There have been many historic turning points in American politics during the past four years, but few as astonishing as yesterday’s decision by the GOP to forego a platform.
Every four years since at least 1856 each party, meeting in convention, has published for the information of the American citizenry its position on the issues of the day. The platform – in some countries it is called a “program” or “manifesto” – is a basic instrument common to all mature well-functioning democracies. It states where the party stands, and the policies it intends to implement if elected.
But now it’s official. The GOP has completed its transition from a traditional political party with ideology, ideas, policies and positions, to a populist movement built around a person. The Republican convention yesterday officially resolved that the party’s agenda is whatever Donald Trump says it is from time to time.
I actually admire the convention’s transparency. It would be completely disingenuous to formulate, record and publish any agenda or policy positions that extend beyond the broadest of political platitudes (Make America Great, America First) because Trump would not in any way consider himself bound by any of it. The GOP is telling us, with admirable frankness, that if we elect Trump the party’s policy or position on any particular issue will be whatever Trump decides makes him look best in the moment. No ideology, principle, or policy coherence will prevail over the uninformed Tweeted impulses of the “stable genius.” While the admission may be honest, it marks the end of democracy as we have practiced it in this country for two centuries.
We must treat every race, from U.S. Senator to local dog-catcher, as a referendum on this now-official position of the Republican party.
Today was even worse. Trump said: "The only way they can take this election away from us is if it's a rigged election," a statement that precludes the possibility of the people choosing someone other than Trump as the next President. Autocratic authoritarianism is not a risk. It’s here.