Is loyalty important in politics?

Well, yes. Sure.

But I don’t think of loyalty as dedication to a party or a president. I think, instead, of principle.

In a debate early in October, Republican candidates Tom Tancredo and Ron Paul eagerly declared their disloyalty . . . to the Republican candidates that they thought were sending the country in the wrong direction. Neither Tancredo nor Paul said they would be willing to support the ultimate Republican nominee for president if the candidate chosen did not align with their views.

For Tancredo, that is about illegal immigration and border control. For Ron Paul, it’s about getting out of Iraq; he says America’s presence there has been a disaster. Ron Paul said he wouldn’t support any of his Republican competitors unless, and I quote, “they’re willing to end the war and bring our troops home.”

Sen. John McCain quickly replied, “You don’t want me then, pal.”

Now some may see it as disloyal to the party to run for its presidential nomination without agreeing to support the eventual nominee. And party regulars are certainly free to vote against such candidates. But as for me, whether I agree with a candidate’s ideas or not, I like it when they are loyal — not to their party or some clique of supporters, but to their ideas, their principles.

Loyalty is important — Loyalty to the people one represents and the principles one stands for.

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.

• Episode Number: 1923
• Publication Date: 10/24/2007