejoined the GOP after that (immediately after that, it appears).
“It’s only news the first time you quit the Republican Party.”
Totally. The first thing I thought when I saw this was “Didn’t he already leave the Republican party?”
I wondered why he’d leave now when his big issue is being championed by the Republican frontrunner.
It’s only news the first time you quit the Republican Party.
I chat with Congressman Tancredo quite often. He endorsed Ted Cruz for president but he’s thinking about switching to Trump. He had nice things to say about Congressman Hostettler and may support him in the general election if he’s the Constitution Party nominee.