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For the first time in its history, the Republican Party has decided not to adopt a platform in 2020. The Republican Party had previously adopted a platform during every Presidential campaign since 1856, but this year, nope. No platform!
Instead, we got this resolution from the Republican National Convention:
"RESOLVED, That the Republican Party has and will continue to enthusiastically support the President's America-first agenda;"
That's all, folks. We support the President! Otherwise, we really don't care. Whatever Trump decides he wants, we enthusiastically support it. That has been and will continue to be our platform.
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Way back in 1856, the brand new Republican Party adopted a platform that opposed both the extension of slavery into new territories, and the legalization of polygamy in those territories. They called slavery and polygamy: "those twin relics of barbarism".
I was aware the Republican Party was formed to oppose slavery, I wasn't aware that it was also against polygamy, LOL. As a 21st Century poly dude I object!
Way back then, during the 19th Century, the US was still trying to figure out what exactly to do with all that territory it had conquered between the Appalachian Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. Over time, new states were carved from this territory, but meanwhile there was a bunch of territory that had not yet been organized into states. Which laws should prevail inside these non-state lands? Southerners wanted to extend slavery to these territories, but Republicans didn't.
Most of the rest of the 1856 Republican platform was a list of complaints about the atrocities that occurred in Kansas as slavery supporters and opposers duked it out both violently, and nonviolently via fraudulent elections. They also supported building a transcontinental railroad, and waterway improvements -- stuff we'd call "infrastructure" these days.
That was it, a fairly simple platform. We dislike slavery and polygamy, we want Kansas to become a Free State, and we want more infrastructure. Politics was simpler way back then, heh.
Republicans lost in 1856, but four years later they won, and then the country immediately split into two. Because half the country (the Democrats) wanted to keep slavery, while the other half (the Republicans) wanted to get rid of it.
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Just for kicks, what did the 1856 Democratic Party platform say about slavery?
That Congress has no power to interfere with slavery. That fugitive slaves would be returned to their owners. That further attempts by "sectional" parties to interfere with slavery in the states and territories would lead to civil war.
Yes, the Democrats went there, they threatened civil war over the issue of slavery. A threat they intended to carry out. A threat they did carry out.
The Democratic platform was silent on polygamy, LOL.
Instead, we got this resolution from the Republican National Convention:
"RESOLVED, That the Republican Party has and will continue to enthusiastically support the President's America-first agenda;"
That's all, folks. We support the President! Otherwise, we really don't care. Whatever Trump decides he wants, we enthusiastically support it. That has been and will continue to be our platform.
-----
Way back in 1856, the brand new Republican Party adopted a platform that opposed both the extension of slavery into new territories, and the legalization of polygamy in those territories. They called slavery and polygamy: "those twin relics of barbarism".
I was aware the Republican Party was formed to oppose slavery, I wasn't aware that it was also against polygamy, LOL. As a 21st Century poly dude I object!
Way back then, during the 19th Century, the US was still trying to figure out what exactly to do with all that territory it had conquered between the Appalachian Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. Over time, new states were carved from this territory, but meanwhile there was a bunch of territory that had not yet been organized into states. Which laws should prevail inside these non-state lands? Southerners wanted to extend slavery to these territories, but Republicans didn't.
Most of the rest of the 1856 Republican platform was a list of complaints about the atrocities that occurred in Kansas as slavery supporters and opposers duked it out both violently, and nonviolently via fraudulent elections. They also supported building a transcontinental railroad, and waterway improvements -- stuff we'd call "infrastructure" these days.
That was it, a fairly simple platform. We dislike slavery and polygamy, we want Kansas to become a Free State, and we want more infrastructure. Politics was simpler way back then, heh.
Republicans lost in 1856, but four years later they won, and then the country immediately split into two. Because half the country (the Democrats) wanted to keep slavery, while the other half (the Republicans) wanted to get rid of it.
-----
Just for kicks, what did the 1856 Democratic Party platform say about slavery?
That Congress has no power to interfere with slavery. That fugitive slaves would be returned to their owners. That further attempts by "sectional" parties to interfere with slavery in the states and territories would lead to civil war.
Yes, the Democrats went there, they threatened civil war over the issue of slavery. A threat they intended to carry out. A threat they did carry out.
The Democratic platform was silent on polygamy, LOL.
