Republican Platform Analysis, part 1

In a previous article, you read the "Preamble." Now, consider the details beginning with the Table of Contents to guide the way.

"Table of Contents 1 

Restoring the American Dream 9
A Rebirth of Constitutional Government 17
America’s Natural Resources: Agriculture, Energy, and the Environment 23
Government Reform 31
Great American Families, Education, Healthcare, and Criminal Justice 41
America Resurgent" 

https://www.gop.com/the-2016-republican-party-platform/

As you can see, the GOP addresses the need to "restore the American dream," presumably meaning self-sustainment and home ownership, for instance.

Second, they believe that the "Constitutional Government" needs a rebirth.

Third, they lump different, though related topics as "America’s Natural Resources." That must be discussed and debated.

Fourth, they believe that government must be reformed.

Fifth, they lump another group of different though related topics: families, education, healthcare, and criminal justice.

In the end, they promote America's resurgence from the present doldrums.

Details are what truly matter, and not so much the theme. What I am going to do is to relate the contents of the GOP platform to priority outcomes. You may read the original platform at the reference link provided and will observe that I do not edit or change the content. This initiative will involve many incremental articles as will the analysis of the Democratic Party Platform.

America's Priority Outcomes
(This list is the author's suggested priorities.)

1. Nation secured economically - 100%
2. Nation has a sustainable economy - 100%
3. Nation secured militarily - 100%
4. Homeland secured from terrorists - 100%
5. Employment opportunities for all who can work - 100%
6. Upward mobility for all who are prepared commensurate with ability - 100%
7. All persons provided minimal sustainment as a baseline to start - 100%
8. Social security assured for all persons - 100%
9. Clean air and water - 100%
10. Best education in the world - #1
11. Freest nation in the world - #1 
12. Lowest crime rate in the world - #1 in the least crime per capita

I will tag all of the Republican Platform with this list of 12 priority outcomes where they apply.

The Republican Platform begins where I believe it should and that is the #1 priority outcome. My comments are in italics.

(Tag #1: Nation Secured Economically)

"Rebuilding the Economy and Creating Jobs  

We are the party of a growing economy that gives everyone a chance in life, an opportunity to learn, work, and realize the prosperity freedom makes possible. 

Freedom makes prosperity possible, is a core idea. Anything that gets in the way of freedom obstructs prosperity. Government constrains freedom.

Government cannot create prosperity, though government can limit or destroy it. 

The government can create an optimal environment in which prosperity may be optimized in a public and private enterprise partnership. True is that excessive constraints may limit opportunity. Finding the balance is the challenge for people and their government as their instrument.

Prosperity is the product of self-discipline, enterprise, saving and investment by individuals, but it is not an end in itself. Prosperity provides the means by which citizens and their families can maintain their independence from government, raise their children by their own values, practice their faith, and build communities of cooperation and mutual respect. It is also the foundation for our nation’s global leadership, for it is the vigor of our economy which makes possible our military strength and our national security. 

Republicans position people against their government by making government appear as an imposition rather than being their instrument. This is a direct attack on the government by the people and a political manipulation.

Generations ago before President Reagan was elected in 1980. Business closures have exceeded business startups throughout the Obama Presidency. Strong growth, more jobs, increasing incomes, and expanding opportunity are all in short supply under President Obama and the Democrats. 

Republicans blame the economic decline on Obama and Democrat policies skipping over the George W. Bush administration and its policies that produced financial disaster.

We repudiate the absurd idea this is the best America can do. The American people rejected that nonsense the last time it was offered, in the historic election of 1980, and we ask them to join us now to again repudiate the false gospel of America’s diminishment and retreat. We offer instead our vision of an opportunity society based on the economics of inclusion. 

Democrats nor anyone else claim that America is performing optimally. A reality is that America competes in a global economy and ensuring success is based on superior invention and performance that includes the product of our unique public and private partnership to optimize return on national resources.

Now, let's discuss.