Editorial: 'Litmus test' not needed

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• Poltical notes: Cities gear up for funding fight; Republicans ponder litmus test

There has been considerable talk recently that the Republican Party is considering a so-called litmus test that candidates would need to pass to win party endorsement. Electoral hopefuls would be required to be abide by at least seven of the list’s 10 points in order to win endorsement.

The litmus test list, published Saturday in the Daily Globe and still available at www.dglobe.com, is comprised of stances on such matters as the size of government, health care reform, immigration policies, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Defense of Marriage Act and more. Its proponents say it will serve to best define the candidates who are most adherent to key GOP values.

While we can understand the intent of a litmus test, we don’t necessarily think it’s the optimum way for any political party to choose the candidate it wishes to endorse.

For one thing, the Republican list is made up of simply yes or no questions that offer no room for nuance, nor any opportunity for a candidate explanation of why he or she might take the stand they do on any of the 10 proposed points.

And here’s another consideration: Is a candidate who scores a 9, for example, on the test always a better candidate than one who scores, say, a 5? A widely circulated e-mail last week reported revered conservative Ronald Reagan would have failed the proposed test.

We believe there are plenty of potential Republican candidates in this country that have more things to offer this nation than a mere numerical score.

Online: The litmus test

Tags: litmus test, opinion, editorial, gop, republicans