If the party wants straight ticket voting, the voters should not have to parse words in order to know what the party stands for on timely issues that have risen to a level of concern.
The Scott County Republican Platform Committee (SCRPC) with the full encouragement if not specification of the Central Committee Chairman Chairwoman Chairperson Chair Judy Davidson produced an indefinite, vague, disconnected from the real world politically near pointless “platform.” It is not a product of people serious about advocating for concrete responses to specific assaults on our constitutional republic, small government, pro-family principles and other matters that have risen to a level of concern in the community. It mostly just tries to categorize some generalizations and abstractions, often indecipherable and purposefully obscure.
A short list of matters deleted, curtained or kept out of the Scott County Platform
(a complete section by section comparison of the 2014 and the 2010/2012 platform is available here):
The call for a Human Life Amendment (HLA) to the Constitution — gone. Support for this crucial legislative goal has been included for decades in Republican platforms at all levels. To be clear a nice statement of “belief” in the right to life is included but any action items – deleted. While the HLA is gone there is continued support for the Packers and Stockyard Act of 1921 in the Scott County Republican platform along with opposition to the 1931 Davis-Bacon Act. But gone are references to abortion legalization’s sequelae, including parental consent to non–emergency medical procedures on their minor children, and other definable legislative initiatives of wide spread popular support. Also missing — the opportunity to highlight the need to stop Webcam abortion in Iowa, introduced from the precinct caucuses, it is one of the top legislative goals of right to life efforts. The weak words “We believe” is substituted for affirmative resolve as regard anything to do with the right to life and other substantive matters.
Second Amendment rights — dared not be mentioned. Any specific mention of it or use of the words ” right to bear arms” were apparently too controversial and deleted. Gone are any references to current legislative proposals to restore abridgements. Gone are the calls for reciprocity between states as regards concealed carry and support for stand your ground legislation. A blandishment about supporting the Constitution is supposed to substitute for articulation on any number of attacks on the Constitution.
Photo voter ID (2012) — gone – no reference whatsoever. Apparently the official endorsement of the big tent in the preamble to the 2014 platform means no identity is required for entrance and participation. More on the incredible “Tolerance, Inclusiveness and Optimism” plank in another post. But disregard for photo voter ID is not true in Ottumwa where photo ID will be required for Republican delegates and alternates to the district convention. Scott County should never mind that such legislation enjoys majority support among rank and file Democrats and overwhelming support from everyone else.
Religious freedom – optional — Or its support so vague as to be silly and virtually irrelevant to issues off the day. Specific mention of prayer in school, intelligent design, the opportunity to raise the impact of Obamacare on religious freedom – removed or denied. All the profundity the SCRPC could muster was that “public environments must be free to respond to religious requests” in the Education section. But by those clumsiest of words “public environments” do not have to. Local, state and federal government are apparently free to deny religious freedoms. So Sharia law might be OK or not. The “Tolerance” plank in the Preamble and Statement of Principles” set the stage for an empty headed rewrite. This is but one example confirming that.
Opposition to Democrat election gimmicks – gone — No more mention of any emphasis on election day voting.
General legislative and political process reforms – gone. The call for sunset riders removed . . . support for Citizens United (2012) which allows private citizens collectively and corporations to compete with labor unions and liberal media – gone. Leave the narrative to Democrats.
Opposition to NSA spying – huh? What might be related to the matter is indecipherable (9.2) . . . the opportunity to court one of the prime concerns of youth and civil liberties supporters — lost. They can find their concerns addressed somewhere, maybe. Just do not refer to the Obama Administration or the abusers ever. This is a document for the ages. No need to ever make it politically relevant .
Opposition to increases in the gas tax – nope. The issue was not raised even in the fumes of what was passed.
Specific support for Keystone – fugettaboutit. Political points for advocating for such a high profile issues enjoying broad-based support — a pipe dream.
Retention of the Varnum decision judges – forget them – why not let them move on to their next judicial outrage. Platforms are not for highlighting anything – they are to demonstrate how trite and politically irrelevant a party can be.
Immigration reform and amnesty – what is that all about? The words are not stated in the SCRP. Even the word “border” is only raised with regards to holdover language from a previous platform in the context of National Defense and Foreign Policy section. Previous platforms specifically addressed immigration reforms. The current platform in the spirit of anything goes tolerance wants to be silent or obscure and therefore irrelevant.
A call to establish fair, transparent, and proportional rules for the conduct of nominating committees and the selection of delegates – dismissed. That unity building proposal would build confidence in the integrity of Iowa’s “first in the nation” presidential caucus status. No one did more to damage that confidence than current Chair Judy Davidson in the 2012 precinct to convention process in Iowa’s third largest county. County Chair Davidson was responsible for an atrocious assault on the integrity of the caucuses including appointing the State Chair of the Romney campaign to sit on the Nominating Committee, and no other candidate organizer, who was then part of designing exclusionary rules resulting in subversion of fair unity building proportionality to the delegate process. That matter is chronicled here and, inter alia, in the category Scott County Republican Matters at right. Regrettably, some Ron Paul proponents took Chair Davidson’s disunifying / caucus integrity damaging conduct as the prime example of how party affairs should be conducted.
Tax internet commerce? — could not muster the words to specifically oppose it.
Hate crime repeal? – Shhhhhhh . . . we’ve hidden it in the whole “we support the Constitution” line. No one needs to know. Besides, its just a thought crime.
Oppose high speed rail, and other tax financed boondoggles and public private partnerships? A couple of free enterprise blandishments should cover. No need to rub in anything. Besides, good old Horace is involved with the one, so let’s not go there.
Repeal and replace Obamacare? No need to be hasty. Let’s just be as trite as possible and not mention something brought up in the precinct caucuses. Grass roots people are soooo harsh. We can handle the matter by mentioning free enterprise and keeping your licensed health care provider. That should cover everything. After all we are not after a mandate or anything.
Agenda 21, government takings, sustainability mandates? Hey we believe in private property, . . . oh yeh, . . . and the Constitution, . . . ’nuff said. Everybody is going to know where the assaults on the Bill of Rights are coming from.
OSHA excesses? For crying out loud its covered! This platform covers everything! Its in either the Constitution thing or the limited government thing. But its in there!
Call for ending the placement of American women in military combat positions? Shut up! That is NOT a politically correct thing to say! Our views are easily divined.
Don’t ask don’t tell ? Well, don’t ask and don’t tell.
Obama Administration scandals – It is important that our big tent tolerance for political and constitutional offenses not be abridged. Exposing Democrat wrong doing will just turn people away from the Republican Party.
Balanced Budget Amendment – no need! Politicians can be trusted to do the right thing. It is enough that they know we believe in their political will to balance budgets.
Israel — Not sure it exists — certainly not by name
Term Limits — eliminated
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The listing above refers to just some of the matters deleted or ignored in the 2014 Scott County Republican Platform that have been specifically part of previous platforms or were suggested by resolutions in the precinct caucuses.
A substantive platform developed over the years which honored the grassroots nature of the caucus to convention system was replaced with a collection of passive “belief” statements, and obfuscated concepts. The current Scott County Republican leadership, in a half cocked and hare brained attempt to curry favor with some, neutered what brought far more people to the party. R Mall
