Since so many far right folks are crowing about their platform (which they didn’t even bother to make last time, preferring to let their cult leader make it up as he went along), and daring people to critique it, here I am to ruin to their day. But I am also here to educate everyone else on what the GOP espouses and the style in which they do so, and see if it matches their actions.
So let’s sit back and take a look.
Opening
Title: “2024 GOP Platform Make America Great Again!”
Dedication: “To the Forgotten Men and Women of America”
Analysis:
The title is trite. They’ve used Trump’s recycled (stolen from Reagan) slogan for three presidential campaigns, including one where they were in power for four years. So it seems rather on brand that they haven’t come with anything new.
The dedication however has more bite. The entire pitch the GOP is trying for is that there is a cadre of Americans who are “forgotten” and left behind. This was a major piece of Democratic political tooling in the past, and quite effective. Thus the GOP using it now and pretending to not be the CAUSE of people being left behind and forgotten is, while deeply ironic, also very effective.
Preamble
“America First: A Return to Common Sense”
It’s another recycled 2016 campaign slogan, with nothing new. No points.
“Our Nation’s History is filled with the stories of brave men and women who gave everything they had to build America into the Greatest Nation in the History of the World. Generations of American Patriots have summoned the American Spirit of Strength, Determination, and Love of Country to overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges. The American People have proven time and again that we can overcome any obstacle and any force pitted against us.”
The Gop has taken Trump’s weird capitalization fetish and gone wild with it. This is fluff. There is nothing of substance here and is just there as spank bank material for ultranationalists. To paraphrase a recent pop culture favorite: “Any group that must declare themselves great is not great.”
“In the early days of our Republic, the Founding Generation defeated what was then the most powerful Empire the World had ever seen. In the 20th Century, America vanquished Nazism and Fascism, and then triumphed over Soviet Communism after forty-four years of the Cold War.”
In the early days of the USA, Britain was not the largest empire the world had ever seen. That was not achieved until 1913, when around 23% of the world’s population lived under British rule.
Also, if you think the USA was the primary fighter in WW2, I can tell you weren’t educated but rather indoctrinated.
In fact the only somewhat historically accurate claim made is that the USA triumphed in the Cold War, mainly because the Soviet Union collapsed, but also because of the massive economic boom created by the New Deal, something that probably won’t be openly attributed in the GOP platform.
“But now we are a Nation in SERIOUS DECLINE. Our future, our identity, and our very way of life are under threat like never before. Today we must once again call upon the same American Spirit that led us to prevail through every challenge of the past if we are going to lead our Nation to a brighter future.”
Once more the Trump capitalization fetish…
The USA is the world’s current only superpower. We spend more money on defense than the next 12 natiosn combined, and our armed forces are second to none. We have the msot powerful economy, recover the quickest to global catastrophes, and have the biggest cultural influence in human history. Anyone who thinks that is serious decline is lying or stupid.
It may be accurate to say that our future, identity and way of life is under threat. It is however under threat by Republicans trying to institute religious doctrine as law and put people above the law that is the biggest threat, so it’s once again strange they should bring that up.
I wonder if the GOP even knows what helped us prevail. Can they name it?
“For decades, our politicians sold our jobs and livelihoods to the highest bidders overseas with unfair Trade Deals and a blind faith in the siren song of globalism. They insulated themselves from criticism and the consequences of their own bad actions,”
The GOP literally led the charge for deregulation and globalization of workforce. They are leading the charage to shield Trump from his actions, as they have done for other conservatives like Matt Gaetz. They are complaining, once again, of the thing they caused.
“allowing our Borders to be overrun, our cities to be overtaken by crime, our System of Justice to be weaponized, and our young people to develop a sense of hopelessness and despair.”
There was a border deal ready to be put in place to help stem the tide of asylum seekers and better facilitate immigration. The GOP tanked it for political purposes.
Crime is massively down. This is a simple lie.
The system of justice is being weaponized, but as usual it’s the GOP complaining about something it is doing.
Young people massively vote against the GOP, precisely because their behavior is the threat to their future and make them despair. It’s fascinating to watch someone be so aware of reality with zero awareness of their role in it.
“They rejected our History and our Values. Quite simply, they did everything in their power to destroy our Country.“
I would love the GOP members to take a history test on the USA. I bet they would all fail.
“In 2016, President Donald J. Trump was elected as an unapologetic Champion of the American People.”
