The Republican Party Platform
Election year party platforms usually don’t get much attention. But this year’s draft Republican platform is different. It’s making national headlines thanks to comments made by Missouri congressman Todd Akin -- and by a widening gap in philosophies within the G.O.P. Akin’s remarks about rape made the party’s proposed adoption of a no-exceptions ban on abortion big news, even though similar restrictions have been in the platform for nearly three decades. Other planks include tougher immigration rules and a decision not to spare mortgage tax deductions. Diane and her guests discuss the Republican party platform and what it could mean for the Romney-Ryan ticket.
Guests
press secretary for the Republican National Committee.
resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.
congressional reporter for Politico.
president of the National Rifle Association and former chair of the American Conservative Union.
Democratic pollster and senior vice president of Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research.

Comments
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Here we go! The republican party has had the same platform for many conventions, desiring the IMPOSSIBLE to achieve a constitutional amendment banning abortion. Do any of you liberals even know what it takes to successfully push through a constitutional amendment, I know most of you don't and don't care. The Constitution to the left is nothing more than an inconvenient outdated obstacle, so nothing would be accomplished by trying to educate you on what you have no respect for in the first place. Let's get down to which party really has the "extemist" platform. The republicans are all about the strength of the family unit, a strong national defense and the traditional values as put forward by the founders of our country, that's it! The democrats on the other hand are about fostering a dependency on government, wealth redistribution through onerous regulations, welfare programs, an ever increasing progressive tax system and the baiting of racial and gender issues to drive voters to the poles out of hate and fear. So when this conversation turns to the "war on women" know that the
keynote speaker at the democratic national convention is an accused rapist and known adulterer, Bill Clinton. I know which party I view as having the extremist platform, it ain't the republicans.
I`m not sure. Have the T-Party Republicans abandoned their goal of abolishing the 14th Amendment? The one helping slaves escape their chains?
"All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws".
This might accomplish what the "Birthers" failed to do.
Will Michelle Bachmann speak and remind African Americans how much better slavery was,than life under the Obama administration? Hey Joe! Keep on reminding America who these folks are, and what they`ve said.
Clifford wrote: "abolishing the 14th Amendment? The one helping slaves escape their chains?"
The amendment being used to justify the children of illegal aliens becoming automatic citizens by place of birth and not by their country of origin, which obviously had nothing to do with the original intent of the 14th amendment to protect the rights of American black people. Anyway you slice it, the illegal immigration problem effects the legal poor more than anyone else. Competition for jobs, educational dollars and the hastening of the financial collapse of social welfare programs. Democrats like Nancy Pelosi and Barrack Obama don't care about the poor, they care about getting elected and getting votes anyway they can get them.
Just like what was mentioned above, there will be no serious attempts to push any constitutional amendments through by the republican party. Do your homework, it's next too impossible on issues as controversial as this.
Quite frankly I think just about everyone has been duped by president Obama to some degree. I knew his motives were pointing in the direction of federal fiscal insolvency from the start, but thought he would come to his senses and embrace his own debt commission Simpson-Bowles and do a Bill Clinton and govern to actually help the country. But no, he doubled down on reckless spending and domestic policies that will in the end hurt the middle class and the poor most of all. We do have a revolutionary on our hands, he's a globalist, he wants to cut our country down to size in an effort to achieve global social justice as he sees it. I have not seen the movie 2016 yet but I recommend everyone does.
partisan politics, "accused rapist and known adulterer, Bill Clinton.". Nah, that was consensual and if you think Bill was the only president we have ever had that committed adultery, that's living in a fantasy world. Being a female, I have great concerns about the right's attitude toward women and their negating a woman's rights to making their own decisions concerning their bodies. Their ignorance in this particular area is appalling and downright scary.
Reading the extant (very grumpy) comments, I can only worry that this is going to be a very difficult hour for Diane. Lets send Diane some love!
Lest anyone forget, Mitt Romney was born in Mexico of American citizens. According to one of the arguments above, he should be a Mexican citizen and therefore ineligible to run for President
accountant wrote: "Lest anyone forget, Mitt Romney was born in Mexico of American citizens. According to one of the arguments above, he should be a Mexican citizen and therefore ineligible to run for President"
You made "fool me once" point!! he was born in Mexico to American parents and was determined to be an American citizen by the Mexican government, exactly the opposite of what occurs here.
