Words To Live By: The Forgotten 11th Commandment

At the Republican presidential debates in 2011 held at the Reagan Library, Newt Gingrich commented, “Well, I’m frankly not interested in your effort to get Republicans fighting each other. You’d like to puff this up into some giant thing…”. Yes, It seems that name calling and vicious attacks are standard operating procedure in today’s political arena. It’s almost as if candidates need hunting licenses as they seek their party’s nomination. It’s open season with barbs flying faster at fellow Republicans than macaroni in the school cafeteria. Back in 1985, the President reiterated his position in a news conference:

Q. “Mr. President, there have been signals from the White House in recent days that you were, perhaps, somewhat dissatisfied with the level of loyalty of some Members of Congress on particular issues of importance to you. Could you tell us what you think is the responsibility of a Senator or a House Member who finds himself faced on an issue deciding between what he thinks his constituents want and his President wants?”

The President. “Well, I suppose this comes from the suggestion that I am supposed to penalize some Members in the coming campaign. No, I've never done that. I am a charter member of the California-born 11th commandment: Thou shalt not speak ill of another Republican. And, therefore, I'm dedicated to doing my best to see if we can't maintain the majority we have in the Senate and someday get ourselves a majority in the House, which we haven't had for more than 26 years. So, no, I'm not going to hold a grudge on anyone.”

Yes, the 11th commandment is the topic of today’s podcast. So what was the history of this commandment? It goes back to 1966 as far as we know. It was initially suggested for then gubernatorial candidate Ronald Reagan in 1966 by Gaylord Parkinson, Republican State Chairman. Reagan. Turns out Reagan had been verbally hammered by Republican opponent Warren Christopher who criticized Reagan’s participation in a Eureka College student strike and his support of Helen Gahagan Douglas against Richard Nixon in 1950. Once candidate Reagan learned of the admonition, “Thou shall not speak ill of any fellow Republican,” he grasped the idea and was supported by Parkinson who on a few occasions, rebuked Christopher for allegedly violating the Eleventh Commandment.

The story doesn’t end there. Then, as Governor, Reagan penned a letter to Bob Walker, the executive director of the state committee who also stood in support of the 11th commandment. Ronald Reagan thanked him for restating the principle and joked that his opponents are also “having trouble sticking with the first 10.”

In the long run, the Eleventh Commandment became an integral part of the Reagan campaign persona, as important as “…there you go again” and “the shining city on the hill.” As President, he described it as “the greatest thing that's happened for the Republican Party” because “when the chips are down and the decisions are made as to who the candidates will be, then the 11th commandment prevails and everybody goes to work, and that is: Thou shalt not speak ill of another Republican.”

As you can guess, he would invoke the 11th commandment at Republican fundraisers or campaign speeches. So we’ll highlight a few in this podcast.? Let’s start in March 1982 when he met with the board of the New York Post:

Q. “Are you concerned about the disarray in the Republican Party in New York? The frontrunner for Governor, Ned Regan's withdrawn, and the frontrunner for the Senate, the GOP Senate race, has been forced to withdraw.”

The President. “Yes, I know. That's something that you don't like to see in either party or have happen. The only advice I would give, coming in as an outsider, only linked by way of -- that we're in the same party and concern is I would highly recommend the Eleventh Commandment that we gave birth to in California: ``Thou shalt not speak ill of another Republican.'' [Laughter]”

Q. “Governor Koch notwithstanding.”

The President.?“Well, I tell you, though, it's amazing what we learned there. It worked, because when it was created was at the low spot, right after 1964. And we had torn the party wide open in California. I don't think it was more divided any place in the country than it was after the bitter '64 election. And that simple thing, the Eleventh Commandment, took hold, and organizations like the Women's Federated -- the Republican clubs, they adopted statewide and just simply said they would not support any Republican winner after the primary who had not observed in the primary the Eleventh Commandment. And '66, a united party elected almost all the constitutional officers -- the Governor -- that was when I ran. And it just -- it did the job.”

In 1985, he attended a Republican fundraising dinner in California and was told they were going to name the Republican headquarters there after him.

