Guest Columnist Brian Almon: Musings on Ideology

I’ve been pondering the concept of ideology lately and how it interacts with politics. I presume that most in our circles are motivated by ideology. We believe there are moral laws that govern the universe, put in place by our Creator, and that society should be structured in a way that supports those moral laws. We ban murder not because it is a net drain on the economy, but because it is morally wrong to wantonly take the life of another human being. We extend that principle to the unborn, recognizing that they too bear the image of God and that destroying them is morally evil.

Those of us motivated by ideology often find it difficult to evaluate political figures who are not. Yet it’s true that many in politics are motivated by other factors, such as pure pragmatism, economics, or simply maintaining their own power and prestige. It can be hard for ideologues to discern the motives of non-ideologues because we assume they are operating from the same perspective we are. Obviously, that is not always the case.

Yesterday, five of the seven statewide constitutional officers—Gov. Brad Little, Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke, Secretary of State Phil McGrane, Controller Brandon Woolf, and Superintendent Debbie Critchfield—expressed support for Sen. Jim Guthrie. To me, and presumably to many of you as well, that is mind-boggling. Guthrie voted with Democrats on numerous important issues, including keeping men out of women’s restrooms and protecting children from being socially transitioned without parental notification. He also boasted on the Senate floor this year that he voted against hundreds of millions of dollars in tax cuts. Yet Republicans in the executive branch still want to see him reelected.

Why?

It doesn’t make sense from an ideological perspective. But if you take ideology out of the equation, there is a certain logic to it. Guthrie has been around a long time and has surely built relationships with many of these figures. They probably know they can count on him to do what they believe needs to be done—even taking the blame for holding bills they would rather not see reach the Senate floor. How many favors have been traded over the past decade?

What I’m suggesting is that their political calculus is different from ours. I still disagree, don’t get me wrong. Kudos to Attorney General Raúl Labrador for publicly supporting David Worley, who I hope will unseat Guthrie and send him somewhere more suited to his views—perhaps the Idaho Statesman editorial board. But it is valuable to take the time to understand why people do what they do so we can better compete in the political arena. Remember: Patton beat Rommel by first reading his book.

Editor’s note:  This article originally appeared in the Gem State Chronicle.  I encourage our readers to visit their website and consider subscribing.  Find this and other informative articles at the Gem State Chronicle here: About – Gem State Chronicle