Rhetorical question: What does the Republican Party stand for? In 1956, during the Eisenhower administration they sounded sane, and like they actually believed in good government.
In the introduction of the 1956 Republican Party Platform it is stated that:
We shall ever build anew, that our children and their children, without distinction because of race, creed or color, may know the blessings of our free land.
We believe that basic to governmental integrity are unimpeachable ethical standards and irreproachable personal conduct by all people in government. We shall continue our insistence on honesty as an indispensable requirement of public service. We shall continue to root out corruption whenever and wherever it appears.
Wow! No racism, integrity, ethics, personal conduct, honesty, and rooting out corruption—sign me up! Of course today we see a Republican Party so corrupt that the emoluments clause is looked up upon as a quaint suggestion from your dear old aunt Esther, bless her soul. Ethics, irreproachable personal conduct, and honesty have been tossed out the window as nothing more than an antiquated viewpoint more in line with the days of bicycles with big front wheels, then modern America. We also know that racism has always been a part of the 1950s—even then those were mere words that sounded nice, but had little to do with the reality on the ground. One only has to look at things like Operation Wetback to see that some of the same racist, xenophobic policies are deeply rooted in the Republican Party’s past.
Of course, the Republican Party of yesteryear was a far different animal than it is today. In 1956 they sounded like socialists.
We are proud of and shall continue our far-reaching and sound advances in matters of basic human needs—expansion of social security—broadened coverage in unemployment insurance —improved housing—and better health protection for all our people. We are determined that our government remain warmly responsive to the urgent social and economic problems of our people.
In 1956 the Republican Party stood for Social Security, unemployment insurance, housing, and health care for all—in fact, they wanted government to be responsive to the needs of the public. Today’s Republican Party does not give a shit about the American people—in fact, this week the Trump administration has announced that they want to have the courts strike down the Affordable Care Act in the courts.
In a significant shift, the Trump administration says the entirety of the Affordable Care Act should be struck down in the courts. Previously, the administration had pushed to remove the law's protections for people with pre-existing conditions but had not argued in court that the whole law should be struck down.
They could not kill it in Congress, but they will do everything they can to hurt the American people. Pre-existing conditions, screw you. Lose your job, suck it up. Your employer went belly up and raided your pension for golden parachutes—oh well, hope you like cat food. Save the babies—until they are born, then screw ’em. That is the Republican Party of today. The only plank they actually have in their platform is cutting taxes. The only people they care about earn seven figure incomes. The only thing they care about is maintaining power. The GOP of today is a far cry from the party of Eisenhower.
Today they are the party of racists, xenophobes, white supremacists, and fascists. I wish this were hyperbole—but it is not. The Republican Party of today has morphed into a party of the worst parts of America. They ignore facts, reason, and logic. They have put the corporate profits of dying industries over the health and welfare of the American people, and citizens of the world. They lie about Democratic proposals to solve our problems. The Green New Deal—was equated to farting cows.
Over the next two years we must make sure that the Republican Party is called out for their hypocrisy, their failure to lead. This is not just about the criminal in the White House, this is about their entire party. The Republican Party, and politicians like Mitch McConnell, are nothing more than a cancer that must be removed. Our very future depends on it—today’s Republican Party stands for nothing. They must not be allowed in power again.
