Today, the RNC Announced they are abandoning any attempt to put forth a coherent… or ANY… platform for the 2020 election. Their sole electoral strategy is to, “enthusiastically support the President’s America-first agenda.”
In other words, whatever Trump says, we say. When Trump lies, we lie. When Trump commits a crime, we commit a crime. When Trump enacts policy given to him by Putin, we enact policy given to Trump by Putin.
Complete text of the announcement:
RESOLUTION REGARDING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY PLATFORM
WHEREAS, The Republican National Committee (RNC) has significantly scaled back the size and scope of the 2020 Republican National Convention in Charlotte due to strict restrictions on gatherings and meetings, and out of concern for the safety of convention attendees and our hosts;
WHEREAS, The RNC has unanimously voted to forego the Convention Committee on Platform, in appreciation of the fact that it did not want a small contingent of delegates formulating a new platform without the breadth of perspectives within the ever-growing Republican movement;
WHEREAS, All platforms are snapshots of the historical contexts in which they are born, and parties abide by their policy priorities, rather than their political rhetoric;
WHEREAS, The RNC, had the Platform Committee been able to convene in 2020, would have undoubtedly unanimously agreed to reassert the Party’s strong support for President Donald Trump and his Administration;
WHEREAS, The media has outrageously misrepresented the implications of the RNC not adopting a new platform in 2020 and continues to engage in misleading advocacy for the failed policies of the Obama-Biden Administration, rather than providing the public with unbiased reporting of facts; and
WHEREAS, The RNC enthusiastically supports President Trump and continues to reject the policy positions of the Obama-Biden Administration, as well as those espoused by the Democratic National Committee today; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Republican Party has and will continue to enthusiastically support the President’s America-first agenda;
RESOVLVED, That the 2020 Republican National Convention will adjourn without adopting a new platform until the 2024 Republican National Convention;
RESOLVED, That the 2020 Republican National Convention calls on the media to engage in accurate and unbiased reporting, especially as it relates to the strong support of the RNC for President Trump and his Administration;
and RESOLVED, That any motion to amend the 2016 Platform or to adopt a new platform, including any motion to suspend the procedures that will allow doing so, will be ruled out of order.
As if it were not already obvious, the GOP now officially has no identity or policy goals outside the random proclamations, ravings, treasons, and delusions of Dear Leader. They are solely and completely the Party of Trump.
This is the specific definition of a cult.
Or, more specifically, a Cult of Personality
A cult of personality, or cult of the leader, arises when a country's regime — or, more rarely, an individual — uses the techniques of mass media, propaganda, the big lie, spectacle, the arts, patriotism, and government-organized demonstrations and rallies to create an idealized, heroic, and worshipful image of a leader, often through unquestioning flattery and praise.
The above description precisely follows the actions of the GOP and Trump administration over the past four years.
Note the GOP spends a lot of time in their announcement whining about how unfairly the media treats them by accurately reporting what they say and do (just like Trump!). Of course, they also spend a lot of time in the real world propagandizing about Trump and his godlike glory… just like a cult.
They also claim that the lack of a platform is due to the inability of the Platform Committee to convene but, oddly, the DNC Platform Committee did manage to convene, as do literally MILLIONS of American workers who convene daily to hold group meetings every day through various online meeting systems (thanks to Trump’s abject failure to manage the COVID pandemic). They are pretending their abandonment of responsibility and authority is due to circumstances beyond their control, which is nothing more than an admission they are incompetent. Or simply an excuse for being weak and subservient.
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The problem is, Trump has no platform for the 2020 election or beyond. When recently lobbed the softball question to, “name his "top priority items for a second term," by Fox propagandist and GOP apparatchik, Sean Hannity, Trump replied rambled:
"One of the things that will be really great -- the word experience is still good, I always say talent is more important than experience, I've always said that -- but the word experience is a very important word, a very important meaning,"
Providing proof, if any proof were needed, Trump has no policy and no idea what he has done, is doing, or will do.
One would imagine that having at least some kind of policy agenda for an election — a platform — would be the very minimum a party leader should have and be able to articulate. But Trump has never been prepared and never makes any effort to do the job he holds. He is incapable of rising to the very minimum level of competence, and never has been.
Mind you, a search for GOP platform for 2020 will result in a number of news reports containing a list of “policy priorities” for a Trump second term. But, as we already know, as proven by his first term and myriad broken campaign promises, such a list has all the reliability and sticking power of swamp gas. We know Trump will never adhere to any of them if some sparkly object catches his eye and flings him into his next Twitter tirade against shower heads, or the criminal failure of bacon to be adequately crispy, or the color avocado green.
They are simply the White House staff stepping in to speculate and suppose what a “Trump” platform might be, if he had one. Which he doesn’t.
In closing, and to reiterate, The GOP specifically and officially HAS NO PLATFORM FOR 2020.
They have abandoned all pretence of taking responsibility for what their party stands for, other than “whatever Trump says.”
This marks the final and complete degradation of the GOP, a political party that no longer, functionally, exists.
