The RNC is Looking for Platform Suggestions
By Steve Foley Posted in Republicans — Comments (46) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
As the body politic continues its evolution, some things change and some stay the same. One thing that has been more or less relegated to the ash heap of history is the Party Platform. it's a relic of a bygone age when principles and policy stances had meaning and one could glean a fairly accurate sense of the parties motives and direction.
That day, I'm sorry to report, is gone! Not that I think there isn't a place for the party platform, on the contrary, I think over simplified talking points look great on the party's website! I just don't think members, especially elected ones, are paying them much attention anymore!
Well, imagine my surprise as I opened my email this morning to find a letter from the the RNC encouraging me to visit a new website and participate in crafting the platform for the next four years! Did you catch that? The next four years? I wonder if that was intentional? more on that down article.
The site is gopplatform2008.com and is put together by what the RNC is calling the Republican Platform Committee:
Welcome to the most grassroots-driven platform development effort in the history of American politics!
The Republican Party is seeking your input as we develop the policies and principles upon which we should stand for the next four years. On this website, you can share your thoughts, participate in polls, and communicate directly with the policymakers who will be shaping the party's agenda. All comments and feedback will be reviewed and taken into full consideration as we prepare for our convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul.
We hope that this process will guarantee the greatest amount of public input into any platform in American history!
Two things that jumped out at me right away were:
1) The Republican Party is seeking your input as we develop the policies and principles upon which we should stand for the next four years.
As I mentioned above, this looks to be intentional and seems to indicate a) that the RNC only sees a one term McCain presidency or b) Doesn't believe McCain will be victorious in Nov. I can't imagine they really feel this way but it does make one wonder?
2) All comments and feedback will be reviewed and taken into full consideration as we prepare for our convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul
I have a feeling or a suspicion, if you will, that this effort may be an attempt to codify conservative policies and principles and present them in a meaningful way at convention in an attempt to rein in our nominees penchant for embracing centrist to leftist policies and principles!
I may be reading too much in here... but who can blame me?
...my grandfathers and great grandfathers to be exact, when for the most part party platforms (whatever they may have been)were an accurate or direct reflection of the parties motives and direction. in contrast, over the past few decades I think the platforms have morphed more into warmed over talking points with little or no adherence by elected members than strict Party policy.
Just my opinion
I do think you are correct in your "coalitions" argument but I was addressing that institution rather than the substance or at least I was trying too ;0)
Founder and contributor to The Minority Report and Editor for The Hinzsight Report
C'mon, Neil. If we can't overblow here, where can we?
Pluto, the Ninth Planet - Forever!
of those changes. It is a statement of principles that represents what the party rank and file believe in.
http://meandmyilk.blogtownhall.com/
Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first.--Ronald Wilson Reagan
Although this appears to be a good thing I am troubled just as I was during the primary. What is troubling me is that I didn't see anything in here that restricts the comments to only registered republicans.
"Land of the Free and Home of da Whopper" Peter Griffin...Family Guy
conform and celebrate diversity....or else!!!
Steel-Belted Radial Right Winger
Now that you pointed that out it troubles me too!
Founder and contributor to The Minority Report and Editor for The Hinzsight Report
...I just went trhough and voted in their polls and looked at the results...although the results aren't bad there is enough of a percentage of wrong answers IMO to raise an eyebrow. There was one question in particular that worried me. The question went like this:
Do you believe that raising taxes will help create more jobs?
And 6% said yes and 10% said not sure. Really? Are we at a time that 16% of Republicans still don't understand things like the Laffer Curve? I think we may have already been infiltrated.
"Land of the Free and Home of da Whopper" Peter Griffin...Family Guy
conform and celebrate diversity....or else!!!
Steel-Belted Radial Right Winger
I didn't log in. Does the request for a donation appear as you try to submit your ideas?
If it doesn't, this isn't a true political party website.
Pluto, the Ninth Planet - Forever!
Let the Party talk squarely to Barr and Paul. A clear compromise should be made.
