Republicans release policy platform for 2024.

 

A sign promoting the GOP convention in Milwaukee Wisconsin. ABC News/Bloomberg/Getty.

The Republicans have released their policy platform for 2024. ABC News. The platform is notable as it downplays abortion as a major issue for the party, bringing it more in line with Donald Trump's view. In previous election cycles the platform called for a federal ban on abortion after 20 weeks. In this one abortion was only mentioned once and said they opposed late term abortion while supporting prenatal care, birth control and IVF treatment. Pro-life groups are divided on the issue with some appreciating the pro-life language while others say it doesn't go far enough. Other major issues for the platform include dealing with immigration by sealing the border and deporting illegal immigrants, preventing World War III, tax cuts including ending taxes and tips and fixing "woke" cultural institutions.

The full document can be found here. 

The entire GOP platform in 20 succinct points. Here’s the package. It’s up to voters. Would love to see a similar set of points from Dems. Set them side by side, and make your choice. pic.twitter.com/QoHutCUv48

— David Asman (@DavidAsmanfox) July 8, 2024

My Comment:

It's a shame that the ABC News article was the only one that was covering this story. To be fair the New York Times did as well but it was paywalled and I couldn't access it. You would think that the Republicans releasing their platform would be a big story but I guess not. So much focus is on Biden and his failures that it's hardly come up. 

And the coverage from ABC News? Almost totally focused on abortion. To be fair, that is a major part of the platform and the change here is very significant but you would think that the rest of the platform would get a lot of coverage as well? 

The change in language is important though. Abortion was one of the only issues that motivates Democrats in 2024 and it seems clear that this is an attempt to head that off at the pass, along with protections for IFV and birth control, things the Republicans have been accused of trying to regulate but aren't really all that interested in. Plus, Trump was always a bit less pro-life than the median Republican, he is but he's perfectly happy leaving it up to the states to regulate. 

Will it work? I doubt it. Largely because the media isn't covering it. The Democrats are in a bubble and rarely know what republicans are actually thinking. Given that I only heard about this story via social media and had to go searching for my source article, I doubt many people that are afraid of a national abortion ban will even hear about it. 

The other problem is that there could be some defections during the Republican National Convention. Nothing like the chaos we are likely to see at the DNC, but it's very possible we could see a small pro-life rebellion that don't approve of the Republicans downplaying abortion. I think they will lose given that some pro-life groups are already on board and there is the pragmatism argument, but it might happen.

As for the rest of the priorities I am glad that Republicans are focused on immigration and the border. Doing so was why they won in 2016 but moving away from it hurt them in 2020. Focusing on migrant crime and the damage illegal immigration does to the wages and labor to Americans of all races is what they should have been doing for years now. 

Getting rid of taxes on tips is fairly smart as well as it should be popular among workers that are less motivated for work. I already wrote about the issue before but these wages used to be de facto tax free and since the move to everyone paying electronically they are taxed which decreased the effective wage for restaurant workers. Getting that done would help those workers and earn voters. 

I am also glad there is a focus on foreign policy, another thing that was neglected in 2020. I have said for awhile that people would never had voted for Joe Biden if they knew he was going to start a war with Russia. The GOP appears ready to try and end the war in Ukraine and Gaza, which is more than can be said about the Democrats. 

All in all, I approve of the platform. There isn't anything all that objectionable here and the only thing I am not entirely sold on is an American "Iron Dome" given the lack of a threat. Though at least that would provide jobs. Other than that, it's a platform that most Republicans would like and most independents would be on board as well.