I Can Haz Endorsement?
With a presidential race in full swing we are seeing various individuals and groups announcing endorsements for their favorite candidate.
It seems to me that everyone has a right to endorse whoever they want. Just because I support a particular candidate doesn’t mean I agree with everything they stand for. But my endorsement certainly doesn’t mean the candidate has to agree with everything I believe!
I was amused, therefore, to read an article on Yahoo News where Senator McCain is under fire for not renouncing an endorsement from a controversial Texas televangelist.
San Antonio megachurch leader, John Hagee certainly has his enemies. Detractors say he peddles anti-Catholic and other intolerant speech. He has been quoted as saying the Catholic Church conspired with Nazis against the Jews and that Hurricane Katrina was God’s retribution for homosexual sin, and they recited his demeaning comments about women and flip remarks about slavery.
OK, so this is probably not someone you want sitting next to you at your inauguration dinner, but should a candidate renounce support from someone just because they don’t agree with everything the supporter says?
The article quoted a statement issued by McCain which said in part, “However, in no way did I intend for his endorsement to suggest that I in turn agree with all of Pastor Hagee’s views, which I obviously do not.”
In order to get elected a candidate needs broad support from a number of different groups. They can’t possibly be expected to agree with everyone who supports his campaign.
So what’s a candidate to do? Run a background check of every supporter? Only accept endorsements from noncontroversial people? What about celebrity endorsements? Haven’t a lot of celebrities been involved in controversial roles, drugs, or other things the candidate might not agree with? Why haven’t we heard any calls to renounce any celebrity endorsements?
I don’t know, holding public office would be hard enough, I certainly don’t understand why anyone would want to submit themselves to the ordeal of running for election!