“Governor Deukmejian, Members of the Congress who are here, Chairman Antonovich, ladies and gentlemen, and a special thanks to Margaret Brock for all she's done to make this the successful dinner that it is. And I'm more than a little overwhelmed now that I know that that building is -- what its name is going to be. Up until now, the only thing named after me was a pub in Ballyporeen, Ireland. [Laughter] Now you're going to make me respectable. [Laughter]

“Well, California is always in the forefront of new trends, and perhaps this idea of a before-dinner speech -- I'll make it a short one, though -- will catch on. I was happy to see our friend John Gavin, our Ambassador to Mexico, and Jack, as you know, has done a superlative job there. I think he's one of the best Ambassadors this country has ever had, and we're enormously pleased that he's going to stay on in his post and continue his great work.

“I can't tell you how much of a pleasure it is for Nancy and me to be here with old friends and back in California. I've told [British Prime Minister] Margaret Thatcher on several occasions that if only their people had come across the other ocean first, the Capitol would be in California. [Laughter]…

“Perhaps the most heartening development in recent years is that today's crop of young people is turning to our party as never before. I used to say -- sometimes discouraged back in an earlier time -- that every time I went to a Republican affair, I thought the only young people there looked like they couldn't join anything else -- [laughter] -- but not anymore. In that '84 campaign, all the way across the country and on a great many campuses -- and I could remember when if I went to a campus, I started a riot -- but this time, to see them all filled with energy and idealism at our Republican rallies all across America. Young voters will continue supporting us as long as we offer the way to a better future, as long as we're the can-do party with an agenda for an opportunity-filled tomorrow, the party with a positive strategy for freedom and growth…

“And today we're a major political force for change in America. That's evident by the teriffic job that Governor Deukmejian is doing here in California. And, believe me, we're seeing it all across the country. Now, I hope -- indeed, I know that all of you are going to do your best to reelect him next year, and I'll bet I know what his wish would be if he were blowing out birthday candles right now. It would be: Send him a legislature that he can work with -- more Republicans.

“And while you're at it, why not send another Republican to Washington as a Senator to join the Republican Senator we already have there. Now, I hear there are quite a few people interested in the job -- [laughter] -- and there's nothing wrong with that. And I'm sure that practically any one of them would be an improvement. [Laughter] But may I make a suggestion? Twenty years ago our party in California gave a priceless gift to Republicans everywhere -- the 11th commandment: ``Thou shalt not speak ill of another Republican.'' Have a spirited primary, but don't campaign against each other. Campaign against the incumbent and then stand united behind our party's choice. And I mean, not just talk about, as we have maybe for too many years, but let's go back to what it was like in that first year, 20 years ago, when the candidates themselves pledged to observe it and when Republican groups and organizations like the Federated Women said they would only support a candidate who subscribed to the 11th commandment. Let's bring that back and do it again, and maybe this time it will catch on all over the country. I've been trying to spread the word about it for a long time, and we'll get them everyplace…

“One of the reasons the American people have turned to us is that we don't waver from our commitment to do what's necessary to keep our country safe and to secure the blessings of liberty for our children and our children's children. That is the Republican goal, and nowhere is this clearer than in Central America. We've turned around a desperate situation in these last 4\1/2\ years. One of the proudest accomplishments of this administration has happened slowly and quietly with little recognition. When we first got to Washington the question we heard everywhere was, ``Will El Salvador fall to the Communists?'' Well, today the question is, ``Will democracy win in Nicaragua?'' And tomorrow the question will be, ``How soon?'' We've held firm. We'll continue to do what needs to be done to protect our country's security and help the people of Central America build free, prosperous, and democratic countries.

“Today we have so many reasons to be grateful. Nancy and I have said a few prayers of thanks in these last few weeks, but all of us can be thankful that we're citizens of this blessed land. I want to thank all of you for what you're doing to keep it the good and decent land that God intended it to be. And I'm sorry we can't spend the rest of the evening here with you, but I appreciate -- and I know Nancy does -- this opportunity, at least for this limited time, to be here with you. Just seeing you here like this makes me sure we'll preserve this last best hope of man on Earth.

“God bless you all. Thank you all for all you're doing.”

Now, back to the story of the 11th commandment. It’s too bad the politicians today aren’t practicing the concept. During the Republican debates in 2016, a Republican pundit was disturbed by their vicious attacks on each other and commented that “we’re shooting inside the tent.” Back in 1964, when Nelson Rockefeller and Barry Goldwater were vying for the presidential nomination, it was said that Rockefeller’s vicious attacks permanently damaged Goldwater’s image and cost him the election. Who knows?

