Conservative vs. Liberalism Response

Right to Life's Big Mistake

Right to Life’s Big Mistake

I have been a member and supporter of RTL for over 30 years. Unfortunately I feel that RTL made a serious misjudgment in endorsing Mike Cox for governor. Pete Hoekstra, Mike Bouchard, Mike Cox, and Tom George have all been endorsed by RTL in past elections. I believe the best course of action for RTL to have taken would have been to reject Rick Snyder for not meeting their criteria and allow voters to make a choice between the other candidates. They should have focused their efforts against Rick Snyder, instead of supporting the only candidate for governor who went negative, trashing his opponents instead of focusing on his record, the issues and his plans for Michigan. RTL should have chose the strongest RTL candidate with highest moral character, but they allowed politics, polls and special interest groups to affect their choice, as several large organizations all decided to endorse Mike Cox within a two day period. They strayed from their mission, so that they could sit at the table with all of the big PACs and attempt to be a king maker instead of voice for life.

This is not the first time RTL has made the political choice in favor of a weaker RTL candidate, but it is one that that was so blatant on such a grand scale that they cannot cover it up and need to be called to task for it. President of RTL, Barbra Listing, and Michigan RTL are to be commended for their past accomplishments and the direct effect they have had on reducing the number of abortions in Michigan over the past 30 years. However, in recent years they have become more political and far less responsive to their supporters concern about the direction they seem to be headed. This happens to elected officials who forget who elected them and it happens to large PACs who think they know more than group they are supposed to be advocating for. There needs to be a change in the leadership structures in RTL, because they have been there too long, they have become too political and they have forgotten what their true purpose and mandate is.

Many who stand for life in Michigan believe that RTL handed the Republican Primary to the only candidate for governor who did not meet their criteria, by making a political decision to support a weaker RTL candidate with questionable character. Many of their supporters cautioned RTL not to make this decision, but they did not listen; now we have two candidates for governor, neither of whom meets RTL's criteria.

RTL Email Responses

Lorraine VanBuren iamwoc@yahoo.com

Dear Mr. Sheen,

A friend forwarded to me a post that you wrote about RLM's endorsement of Mike Cox. You wrote exactly how I feel!

I have been involved with our local RTL affiliate for more than 20 years serving on its board and various committees. Pete, Diane and their children were at our home following the Fourth of July parade in Ludington in which they participated as a part of Pete's very first re-election campaign. My husband and I have supported Pete in every re-election season ever since.

I saw Mike Cox's first TV ad in mid-May when I was visiting my sister in Jackson. The ad was nothing more than an attack on Pete Hoekstra! And now Cox is abusing his RLM endorsement! The first robo-call that we received following the endorsement was focused on the fact that Cox was "the only candidate to be endorsed by Right to Life of Michigan."

According to one of the people on the RLM-PAC endorsement committee, RLM is terrified of Rick Snyder winning the primary and they felt that Cox has the best chance of defeating Snyder. They decided to endorse only Cox because they didn't want to "split the pro-life vote." I understand the committee has never made an anti-endorsement, but this certainly would have been the year to start, because the pro-life vote IS split.

If RLM-PAC's endorsement is to offset Snyder's "pro-life" stance, then why aren't Cox's ads emphasizing that, instead of Cox continuing to attack Pete? As you said, Cox's campaign techniques are defining his character. Should Cox win, I do believe that he will reap in the general election campaign what he has sown in this primary season. I am going to forward your post, with this reply, to my e-mail list and pray that the eyes of voters will be open on August 3 to vote for Pete Hoekstra.

Cordially,

Lorraine VanBuren

Scottville