Bloody Ruby of Trisirtick

How Responsible Are Candidates For The Views of Their Supporters?

After Pastor John Hagee of CUFI endorsed John McCain for President, some groups offended by his views called on the Senator to repudiate the endorsement.

in response, mccain said today:

“We’ve had a dignified campaign, and I repudiate any comments that are made, including Pastor Hagee’s, if they are anti-Catholic or offensive to Catholics.”

John McCain isn’t the only candidate to run into trouble over controversial support.

Barack Obama’s campaign has repeatedly faced criticism about his Afrocentric church’s connections with Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, especially after the controversial minister publicly endorsed Obama. An Obama spokesman said:

“Senator Obama has been clear in his objections to Minister Farrakhan’s past pronouncements and has not solicited the minister’s support.”

Republican Representative Ron Paul came under fire for not returning a campaign contribution from the founder of a white supremacist Web site. A Paul spokesman said:

“If someone with small ideologies happens to contribute money to Ron, thinking he can influence Ron in any way, he’s wasted his money. Ron is going to take the money and try to spread the message of freedom… And that’s $500 less that this guy has to do whatever it is that he does.”

Some have questioned Senator Hillary Clinton over contributions she accepted from lobbyists and her support from corporate CEOs that led FORTUNE magazine to declare on their cover that “Business Loves Hillary!” Regarding the lobbyists, Clinton said:

“A lot of those lobbyists, whether you like it or not, represent real Americans. They represent nurses, they represent social workers, yes, they represent corporations that employ a lot of people. I donât think, based on my 35 years of fighting for what I believe in, I donât think anybody seriously believes Iâm going to be influenced by a lobbyist.”

What do you think?

Should candidates accept endorsements and/or contributions solely from those with whom they entirely agree? Is this practical? Why or why not? How responsible are candidates for the views of their supporters? How much should political endorsers and/or contributors affect how voters perceive the platforms and views of the candidates they support?

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