So back to our 40th president who, in June, 1987, visited the Old Executive Office Building to thank all the people who worked in the Reagan Administration. Here’s a brief excerpt:

“Well, thank you very much, and welcome to the White House. You didn't know it -- they call this the White House, too. [Laughter] Don't know how it got that way. But a particular welcome to all of you. They say there's no friend like an old friend, and you here are some of our oldest. Now, wait a minute, that's not exactly the way to frame that. [Laughter] Some of you are the longest time friends. [Laughter] You were with us in '80, and many of you were with us in '76. And for the fellows in the press, that's 1976, not 1876. [Laughter]

“But we've been together for a long time and fighting for the same cause for a long time. Far back as we go, the cause that unites us goes back much further. It's a simple thing, really -- as old as the ages and as new as the hope in each morning's dawn. Call it the ideals of the Declaration of Independence, call it the principles of the Constitution, or call it the wisdom of the founders or of the prophets or the philosophers and the saints. Our stand is today what it's always been -- for the enduring cause of the human spirit against all who would stifle or oppress it. Our stand is for freedom.

“When we got started, the received wisdom of sophisticated opinion all over the world was that people no longer really cared about freedom; that government could do it all -- and should -- because government was so very wise. I've always thought that the common sense and the wisdom of the Government were summed up in a sign they used to have hanging on that gigantic Hoover Dam. It said: ``Government Property. Do Not Remove.'' [Laughter]

“Archimedes said: Show me the spot to stand, and I will move the world. And with our stand for freedom, we have moved the world. Today big government is in retreat all over the world. We said lower taxes, fewer regulations, and more enterprise were the way to prosperity. And today America is in its 55th month of economic expansion, an expansion that's just a few months away from being the longest in our peacetime history. Yes, we said that the surest road to prosperity was to let the American people tune up the carburetor, fill up the tank, and step on the gas of the greatest energy for -- or the greatest engine, I should say, for beating poverty and building prosperity the world has ever known -- the American free enterprise system.

“We said that the road to peace was through unquestioned American strength and through an America that nations throughout the world could and would respect. My favorite cartoon of the last few years was one -- right after we really began rebuilding our military -- of two Russian generals. And one of them was saying to the other, ``I liked the arms race better when we were the only ones in it.'' [Laughter]

“We said that in relations between the superpowers, it was time for realism: Nations don't distrust each other because they're armed; they're armed because they distrust each other. And we said that this realism was the first step, not toward controlling the growth of the number of arms, but of bringing about what all mankind prays for -- real and verifiable reductions in the number of nuclear weapons. And we said that the tide of history was not the tide of oppression. The tide of history is a freedom tide. In the last 6 years, not 1 square inch of ground has been lost to communism, and a small nation -- Grenada -- has been liberated…

“So, this is my call to you today. We've come this far together, but the journey isn't over. We've won many battles and our brows are covered with sweat and our bodies have wounds, but let our hearts remain full and strong. We have more battles yet to win, and standing shoulder to shoulder, we'll win them. And in that context, I have to ask you for something to do. I know how hard you're going to continue working, as you always have. But back in 1966, we gave birth to something in California that turned out to be so successful in the whole history of our party politics -- the 11th commandment: ``Thou shalt not speak ill of another Republican.'' And we observed it. And I think in California that year it was observed because the Federated Republican Women's Club passed a resolution in advance that they would support no candidate who had violated in the primaries the 11th commandment. And we all did observe it as candidates. I was a candidate, myself.

“And somehow, over the past years, we've begun to forget about that. And now we've got a number of candidates out there contesting with each other. It is up to all of us and other groups and organizations around to start doing what the Federated Women did and make sure that all of our candidates, even our own very favorite candidate, whoever he may be, must not violate that commandment. We must be ready so that when the election is over, without any blushing or hesitation, we can all come together in support of whoever was the nominee.

“Well, I haven't got any more song to sing, so I'll just, again, say thank you all for so much that you do. Thank you, and God bless you all.”

For more information on the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, including information on how to become a member, information on upcoming exhibits at the Reagan Library, and more information on the legacy of President Reagan, please visit www.ReaganFoundation.org.? ?

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