The Republican Party of the United States is not a political party. It is, and has been for some time, a cult of personality.
Just look at their official statement of beliefs. At their 2016 Convention, the Party adopted a platform that was put together, more or less, by the traditional means of a committee putting together a list of Party positions – presumably in consultation with various Party constituencies.
The 2020 Republican Non-Platform
In 2020, after four years of the lazy Trump Presidency, the Party could not be bothered with that tradition and simply re-adopted the 2016 Platform. However, they did attach a resolution to the beginning of the Platform that said that the Party would “continue to enthusiastically support the President’s America-first agenda.” (Whatever that is.)
This resolution also attacked the news media. (Of course.)
In other words, in 2020, after the four horrific years of the first Trump Presidency, the Republican Party officially announced, “We enthusiastically support whatever Trump wants!”
Those who had actually paid any attention at all to the first Trump Presidency clearly understood that Trump’s only agenda is, and has always been, self-aggrandizement. The Republican Party officially declared that they were re-dedicating themselves to being fawning and submissive to the whims of an illiterate and capricious narcissist.
The 2024 Republican “Platform”
By 2024, the Party was wholly taken over by the Trumpistas. The Convention adopted a “Platform” that reads more like one of Trump’s platitude-laden speechs than a political party platform. The document was sub-titled “Make America Great Again!” (of course). It was dedicated, “To the Forgotten Men and Women of America.” (Presumably a reference to those mistreated billionaires).
The document had a preamble entitled, “America First: A Return to Common Sense.” It consisted of nothing but attacks on the Biden administration and outright hero worship of Trump. This preamble included the ridiculous lie that the Democrats lead “political persecutions” while the Republicans “stand for Equal Treatment for All.” (Their capitalization).
The 2024 Republican “Commitment”
After the Preamble, the main section of the 2024 Document begins with perhaps the greatest irony in political history:
CHAPTER ONE: DEFEAT INFLATION AND QUICKLY BRING DOWN ALL PRICES
Our Commitment:
The Republican Party will reverse the worst inflation crisis in four decades that has crushed the middle class, devastated family budgets, and pushed the dream of homeownership out of reach for millions. We will defeat inflation, tackle the cost-of-living crisis, improve fiscal sanity, restore price stability, and quickly bring down prices.”
– 2024 Republican Platform
What happened to that commitment? The impulsive, uninformed, ego-based, decision making process of Donald Trump has led the United States into ill-considered, often random, tariffs and into an expensive, disastrous war in the Middle East. Both of these have raised prices, destroyed alliances, weakened the economy, and depleted our strategic military stockpiles.
Americans are paying the price for Trump’s capriciousness daily at the gas pump and at the grocery store. Where is the Republican Party? What about their “promise”?
A complete lack of leadership
The reason that America’s Constitutional “checks and balances” have failed to restrain this corrupt, clueless, indeed dangerous, Exective branch is that the other two branches of our government, the Legislative and the Judicial, are controlled by the spineless Republicans.
The American Dream has collapsed because the Republican Party, for a decade, has been completely in thrall to a malignant narcissist whose physical and mental health has been plainly and obviously deteriorating before our eyes.
I cannot think of a single Republican who deserves to be elected or re-elected this year. That cult of personality has purged itself of every candidate who may once have shown an ounce of dignity or integrity (Romney, Cheney, Kinzinger, Flake, Bowers). Every Republican candidate on this year’s ballot is severely morally compromised. At best, they are complicit, while many are active participants, in the outrageous corruption, madness, and destruction perpetrated by this administration.
Utlimately, it is the voters who are responsible
I believe that any Christian who has ever voted for Donald J. Trump has allowed themselves to be seriously misled (or worse) and strongly needs to repent. But this year, THIS YEAR, things couldn’t be more clear. The blatant corruption, the malfeasance, the incompetence, the carelessness, and the authoritarian decrees are dangerous and DISQUALIFYING.
Perhaps you really do hate immigrants and minorities and love to see them persecuted and locked away. Perhaps you truly do believe that pregnant women should be allowed to die rather get necessary medical care. However, THIS YEAR your political beliefs on “social issues” don’t matter. This year the Constitution, the rule of law, your right to vote, and the very existance of truth are at stake.
This year, THIS YEAR, if you vote for ANY Republican, at ANY level, you will most certainly be joining them in Hell.
Also because their hearts are corrupted, and the things which they are willing to bring upon others, and love to have others suffer, may come upon themselves to the very uttermost;
Sources:
– “Resolution Regarding the Republican Party Platform,” National Security Archive, George Washington University, January 1, 2020.
Megan Pratz, “With just one mention of abortions, Republican Party lays out its 2024 policy platform,” NPR, July 8, 2024.