Planks in political platforms are often honored in the breach. Nevertheless, voters expect that every four years each major party will formulate and publish a party platform—a coherent statement of aspiration revealing what the party stands for and its plans for the next four years.
Here’s the GOP platform for Campaign 2020: “Trust us.”
And here is the nutshell version of the 90-page Democratic platform:
It’s the ultimate insult. In failing to publish a platform, that’s what the Republicans are saying: “Trust us.”
Why would we? Hostage to the most immature, ignorant and mentally challenged person ever to walk the halls of the White House, the Republicans are a political party in name only. They’re props.
Apparently, they believe the 2016 platform would do and saw no need for an update. After all, the only things that have happened are … well, let’s see … a deadly global pandemic, the collapse of the economy and … uh, record-breaking weeks-long demonstrations in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, and, of course, the issue of how to keep safely educating our kids. And then there were the multiple, caught-on-camera killings of black men by the police and calls for considering more effective ways to perform the policing functions of government. Nothing much …
Interestingly, by copying and pasting the entirety of their tired 2016 platform, the GOP inadvertently told the truth about one point: "The current Administration [that, as any careful reader knows, is the one led by Donald Trump] has exceeded its constitutional authority, brazenly and flagrantly violated the separation of powers, sought to divide America into groups and turn citizen against citizen.” Yes, they have!
Unwritten is what the Republicans apparently believe: Trump will do what Trump will do, any platform be damned. It is what it is. Give us antediluvian judges, chip away at reproductive rights, continue corporate welfare and … oh, tax cuts for the well-to-do: Those are the things that matter.
Both parties’ conventions were—well—unconventional this year, but the differences between them couldn’t have been more stark. From the Democrats, we heard the sweet song of sanity: Pointed speeches, some delivered from the homes of the speakers; votes for nominees cast by citizens around the country against the backdrop of their ordinary lives; a talk by a brave 13-year-old stutterer thrust into the spotlight after a chance encounter with Joe Biden on the campaign trail.
From the Republicans, we had a serenade of sycophants: A parade of Trumps trotted out on stage (but where were the endearing personal remembrances we expect from children of the well-known?); pompous Mike Pompeo, happily ignoring the Hatch act as he touted the wonderfulness of Trump from a perch in Jerusalem; Mike Pence, fawner-in-chief, praising his boss’s handling of the corona virus pandemic … and the lies, always the lies.
Then there was also the illegal use of the White House looking like the venue of a campaign party on steroids. … But that’s another whole issue.
Right now, with historians warning we could lose our democracy within a year, this is what matters: VOTE!
Read the Democratic Party's 2020 Platform
Read the Republican Party's 2016 Platform
Here’s the GOP platform for Campaign 2020: “Trust us.”
And here is the nutshell version of the 90-page Democratic platform:
- To protect Americans and recover from the Covid 19 pandemic
- To build a stronger, fairer economy
- To achieve universal, affordable, quality health care
- To protect communities and build trust by reforming our criminal justice system
- To heal the soul of America
- To combat the climate crisis and pursue environmental justice
- To restore and strengthen our democracy
- To create a 21st century immigration system
- To provide a world class education in every zip code
- To renew American leadership
It’s the ultimate insult. In failing to publish a platform, that’s what the Republicans are saying: “Trust us.”
Why would we? Hostage to the most immature, ignorant and mentally challenged person ever to walk the halls of the White House, the Republicans are a political party in name only. They’re props.
Apparently, they believe the 2016 platform would do and saw no need for an update. After all, the only things that have happened are … well, let’s see … a deadly global pandemic, the collapse of the economy and … uh, record-breaking weeks-long demonstrations in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, and, of course, the issue of how to keep safely educating our kids. And then there were the multiple, caught-on-camera killings of black men by the police and calls for considering more effective ways to perform the policing functions of government. Nothing much …
Interestingly, by copying and pasting the entirety of their tired 2016 platform, the GOP inadvertently told the truth about one point: "The current Administration [that, as any careful reader knows, is the one led by Donald Trump] has exceeded its constitutional authority, brazenly and flagrantly violated the separation of powers, sought to divide America into groups and turn citizen against citizen.” Yes, they have!
Unwritten is what the Republicans apparently believe: Trump will do what Trump will do, any platform be damned. It is what it is. Give us antediluvian judges, chip away at reproductive rights, continue corporate welfare and … oh, tax cuts for the well-to-do: Those are the things that matter.
Both parties’ conventions were—well—unconventional this year, but the differences between them couldn’t have been more stark. From the Democrats, we heard the sweet song of sanity: Pointed speeches, some delivered from the homes of the speakers; votes for nominees cast by citizens around the country against the backdrop of their ordinary lives; a talk by a brave 13-year-old stutterer thrust into the spotlight after a chance encounter with Joe Biden on the campaign trail.
From the Republicans, we had a serenade of sycophants: A parade of Trumps trotted out on stage (but where were the endearing personal remembrances we expect from children of the well-known?); pompous Mike Pompeo, happily ignoring the Hatch act as he touted the wonderfulness of Trump from a perch in Jerusalem; Mike Pence, fawner-in-chief, praising his boss’s handling of the corona virus pandemic … and the lies, always the lies.
Then there was also the illegal use of the White House looking like the venue of a campaign party on steroids. … But that’s another whole issue.
Right now, with historians warning we could lose our democracy within a year, this is what matters: VOTE!
Read the Democratic Party's 2020 Platform
Read the Republican Party's 2016 Platform
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