Workman-like Platform Lacks Unifying Philosophical Principle
August 25, 2004
Late yesterday, the American Conservative Union obtained an advanced copy of the 2004 draft Republican Platform.
ACU's staff has reviewed and analyzed the draft document, which delegate members of the GOP platform committee will begin the process of amending today.
Like most such party documents, the draft GOP platform is a workman-like recitation of the incumbent President George W. Bush's first-term accomplishments. It reads much like a campaign ad, which is essentially what it is. What the draft platform lacks in inspiring rhetoric or soaring imagery, it makes up in length. At 90 pages, almost half of the draft platform, 40 pages, is devoted to the so-called War on Terrorism and national security.
This is hardly unexpected, as this is the President's strongest argument for re-election. While President Bush's leadership since the dastardly terrorist attacks of 9/11 has been inspired, the document is singularly uninspiring. It reads like the product of a committee, a litany of public policy prescriptions and political jargon.
Noticeably absent is any unifying conservative principle around which these various—and seemingly innumerable prescriptions—are organized. Indeed, on first reading the word “conservative” does not even appear in the document, not even with the modifier “compassionate” as in the 2000 Bush platform.
The platform as written vigorously defends the President's response to the terrorist attacks, with the war against the Afghan Taliban and Saddam Hussein's Iraq stoutly and rightly defended. However, the document speaks only of “terrorism” in general terms. It fails to identify the true enemy: militant Islamicists.
Most conservatives will enthusiastically endorse most of this initial draft language on terrorism and the President's decisions since 9/11. It is somewhat troubling that the platform seems to endorse and open-ended commitment to keeping U.S. troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan indefinitely. The Bush “Forward Strategy of Freedom in the Middle East” is likewise ambitious to a disturbing degree.
While the platform as drafted chides John Kerry for flip-flopping on the Iraq war and failing to support American troops, its defense of the vast expansion of the federal bureaucracy in the name of national security—as though bigger government will ipso facto make us safer—will make conservatives uneasy.
Likewise the repeated praise for the USA PATRIOT Act. It may be true that not a single violation of constitutional liberties has been attributed to the Act, but this is not the issue. Conservatives do not worry about the capable leadership President Bush or Attorney General John Ashcroft. We worry about what a President Hillary Clinton might do with the powers of the PATRIOT Act. The Act should be amended, which the platform fails to support.
Notably, the draft notes the great improvements in homeland security, but fails to endorse arming airline pilots, which an anti-gun bureaucracy is blocking.
Thankfully, the language ACU submitted on Taiwan was largely incorporated. The draft asserts America's support for a free and democratic Taiwan, rejects any effort of Communist China to use force to re-unite the island with the mainland, and pledges U.S. military support to defend Taiwan. The platform is tough on Cuba and the language on Castro undoubtedly would make Sen. Jesse Helms happy.
Conservatives will be disappointed when they read the language addressing illegal immigration. While the document reflects the President's opposition to “amnesty,” conservatives will recognize the language as the same tired euphemism for amnesty that has been used since the idea was first floated in January. This unfortunate initiative allows those who enter America illegally to become legal residents and apply for citizenship. This idea was DOA among conservatives when the President first broached it and it is still offensive. Instead, the document should contain language that reaffirms America's need to preserve sovereignty over our borders, and an outright refusal to reward lawbreakers.
Again, lacking a unifying conservative philosophy, the draft also touts the disastrous Medicare prescription drug bill, a $600 billion boondoggle that would further federalize health care. Likewise, parental vouchers again are endorsed, but the No Child Left Behind Act and a huge increase in school spending are listed as major achievements. Yet this vastly expands the role of the federal government in education. Just a few years ago, Republicans were actually advocating abolishing the U.S. Department of Education. This platform boasts of the largest increase in federal spending since LBJ!
On taxes and spending, conservatives will like the platform. The draft praises the Bush tax cuts and calls for making them permanent, including the Internet tax moratorium. Calls for fiscal restraint and reduced federal spending are welcome, but such rhetoric must be backed up with actions. Sadly, the President has yet to exercise his veto to rein in runaway congressional spending. Talk is cheap. Actions matter.
The boldest initiative in the platform calls for fundamental reform of Social Security, including personal retirement accounts for younger Americans while preserving current benefits for retirees. This is truly a conservative idea. Indeed, much of the section on the “Ownership Society” is based on sound conservative principles.
Today, Wednesday, the platform committee delegates will begin the arduous process of reviewing the draft and offering amendments, deletions and revisions. ACU will be there for the hearings and will report to you on our efforts to inject more solid conservative meat into a rather bland and lackluster document.
Richard Lessner was the executive director of the American Conservative Union from 2003-2005.
