Re: “Cornell Republicans Break Party Lines, Endorse Gary Johnson,” News, Sept. 2
To the Editor:
After having heard about the Cornell Republicans decision to endorse Gov. Gary Johnson for President, I felt the need to write a letter regarding this decision. First and foremost, I am appalled by the words with which the CRs used to endorse Governor Johnson, going on to claim that he is a “true conservative.” Not only is this an insult to conservatives, but also an affirmation of ignorance as to what conservatism actually is. All it takes to observe this is a brief trip to Gov. Johnson’s website to realize that this man is surely no conservative! Surely, there are some Republicans that may be at odds with the GOP on social issues among others, but to endorse the Johnson-Weld ticket and claim that it is a “truly conservative” ticket is outright deception! The kicker to all of this now is that the organization seeks to call themselves the “Cornell Conservatives.” Calling themselves this after a Johnson endorsement is an additional insult to conservatism in and of itself.
If the CRs were interested in true conservatism, they would have backed Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) from the very start of the campaign. Instead, the organization decided to frantically endorse Johnson at the last minute to try and halt Trump. True conservatives are men and women built in the molds of Ronald Reagan, Barry Goldwater, Clarence Thomas, Antonin Scalia, Robert Bork, William F. Buckley, Jr. and a variety of others. To claim that Gary Johnson is a “true conservative” is an insult to the work and lives of these remarkable symbols and hallmarks of American conservatism!
If the Cornell Republicans have an issue with a Trump endorsement, then perhaps simply advising to “vote your conscience” is a better suggestion, rather than deception and falsely branding Governor Johnson. Lastly, the statement issued by the CRs fails to mention the record of Governor Bill Weld, Governor Johnson’s running mate, who is steadfast in his opposition to the Second Amendment. By no means am I a Trump supporter, but with the institutional vandalism that is currently being undertaken to gut the American republic, can we truly depend on Governor Johnson to appoint conservative justices and preserve what is left of this great nation? I think not.
Anthony Gullo ’18