Quote:
Originally Posted by Robbie
The party platforms don't mean much of anything to any presidency. Each man does his own thing once in office.
The Democratic party platform nor the Republican party platform have ever been actually implemented by any president.
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Oh of course it has... the approach in the Affordable Health Care Act (aka Obamacare) is the Democratic platform on health care, it's what Obama ran on mostly with only minor differences -- i.e. no public option ended up in the final bill, and Democrats historically were not for the individual mandate. Just one example.
The EPA under Obama is VERY different, it's actually REGULATING companies. Democrats typically stock regulating agencies with actual regulators because they believe in government oversight and regulation. Republicans don't... which is why you had the head of the Arabian Horse organization leading FEMA when Katrina struck New Orleans. This has everything to do with party philosophy.
For Bush, his people had been lobbying Clinton to invade Iraq for YEARS before they took over. Then they take over and first opportunity they get... invade Iraq. Again, hawkishness and using America's military might to gain economic advantage is a Republican party philosophy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project...erican_Century
Look past presidential races to governors. Part of the Republican platform is to attack and weaken organized labor. Look what happened in WI, what they tried to do in Ohio.
Yes, it matters... it's NOT about individual personalities. It's not a high school popularity contest. It's about an approach and philosophy to governing, and EACH SIDE has a TEAM that comes with them.