What if I told you there was a party that proudly declared its support for free enterprise? That looked to tackle spending — including eliminating unnecessary spending and reforming entitlement programs — to curb soaring costs? A party that wanted to decentralize government and make it more flexible and accountable to the people? Finally, a party that emphasized personal responsibility, individual liberty, faith, family and hard work?
No matter your political persuasion — I bet you are thinking that these are buzz words of the Republican Party.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
But, not so fast!
The principles of fiscal conservatism, family values and upholding law and order were critical tenets of the 1992 Democratic National Party platform.
The Democrats’ 1992 platform highlighted the economy as the party’s No. 1 priority: “opportunity” through “broad-based, noninflationary economic growth and the opportunity that flows through it.” The platform sought to “honor business as a noble endeavor,” and the party vowed “to create a far better climate for firms and independent contractors of all sizes that empower their workers, revolutionize their workplaces, respect the environment, and serve their communities well.” And, wrapping up with more music to my conservative ears, the platform rejected hamstringing business with regulations and refused to “tax and spend our way to prosperity.”
My, my, how times have changed.
Today’s Democratic Party platform demonizes job creators, champions raising taxes on corporations and brags about eliminating resources for a part of the energy sector that employs more than 24 million Americans. The 2024 Democratic platform pays lip service to small businesses as the backbone of our economy while crushing them with Bidenflation as operating costs have almost doubled over the past four years. The Democrats’ 1992 platform rejected “Big Government,” but the Democrats’ 2024 platform embraces it.
The slow march from free market capitalism toward government control is merely a symptom of the larger issue. The modern Democratic Party has rejected the politics of persuasion and eschewed an uplifting vision for the future in favor of demonizing a single man and the wide swath of America who support him. Look no further than the 2024 Democratic Party platform that mentions former President Donald Trump 152 times. The party’s own nominee was only mentioned 32 times. Trump lives rent-free in Democrats’ heads and paralyzes the party from looking to the future. The Democratic Party has given up on former President Barack Obama’s “audacity of hope” and embraced the politics of fear.
The truth is that this is no longer Obama’s or Bill Clinton’s Democratic Party. Today’s Democratic Party is one of anger, division and grievance. In 2008, Obama accepted his party’s nomination by saying, “it is that American spirit — that American promise — that pushes us forward even when the path is uncertain; that binds us together in spite of our differences.” Meanwhile, today’s Democratic Party feasts on identity politics, pitting the haves against the have-less, employees against employers, rural Americans against urban Americans.
As Obama did in 2004, I ask you, “Do we participate in a politics of cynicism or a politics of hope?” That’s up to you.
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