1. DISCUSSION ON THE ISSUE OF AMERICA IN WAR. On issue of America going to war, that should be a topic that require clear honest discussion based on history and current events. Ron Paul is correct in saying that original Republican leaders were more of "isolationists" and don't meddle with other countries' issues. That's a fact. An "America engaged in a war" was originally an idea of the Democrats, see the pattern here:
WW1 - Wilson
WW2 - FDR, Truman
Cold War - Truman
Vietnam War - JFK and Lyndon
In fact the Israel Policy was made by Truman in 1948 after Israel's victory against the Arab with the New York Times boastfully ridiculed the Arab people by its headline of "Israel Won" while the Arab leaders were trying to convince their people that they won the war. If balanced reporting had been made, it was most likely.... Nobody won. Now, all the recent wars were under the responsibility of the Republicans, which is the main anchor point of Ron Paul and his supporters. But I hope Sir Paul would admit that WE CAN NO LONGER BRING BACK THE TIME... Patriotism and security of American people should be the correct way to go. In fact, the enemies of the past... communism , has evolved into "anti-war movement", which I believe Dr. Paul should never have any association with. His kind words to Obama is a troubling issue for me.
2. NO TO KILLING OF THE GAYS/LESBIANS. We need to make a good stand that this is not what the Republican Party stands for as the Democratic Party is trying to play against us. We are losing the youth base because the Democrats are painting us to be mad killers. While not all of us will agree on the issue, I think that McCain's stand on calculated tolerance up to domestic partnership for LGBT would be a idea that requires critical thinking to all of us, including strong-hold Christian conservatives.
3. NO TO ABORTION. But removal of the unborn in the body of pregnant woman in "life-threatening situation" should be accepted as a form of "surgical operation" and should not be construed as abortion.
4. CONSTITUTION AS THE BASIC TENET OF REPUBLICAN PLATFORM.
The rest of the issues, I think can be fully resolved within the party - including lean government and controlled spending.
IN THE END, EVERYTHING SHOULD BE DICTATED BY COMMON SENSE.
Until then he's just a RiNO nut.
Most of us don't want that kind of person, celebrating filth such as that shown in the SF Gay parade, in our party.
2. NO TO KILLING OF THE GAYS/LESBIANS.
I'm not sure I've ever seen killing of gays and lesbians in anyone's plank. Well, not in this country anyways.
Republican Party is accused of murderers by GLBT. Haven't you heard of that? Ask your friends who have witnessed Gay Parade in their town and you will find out.
And they have this gay man who was said to be killed by gay bashers (translation: conservatives... republicans).
The orifice - their mouth, I think. He he!
(and the GLBT group is a SMALL handful of such, a tiny minority of a small minority of people) ...is to incorporate their stupidity into the Republican Plank?
very productive, that.
But this "very close contest" means that even "the smallest group" can sway the result of the election. For example, in New Jersey, there was a report that gays were increasing in number in a country at bay area. The story was linked to a British news story where gays were suing local government against trimming of shrubberies of a certain park where they conduct their "orgies" at night- a form of discrimination they say. And more recently, a gay suing bible publishers. Note that these groups, even small, attract sympathy from moderates.
We therefore need to emphatically state that Conservative principles are most humane... totally different from the mantra being spread by the liberals against us.
It was right there next to the Reinstitution of slavery and the creation of inquisitional courts.
"Nothing works like freedom, Nothing succeeds like liberty"
Kyle
I know. But we need to strengthen our communication with these groups to understand that we don't "hate" them, it's just that we cannot sacrifice "the sanctity of marriage".
What have we to gain by offering legitimacy to the ravings of a paranoid fringe? It popped up on the national radar a few months ago that there is, apparently, a surprisingly large subset of the African-American population that thinks the US govt. created HIV/AIDS to kill black people. Is that also a fear we should attempt to address? Maybe we should add a policy point about opposing murder of US residents? That would be sufficiently broad as to cover any and all possible divisions of the population.
Of course, it would also be palpably farcical: no one credible is calling for the out-and-out murder of anyone.
--
This too shall pass.
If we spend all our time addressing and trying to correct the strangest of claims about Conservatives, we'll never get our points out there.
Which is, of course, why such radically strange claims exist.
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Dependence is Slavery.
Political Compass
Economic Left/Right: 7.12
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: 1.85
I don't know if you are serious or not Rod...but with all due respect...I don't think putting such a plank in the platform would do anything but give credence to the Dumbycrat's accusations that that's what Republicans are all about.
http://meandmyilk.blogtownhall.com/
Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first.--Ronald Wilson Reagan
Kind of makes you wonder why this guy is at RS...Kos mite fit him/her better
http://meandmyilk.blogtownhall.com/
Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first.--Ronald Wilson Reagan
I have a suggestion for the RNC... grow a pair and stand by the conservative platform that was successful in gaining a majority in the first place!
