A look into the GOP platform: Part One

This is the first of a three-part series examining the 2024 platform of the Republican Party

The GOP released its 2024 party platform in early July.  It is a document filled with many more generalities than with specificity.  Perhaps that is what such platforms typically do, but the result is that the reader is left with more questions than answers.

The GOP Platform contains a Preamble titled “America First: A Return to Common Sense.”

Let’s see if it really is.

(Comments found in the published platform are shown in bold type.)

In 2016, President Donald J. Trump was elected as an unapologetic Champion of the American People.

Some might suggest that his four years in office resulting his championing the far-right, violent segment of the American people if one considers his comments about “good people on both sides” in describing the white nationalists who assaulted peaceful protesters – and killed one – in Charlottesville or the violent crowd that damaged the Capitol on January 6, 2021 and erected a scaffold with the chant of “hang Mike Pence.”

His policies spurred . . . job creation.

During Trump’s four years, 6.7 million jobs were created. Thus far in Biden’s term, 15.4 million jobs have been created.

We must not allow Biden’s Migrant invasion to alter our Country.

The most telling commentary contained within this sentence is not about Biden’s migrant policy. It is about “altering our Country.” This phrase reveals a deep-seated resentment about immigration because it is perceived as threatening the “white, Christian America” so prominent in the conservative segment of politics.

We will DRILL, BABY, DRILL (all caps in original).

Of course, such a policy will ensure that the coffers of the Republicans are filled to brimming by the powerful oil interests who will press to open public lands for more oil exploration while refusing to invest in sustainable energy sources.

Recent Democrat-led political persecutions…

The Democrat-controlled Senate will likely initiate investigations into activities led by Republicans, just as the Republican-led House of Representatives and Senator Rand Paul investigate allegations against President Biden and Anthony Fauci.  It should also be noted that the term “persecutions” is cleverly substituted for “prosecutions” because the former suggests that an investigation is fostered by political differences rather than the application of law.

The Platform Preamble ends with a list of twenty issues, a few of which are here noted:

• Prevent World War III (a truly noble goal albeit one without a process for accomplishment)
• End the weaponization of government against the American people (but only if it means stopping the Justice Department from going after Republican criminals)
• Stop the migrant crime epidemic (for which there is no statistical evidence)
• Cut federal funding for any school pushing critical race theory, radical gender ideology, and other inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content on our children.  (underlining added to “inappropriate” because it is an open-door invitation to the politicians to define exactly what “inappropriate” is, which is something they are already doing with DEI subjects)
• Keep men out of women’s sports (which seems to be occurring on a miniscule scale)
• Make our college campuses safe and patriotic again (especially if we can dictate what subjects are acceptable under the “patriotic” banner)
• Secure our elections, including same day voting, voter identification, paper ballots and proof of citizenship (they simply can’t seem to divest themselves of the failed notions that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump despite 60 failed attempts to overturn election results including an appeal to the Supreme Court, and absolutely overwhelming evidence that the election was the safest and fairest in American history)

Following the Preamble, the remainder of the Platform is broken down into 10 chapters:

1. Defeat inflation, and quickly bring down all prices.
2. Seal the border, and stop the migrant invasion.
3. Build the greatest economy in history.
4. Bring back the American dream and make it affordable again for families, young people, and everyone.
5. Protect American workers and farmers from unfair trade.
6. Protect seniors.
7. Cultivate great K‑12 schools leading to great jobs and great lives for young people.
8. Bring common sense to our government and renew the pillars of American civilization.
9. Government of, by, and for the people.
10. Return to peace through strength.

The next two installments, published over the next two weeks, will look at each chapter of the document.

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Written by Chuck Witt, a retired architect, a former newspaper columnist, and a lifelong resident of Winchester. Cross-posted from WinCity Voices.