Personal Commentary ~
Despite
the Chatter, per a Democratic Party Platform Written Prior to
Election 2016 the Democratic Party is not Merely an Anti-Trump
Party...
Nearly
every day I hear people from all walks of life, private and public,
use precious time across a variety of mediums to complain about the
Democratic Party.
The complaint that tends to rise above all others
is that the Democratic Party can't just be an anti-Trump party.
The problem with that is the 2016 Democratic Party Platform which was created
and voted on and approved by the Democratic National Committee at the Democratic National Convention was a
done deal before the general election arrived and, although there is a slight reference to the GOP nominee, Trump is not
mentioned in it anywhere by name...
Below,
please find the introduction and the preamble to the
Platform, as well as snapshots of the top three sections the Platform which, by virtue of their order tend to point toward economic concerns as a top priority.
Also,
below please find links to the Democratic Senate and House
versions of #ABetterDeal ... ll Democrats work under the same Platform
but agenda language, tactics and order of action to be taken can differ – depending on a number of variables in a House and a Senate controlled by the GOP.
📎 Note: "Getting into the weeds" is something media-types decline to do a lot and they say so. They decline to get into the weeds because it is not as "sexy" (or as simple) as just saying: The Democratic Party has no leader, no leadership bench and no agenda, i.e. it is a slog. Nonetheless, sexy or not, simple or not, it is in the weeds facts are found and facts are needed to draw informed conclusions.
📎 Note: "Getting into the weeds" is something media-types decline to do a lot and they say so. They decline to get into the weeds because it is not as "sexy" (or as simple) as just saying: The Democratic Party has no leader, no leadership bench and no agenda, i.e. it is a slog. Nonetheless, sexy or not, simple or not, it is in the weeds facts are found and facts are needed to draw informed conclusions.
###
Focused Read in 3-4 minutes,
as always, more if you hit the links and go deeper
Introduction
"Every four years, the
Democratic Party puts together our party platform, the ideas and
beliefs that govern our party as a whole.
What follows is our 2016
platform — our most progressive platform in our party’s history
and a declaration of how we plan to move America forward. Democrats
believe that cooperation is better than conflict, unity is better
than division, empowerment is better than resentment, and bridges are
better than walls.
It’s a simple but
powerful idea: We are stronger together.
In 2016, Democrats meet in
Philadelphia with the same basic belief that animated the Continental
Congress when they gathered here 240 years ago: Out of many, we are
one.
Under President Obama’s
leadership, and thanks to the hard work and determination of the
American people, we have come a long way from the Great Recession and
the Republican policies that triggered it. ...
But too many Americans
have been left out and left behind...
As working people
struggle, the top 1% accrues more wealth and more power.
Republicans in Congress have chosen gridlock and dysfunction over
trying to find solutions to the real challenges we face. ...
Democrats believe that cooperation is better than conflict, unity is better than division,
empowerment is better than resentment, and bridges are better than
walls.
It’s a simple but
powerful idea: we are stronger together.
Democrats believe we are
stronger when we have an economy that works for everyone — an economy
that grows incomes for working people, creates good-paying jobs, and
puts a middle-class life within reach for more Americans. Democrats
believe we can spur more sustainable economic growth, which will
create good-paying jobs and raise wages. And we can have more
economic fairness, so the rewards are shared broadly, not just with
those at the top. We need an economy that prioritizes long-term
investment over short-term profit-seeking, rewards the common
interest over self-interest, and promotes innovation and
entrepreneurship.
... And we know that our
nation’s long struggle with race is far from over. More than half a
century after Rosa Parks sat and Dr. King marched and John Lewis
bled, more than half a century after César Chávez, Dolores Huerta,
and Larry Itliong organized, race still plays a significant role in
determining who gets ahead in America and who gets left behind. We
must face that reality and we must fix it.
We believe a good
education is a basic right of all Americans, no matter what zip code
they live in. We will end the school-to-prison pipeline and build a
cradle-to-college pipeline instead, where every child can live up to
his or her God-given potential.
We believe in helping
Americans balance work and family without fear of punishment or
penalty. We believe in at last guaranteeing equal pay for women. And
as the party that created Social Security, we believe in protecting
every American’s right to retire with dignity.
We firmly believe that the
greed, recklessness, and illegal behavior on Wall Street must be
brought to an end. ...
Democrats believe we are
stronger when we protect citizens’ right to vote ...
Democrats believe that
climate change poses a real and urgent threat to our economy, our
national security, and our children’s health and futures, and that
Americans deserve the jobs and security that come from becoming the
clean energy superpower of the 21st century.