_________________
Thou art the Great Cat, the avenger of the Gods, and the judge of words...-Inscription on the Royal Tombs at Thebes
"Land of the Free and Home of da Whopper" Peter Griffin...Family Guy
conform and celebrate diversity....or else!!!
Steel-Belted Radial Right Winger
Bizarrely accusing your political opponents within the party of being eunuchs (and how does that even apply to the women in the party?) isn't going to win any arguments.
Have the people of this nation really changed so much? I don't think so. Most people I know crave a conservative principle gov't even though they don't even know it. The platform wasn't wrong it was the failure in executing the platform that got us kicked out of the gov't. At least that's my take.
"Land of the Free and Home of da Whopper" Peter Griffin...Family Guy
conform and celebrate diversity....or else!!!
Steel-Belted Radial Right Winger
The electorate now isn't the same as the one in 1994 or 1980. In fact we're as far away from Gingrich as Gingrich was from Reagan.
Gingrich didn't go using crude rhetoric to club his opponents. He made his case. He persuaded. Same with Reagan.
Conservatives are wrong when they think they're entitled to power in the party.
...Political expediency and capitulation to the left is the new black!
Since the electorate has been thoroughly propagandized into believing that Old Style European Socialism is the answer to all their problems, One again proving Americans are severely behind the curve as European countries are moving more and more to the right and electing more conservative leaders, this seems to be the course for the party!
Conservatives are wrong when they think they're entitled to power in the party
And the other factions are wrong to think that for a fluke and a ridiculous primary schedule that Conservatives shouldn't have a voice at all!
Founder and contributor to The Minority Report and Editor for The Hinzsight Report
...the electorate may have changed what they are saying but when you really sit down and talk to most people be they black, white, hispanic, "liberal", or "conservative"...what they want can only be provided by conservative governorship. We have to do what Gingrich did in '94 and what Reagan did in '80. We need to explain why our policies and principles, when enacted by the will of the people, will improve their lives and secure their liberty. And you can't communicate that without it being a strong foundation to the party platform.
"Land of the Free and Home of da Whopper" Peter Griffin...Family Guy
conform and celebrate diversity....or else!!!
Steel-Belted Radial Right Winger
I think one of the great problems we have in the Republican Party is that we don't encourage you to be nasty. We encourage you to be neat, obedient, loyal and faithful and all those Boy Scout words, which would be great around a campfire but are lousy in politics. ~ Newt Gingrich
Or
Confrontation is not new to Gingrich, and the battle with O'Neill was no accident. Before interviewing Gingrich for this story, I watched him give a speech to a group of conservative activists. "The number one fact about the news media," he told them, "is they love fights." For months, he explained, he had been giving "organized, systematic, researched, one-hour lectures. Did CBS rush in and ask if they could tape one of my one-hour lectures? No. But the minute Tip O'Neill attacked me, he and I got 90 seconds at the close of all three network news shows. You have to give them confrontations. When you give them confrontations, you get attention; when you get attention, you can educate." ~ MotherJones
stress mine
_________________
Thou art the Great Cat, the avenger of the Gods, and the judge of words...-Inscription on the Royal Tombs at Thebes
"Land of the Free and Home of da Whopper" Peter Griffin...Family Guy
conform and celebrate diversity....or else!!!
Steel-Belted Radial Right Winger
That's why the WWE is so popular.
McCain for POTUS so the left can't ruin SCOTUS.
is your statement that people within the party are my opponents. It is my emphatic opinion that it was conservative principles that propelled Republicans into the majority and it was their abandonment of these principles that lost it. I do not feel "entitled to power", just to my opinion.
If you wish me to be PC gender neutral in my statement then fine:
I wish the RNC and our elected officials would show some "intestinal fortitude". How's that?
Sorry, I didn't see this and posted first to your Gingrich post.
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Thou art the Great Cat, the avenger of the Gods, and the judge of words...-Inscription on the Royal Tombs at Thebes
It is hard to push your goal when so many want to distance themselves from conservatives.
Conservativism requires sacrifice, hard work and rational long-term thought.
It also requires personal responsibility and accountability for your actions.
That's a tough sell nowdays, especially when the other side preaches "Free Healthcare! We'll Tax the Rich, not you!"
Doesn't matter if it is all a lie or not. People are intrinsically selfish and it takes maturity to be willing to stand your ground, even if you have to work hard to do it.