Wow!! This is going to be laughingly interesting. And the comments thus far are hillarious as well.
I honestly don't believe anyone here that is conservative had no intentions in supporting President Obama at all. I'm surmsing that conservative commenters are like Rush Limbaugh--who wished for President Obama to fail when he hasn't been in office a year. Or like Mitch McConnell--whose sole priority is to make President Obama a "one term president". SCREW working with him, his priority was to work against him.
It is also laughable that these conservative commenters are solely blaming President Obama for EVERYTHING wrong that has been happening now--when this crap has been going on for decades.
While I don't agree with everything President Obama has done, I honestly don't think Mitt Romney and the Republicans care about average ordinary people. Let's not raise taxes on the job creators???? Really?? The Republicans ran on a platform in 2010 to bring jobs, and has not done that at all. The President has proposed a jobs bill and an infrastructure bill--which would have otherwise passed in any other administration. What's the problem now? The only thing I side with the Republicans on is their pro-life and pro-traditional family stances. As a once registered Democrat, now Independent, the Republicans have a lot of work to lean me to their side.
So, President Obama's mother wasn't American? The fact that he was born in Hawaii in 1961--which is TWO YEARS after being declared a state doesn't make him an American?
Can your guest please discuss this Republican pro fetus stance but not pro life. Forcing women to have children when the majority of Republicans also do not support health care for all, equity in education and fair wages is not PRO LIFE. Again Republicans may be pro fetus but they are NOT PRO LIFE.
Yay Diane...press her !!! the same platform for 30 years! LOL are they sure it is not the same platform since 1884. GOP the party of old ideas
Pray the hurricane away! LOL GOP the party that God adores!
pro life + pro guns = pro only some life
Can the guest speak to how the press is covering this election: To what extent has the cacophony of media outlets (digital/broadcast/print) made it difficult for public discourse to be focused on issues and the apparent incongruity between what the GOP say in public and what they attempt to enact in legislation (which tends to have the affect of being in private due to the above mentioned lack of focused discourse)?
How the Republicans have gotten away with defining themselves as being PRO LIFE is absurd. When one is PRO LIFE ONE SUPPORTS HEALTH CARE FOR ALL, EQUITY IN EDUCATION, FAIR WAGES. They are certainly PRO FETUS BUT REPUBLICANS ARE NOT PRO LIFE
Brad: Could someone explain the deception of the GOP saying they want to pass a CONSTITUTIONAL ban on ALL abortions - but will allow states to pass exemptions? There are no state exceptions for constitutional amendments.
If abortion is criminalized, what penalties do the panelists contemplate for women who (inevitably) violate the law?
The economic problems of this country are caused not by the President but by the stalled Congress who cannot get anything done, including heading off a self imposed economic cliff. They would much rather go on vacation. The republicans are spending too much time in the house passing symbolic bills to look good at home while the democrats in the Senate simply ignore what is going on claiming things like filibuster and other such nonsense.
I have made this point before and need to make it again. It is the 535 people in the Congress that have the power of the purse. The President can only propose, and advocate for a budget, it is up the Congress and Congress alone to decide what is spent and where. It is not Barack Obama's, George Bush's, Bill Clinton's, Ronald Reagan's or any President's deficit. It has been and always will be the Congress' deficit.
After hearing the evasive language used by the spokeswoman for the Republican Platform Committee, it is clear that the Republican party is determined to "pass" as moderate. Mr. Akin, at least, had the courage of his right-wing convictions, and was honest about what his party represents. Thank goodness he spoke out, so that an honest conversation can emerge concerning rights of women who have been subjugated by rape., and women who need access to birth control to apply for and keep jobs.
The implication that this conversation is a distraction from economic issues is specious. In order for women to apply for and keep jobs, they must have reproductive freedom.
The U.S. political system is a Farce!
They love it when main stream shows such as D.R. go on and on about these divisive issues....but they'll never discuss the Real issues that Ron Paul wanted to confront..
911 was an inside job.
What a joke...
Don't vote ...
There is NO difference between these two parties....