Democrats believe we are
stronger and safer when America brings the world together and leads
with principle and purpose. We believe we should strengthen our
alliances, not weaken them. We believe in the power of development
and diplomacy. We believe our military should be the best-trained,
best-equipped fighting force in the world, and that we must do
everything we can to honor and support our veterans. And we know that
only the United States can mobilize common action on a truly global
scale, to take on the challenges that transcend borders, from
international terrorism to climate change to health pandemics.
Above all, Democrats are
the party of inclusion. We know that diversity is not our problem—it
is our promise. As Democrats, we respect differences of perspective
and belief, and pledge to work together to move this country forward,
even when we disagree. With this platform, we do not merely seek
common ground—we strive to reach higher ground.
(Emphasis is mine.)
We are proud of our
heritage as a nation of immigrants. ...
We believe in protecting
civil liberties ...
The stakes have been high
in previous elections. But in 2016, the stakes can be measured in
human lives—in the number of immigrants who would be torn from
their homes; in the number of faithful and peaceful Muslims who would
be barred from even visiting our shores; in the number of allies
alienated and dictators courted; in the number of Americans who would
lose access to health care and see their rights ripped away.
This election is about
more than Democrats and Republicans.
It is about who we are as a
nation, and who we will be in the future. (Emphasis is mine.)
Two hundred and forty
years ago, in Philadelphia, we started a revolution of ideas and of
action that continues to this day. Since then, our union has been
tested many times, through bondage and civil war, segregation and
depression, two world wars and the threat of nuclear annihilation.
Generations of Americans fought and marched and organized to widen
the circle of opportunity and dignity—and we are fighting still.
Despite what some say,
America is and has always been great—but not because it has been
perfect. What makes America great is our unerring belief that we can
make it better. We can and we will build a more just economy, a more
equal society, and a more perfect union—because we are stronger
together. ... "
Snapshots of the top 3 sections of the Platform
🙶
🙷
You can read the Platform in full here
Democratic House version of A Better Deal
🙶
Too many families in America today feel like the rules are rigged against them. It doesn’t have to be this way.
House Democrats are fighting to put government back to work for all Americans, not just those at the top. To unlock that future, Democrats are focusing on three goals:
🙷
You can read the House version of A Better Deal if full here
Democratic Senate version of A Better Deal
🙶
The Democratic Party's mission is to help build an America in which working people know that somebody has their back.
Today, Democrats are offering A Better Deal:
🙷
You can read the Senate version of A Better Deal here
Focused Thought one & two in 15 seconds each
Official portrait of former
President Barack Obama
Official portrait of former
1st Lady Michelle Obama
( The portraits were unveiled on Monday. You can read more about them here )
( Courtesy of NPR )
Focused Action in 30 seconds
You can share Politico's Tweet here
.
.
.
→ Direct sources for Democrats:
* ( Personal favored and most informative follows are shared here with the understanding that readers will always apply their own critical thinking to any information provided anywhere by anyone. #StrongerTogether does not share sources of information lightly but -- no one is perfect! -- so always #DistrustAndVerify I am using a star rating that is strictly based on my situational experience with the work of the media personality specifically in relation to issues of interest to me. )
The Democratic Party Website
Also
C-SPAN (a good place for speeches & hearings direct source (s))
→ Fact checking organizations courtesy of the Society of Professional Journalists
in alphabetical order...
→ Some of my favorite, most informative
follows on Twitter include:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ US Intelligence | Author | Navy Senior Chief | NBC/MSNBC
⭐⭐⭐ Federal Government Operations | Vanity Fair | Newsweek | MSNBC Contributor | Author
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Voting Rights/Voter Suppression | Author | Mother Jones
→ Some of the most credible media -- at the moment:
📰📰📰 Mother Jones
→ Some of the most credible Talking Heads -- at the moment -- and their Twitter handles:
(Wallace, a Republican, an inactive Republican I believe she calls herself,
is new to the job but for right now she has clearly put country over party and
her work on Trump GOP has been credible, IMO... )
...for Networking for Democrats today!
g. (Unapologetic Democrat)
g. (Unapologetic Democrat)
.
.
.
(Linked) "...is our 2016 platform...a declaration of how we plan to move America forward. Democrats believe that cooperation is better than conflict, unity is better than division, empowerment is better than resentment, and bridges are better than walls.
It’s a simple but powerful idea: We are stronger together."
( #its2018now )
*
Curated by Gail Mountain, with occasional personal commentary, Network For #StrongerTogether ! is not affiliated with The Democratic Party in any capacity. This is an independent blog and the hope is you will, at a glance, learn more about the Party and you will, with a click or two, also take action on its behalf as it is provided!
( You can also find me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/GKMTNtwits )
*
See the League of Women Voters website:
Vote411 here
Thank you for focusing!
g., aka Focused Democrat
✊ Resisting "Fake News"
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