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Dependence is Slavery.
Political Compass
Economic Left/Right: 7.12
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: 1.85
If they really believed in those conservative principles to begin with they would not have abandoned them.
"Nothing works like freedom, Nothing succeeds like liberty"
Kyle
Don't you know how hard it is to get Democrat votes if they're pleasing Conservatives?
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Dependence is Slavery.
Political Compass
Economic Left/Right: 7.12
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: 1.85
lean conservative, so the key is to communicate conservative ideas to the American people (Democrat, Republican, or Independent). That's how Reagan won so big.
Per the last to elections, the majority of people who go and vote lean to the right.
We don't know about those who don't vote. We can only assume. And that's dangerous.
----------------------
Dependence is Slavery.
Political Compass
Economic Left/Right: 7.12
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: 1.85
There are more than two ways to refer to 'too.'
two. not to.
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Dependence is Slavery.
Political Compass
Economic Left/Right: 7.12
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: 1.85
http://meandmyilk.blogtownhall.com/
Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first.--Ronald Wilson Reagan
You may be right about GOPPlatform2008.com, but I'm think we conservatives ought to go ahead and submit our pro-freedom Conservative Ideas and hope they can influence the Republican Party.
http://www.redstate.com/blogs/politicalwizard/2008/jul/11/attention_all_...
If they ignore our pro-freedom Conservative Ideas and either embrace centrist policies or turn our Conservative Ideas into centrist policies, then we can think about taking our political business somewhere else.
I'm looking at this as a POSSIBLE opportunity to "change" the Republican Party, and bring it back to America's First Principles. I say we take the RNC up on their offer, and hope the new Platform has Conservative Ideas not centrist ones.
but I can't wait until this party is blown out of the water in November and realizes it has to be revamped with conservative principles. I think of it this way: an alcoholic has to hit rock bottom before they start thinking about making changes in their lifestyle.
at the expense of the nation.
Great idea.
McCain for POTUS so the left can't ruin SCOTUS.
Too many people around here ignore that.
There'd be no Reagan without Carter, no Gingrich without Clinton.
Besides, people around here overestimate their own influence - if the American people are scared, and ready to jump off the cliff, there's nothing people around here can do to stop them.
Expanding beyond this would probably require a diary, so I'll stop here.
The difference here is that they're opening it up to thew Kossites to work their mischief since it's public. They way it's been done up till now in Texas is that you could bring a platform change to your precinct convention which would be voted on and advance from the Senate Convention to the State Convention to the Federal Convention. If your change is adopted at each level it becomes a part of the platform.
I'm not sure this is such a good thing since like I said the Kossites and lefties will be able to sign in and stick stuff in there. It also eliminates the need of party activists to attend conventions. In addition it takes any meaning away from being a delegate beyond voting on the nominee at the National Convention...every other convention below the national will become meaningless.
http://meandmyilk.blogtownhall.com/
Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first.--Ronald Wilson Reagan
Any questions? :)
We've seen the Dems use conservative talk to win in conservative districts. Heck, in TN-7, one (if not the only) Dem running against Marsha Blackburn is trying to out-conservative HER! I heard a radio ad where he's got someone who says she voted for Marsha last time saying she's voting for this guy because he's pro-life, pro-gun, & for the fair tax!
We need to log in & support conservative ideals & principles.
Or does that Platform logo look like a wanton Bacchanal? I must be getting old.
Looks to me like we're trying to beat Obama at his own game (stirring e-activism or netroots)... but I don't know how well.
Hope it succeeds... I'll be putting my two-bits' worth anyway.
You refer to "a bygone age when principles and policy stances had meaning."
I'm not sure there ever was such an era. Since the Civil War, when our current partisan alignment began, the parties have always been coalitions. Republicans were split since Lincoln died between different factions between northeastern liberals and others. Democrats were split between The South and whatever northerners they could get.
Of course we realigned during the Progressive era. The Republican party kept the northeastern liberals, but began attracting conservatives. The Democratic party kept the southern conservatives, but began attracting the hard left.
I don't think you can tell me the party of Phil Gramm and Lyndon Johnson stood for anything, nor did the party of John Chafee and Barry Goldwater.
We've always been coalitions. I'm not sure the platform ever really mattered since the Civil War except as a battle between insiders.
The platform mattered before the war only because it served to attract anti-slavery people from the American, Democratic, and Whig parties.
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