The party of Nixon

As you watch the Republican convention next week, remember this: these are the same folks who, in 1968, enthusiastically chose Richard Nixon rather than Ronald Reagan. As you watch the lavish eulogies of Ronald Reagan implying that George W. Bush is from the same ideological background, recall that at the moment in time when this party had a straight up choice between Richard Nixon and the relatively benign Ronald Reagan they gleefully threw Reagan overboard and enthusiastically nominated Richard Nixon instead.



Of course you won't see that in prime time. Instead you'll see a line-up of safe and normal looking "conservatives" (against the backdrop of the predicted massive street demonstrations) with nary a mention of the Richard Nixon, who is much more representative of the character of the Bush administration.



But don't be fooled! Read the Republican platform. And if for any reason, you're tempted to vote G.O.P. ticket, know that your vote says that you support these extremist positions:

you believe that the U.S. has the absolute right to launch a preemptive invasion of any nation that bugs us because it's the best way to ensure world peace;



you think the U.S. constitution needs to be amended right away to prohibit both abortions and same sex marriage and to require prayer in public schools;



you want absolutely everyone to be allowed to buy as many guns as they like because it's the "best way" to deter crime (just like the streets of Baghdad, I suppose) and you think that it's urgent that we expand and make permanent the PATRIOT Act (except that we should prevent the government from asking any questions about gun ownership of course);



naturally you oppose global warming, but you think the best solution is complete surrender to corporate interests "relying on markets and new technologies to improve energy efficiency" and, you also think we should start drilling for oil in Alaska, the Rocky Mountains, and anywhere else where we haven't yet;



you support charter schools and vouchers as a solution for failed "government schools" (that'd be your neighborhood public school) identified by No Child Left Behind testing (even though charter and private schools don't have to comply with NCLB);



you think we need to crack down on "junk lawsuits" which you expect is all it will take to bring health care costs into line but, for god's sake, you don't want to let anybody do any research on stem cells;



you don't worry a bit about the "unwelcome but manageable" Federal deficit and think we should make all of the tax cuts permanent right away;



you pledge unquestioning support for Israel (even though they've now been caught spying on us);



and, of course, you think we should "stay the course in Iraq" where you think the U.S. invasion has made it "a safer and freer place." (Although the G.O.P. platform grudgingly acknowledges the fact that there were no weapons of mass destruction it asserts that Saddam Hussein had a "desire" to have them and that wanting to have them is plenty of justification for invading his country (there's no mention of the desires of North Korea, Iran, Pakistan, or other countries know to share that desire), and that, in any case, "we will finish that task" and (despite the persistent news reports to the contrary) that Iraq is "becoming" an example of "reform" to the Middle East.)

Somewhere Richard Nixon is smiling. It took three decades, but the Republican Party has finally succeeded in vindicating him.



Washington Post: Republicans' Platform