This kind of language is why we correctly call the GOP a cult. In 2016 many members of the Republican Party were calling Trump a sociopathic narccisist who only cared about himself. They were right.
“He reignited the American Spirit and called on us to renew our National Pride.”
Yes… to some people. The people who have a lot in common with other people obsessed with National Pride…
“His Policies spurred Historic Economic Growth, Job Creation, and a Resurgence of American Manufacturing.”
Trump’s policies didn’t help the economy at all, in fact even pre Covid leading to less growth than his predecessor and massively increasing our import/export costs, while racking up 25% of our current national debt. All to give money to his rich friends. Meanwhile, more jobs were lost than any president in modern history, and despite promising to move more manufacturing to the USA, he never did that. In fact his own campaign merch was made in China.
“President Trump and the Republican Party led America out of the pessimism induced by decades of failed leadership, showing us that the American People want Greatness for our Country again.“
Meaningless drivel, unsupported by anything beyond their imagination.
“Yet after nearly four years of the Biden administration, America is now rocked by Raging Inflation, Open Borders, Rampant Crime, Attacks on our Children, and Global Conflict, Chaos, and Instability.”
Inflation is around 4%. Inflation went up globally due to a pandemic, and we had additional issues due to the mismangement of the pandemic by Trump. This was fixed and is now returned to acceptable levels.
We do not have open borders. Anyone saying this is a moron and dishonest.
Crime is down, as noted above. The GOP is lying, officially.
The GOP as a political party is the largest group attacking children, targeting thousands of innocent transgender youths.
The President of the USA does not control the globe, and Trump’s love for Putin would not have stopped Putin from invading Ukraine. And if you think things were “stable” in 2020, you’re once again displaying a remarkable lack of intellgence.
“Like the Heroes who built and defended this Nation before us, we will never give up. We will restore our Nation of, by, and for the People. We will Make America Great Again.”
There is so much self-aggrandizing in this preamble. It’s all about themselves. If you leave with nothing else, understand that they see themselves as amazing people, and that’s what it’s all about. They do not care about you. And given how much they are agaisnt measures to curtail gerrymandering and to give real representation to the people, while fighting any social programs to help people in need, you can ignore any claims that they care about a nation of by and for the people.
“We will be a Nation based on Truth, Justice, and Common Sense.”
The GOP has as their candidate for President a convicted felon who lies more than any political figure alive or dead, and who wants to use nukes on hurricanes.
“Common Sense tells us clearly, in President Trump’s words, that “If we don’t have a Border, we don’t have a Country.”
Good thing we have a border. And as for countries with actual open borders, please tell most of the EU that they don’t have a country. Because this is, as usual, the dumbest thing you can come up with.
“Restoring sensible Border Security and Immigration Policy requires many steps, all of which would have been and indeed were taken for granted by prior Generations as obviously necessary and good.“
Again, there was a border deal which would have actually addressed issues such as funding for processing of asylum seekers. This was rejected by the GOP because Trump told them to.
“We must secure our Southern Border by completing the Border Wall that President Trump started. Hundreds of miles have already been built and work magnificently. The remaining Wall construction can be completed quickly, effectively, and inexpensively.“
Walls do not stop ladders, boats, airplanes, or tunnelling. Walls can be climbed. The walls already built do not work much at all, and definitely not magnificently (again, this entire platform has Trump’s idiotioc self aggrandizing all over it). The GOp has no concept of how expensive building more wall would be, and has no plan to do so.
Besides, wasn’t Mexico going to pay for it?
“We must also vigilantly check those who enter our Country by other routes and ensure that no one can enter our Country who does not have the Legal Right to do so, and we must deport the millions of illegal Migrants who Joe Biden has deliberately encouraged to invade our Country.”
Efforts have been made by Democrats to enforce VISA overstays and heavily fine businesses who regularly employ undocumented immigrants, like Mar a Lago. Republicans have rejected each effort.
President Biden has not encouraged anyone to come into the country, and has in fact emphatically stated the opposite. The GOP is, again unsurprisingly, lying their rotten asses off.
“We will start by prioritizing the most dangerous criminals and working with local Police. We must not allow Biden’s Migrant Invasion to alter our Country. It must not stand. Under the Trump Administration and a Republican Congress, it will be defeated immediately.”
This is nonsense.
End of Part One.
Let me know what you read from this, and if you have an argument to make supporting the many lies presented, please do so.