Trolling
"The art of deliberately, cleverly, and secretly pissing people off, usually via the internet, using dialogue."
The Republican Party is WHAT? The T-Party is in charge.Where is the Karl Rove,Koch Bros. platform?
WHERE IS THE REAL DEAL ?...
Is the proposed platform document or any proposed language available for review?
Why are religious stances such as abortion and contraception a part of government? I totally understand the pro life issue, I am pro life, but 1) the government should not force religious attitudes on all Americans? 2) since life is sacred, why does it stop at the unborn? All Ammericans' lives are sacred and dependant on the ability to get health care. Further, Romney himself seemed to understand the value of health care, but has been forced to disavow his accomplishment as governor because it violates GOP ideology?
Abortion? Why do the Republicans continue to take up this issue? It doesn't even serve their ideals. But the topic has been posited so... They don’t like welfare, but ensure that current welfare recipient gives birth to yet another. Really? And such shortsightedness - if an amendment outlawing abortion is ratified, how would it be enforced? Are we going to jail the women, even if they are already mothers, and take them away from their current families; increase the overcrowding of prisons? Are we going to fine them, even though financial hardship may have been a contributing factor in the decision to abort have the children? How so? Temporary lock up & around-the-clock monitoring? And when the children are born, are we going strip them away from the criminal & “undesirable” mother to drop them off on the doorsteps of “pro-lifers.” Or will we feed them right into the social services system? Are we going to fine doctors and strip their medical licenses and remove them from practice, further leading to the growing health care crisis? And what about the issue of unwanted children? They don’t typically become society’s best citizens, & often become its burden, so you’re not even getting the taxpayer, but rather a recipient. Unfortunately you cannot make parents be good parents. Women who really want to end a pregnancy will do so even if it means trying risky methods themselves or turning to “back alley” surgeons. Oh the health care crisis expands as these women turn up in emergency rooms, unless of course they die along with the child. Goal achieved? And consider about 1/5 of those children are going to be gay, and possibly want to get married one day – fight for the rights of a child who ended up homosexual? And then the funding - this would be expensive, thus a lot more taxes. Not really a Republican ideal. This is actually working out quite well for the Democrats’ ideals.
Representative Akin has received much attention focused on: his stance on abortion, and his incorrect statements regarding pregnancy resulting from rape. More to the point for me is the fact the he serves on the science, space, and technology committee, where he effects energy and environmental policy. Espousing a belief such as the inability of a women to become pregnant following a rape is indicative of a significantly flawed reasoning process. I cannot fathom a person capable of basing her/his position on so important an issue on such weak reasoning and research serving effectively on a science committee. Yet aside from some petitions circulating in small scientific and skeptic circles asking Boehner to remove him, I don't see many pushing this issue.
We talk about the importance of science and math in education but in the real world we seem to neither abide its results, nor value its practice. Where are the scientifically trained in our congress, execute branch, and judicial branch? They are few and far between.
urbanrage wrote:....but they'll never discuss the Real issues that Ron Paul wanted to confront.."There is NO difference between these two parties...."
I support and voted for Ron Paul and yes it is a pity he was largely dismissed as a crackpot. He is a true revolutionary but make no mistake Barrack Obama is a stealth revolutionary in the opposite direction, there is a difference and it is a big one.
The suggestion by one of your guests that the Obama administration is simply trying to divert attention from the economy is specious. The emperor has no clothes. We all know that the powers of the president are extremely limited when it comes to creating fundamental changes in economic conditions, especially in cases where there is no overwhelming partisan majority in congress. Even though the public and the media are justifiably preoccupied with the economy, in terms of the executive branch, the actual agendas of both parties are to effect changes in social issues, since the next president will likely be appointing Supreme Court and lower court justices.
I have to wonder if the serious issue of abortion is used only as a political tool.
Election year after year both parties make it an either/or situation.
Why is adoption not even part of the discussion for either party? Why couldn't this be a part of the solution to a tough situation and presented as an honorable and ethical choice? In a country that so many people are having trouble adopting, I don't understand why this is not a regulated option.
In addition, for the pregnancy prevention pill to be labeled the "abortion pill" is a politically charged tool to minipulate people's emotions and voting decisions.