The Democratic Party’s latest platform is about as relevant as a flip phone in a 5G world. Released just in time for the Chicago convention, this 92-page dinosaur reads more like a tribute to Joe Biden’s failed presidential ambitions than a roadmap for the future. Yet, here we are, with Democrats desperately clinging to a document that hasn’t seen an update since Biden dropped out and handed the reins over to Kamala Harris. It’s like trying to drive a car using last year’s GPS data; you’re going to get lost.
So, what does this outdated manifesto actually say? Well, according to the text, “President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Democrats are running to finish the job.” Finish the job? What job are we talking about here? The job of driving the economy into the ground? Or maybe the job of ensuring America’s enemies know we’re as weak as ever? The truth is, this platform was built for a Biden re-election campaign that never was, leaving Harris with the task of picking up the pieces and pretending they still fit together.
You see, party platforms are supposed to reflect the priorities of the nominee. But with Harris only recently locking down the Democratic nomination, this platform is about as relevant to her agenda as a VCR is to streaming Netflix. She’s already tossed out some of the more progressive nonsense she spewed during the 2020 primary, but don’t expect her to adopt every bit of this Biden-era platform.
Steve Grossman, a former Democratic National Committee chairman, tried to spin this mess by saying Harris didn’t want to create any “divisiveness” around platform issues. Translation? The Democratic Party is a house of cards, and Harris knows one wrong move could bring the whole thing crashing down. Grossman admits as much, saying the focus is on “creating party unity.” But let’s be honest, unity in the Democratic Party is like Bigfoot because everyone talks about it, but no one’s seen it.
This platform isn’t just irrelevant; it’s outdated. For example, it talks about expanding tax credits for working people but doesn’t mention Harris’ new proposal for a $6,000 tax credit for middle-class families with newborns. And while it criticizes companies for price gouging, it conveniently leaves out Harris’ recent push for a federal ban on price gouging at the grocery store. How convenient.
Then there’s the foreign policy section. The platform’s stance on the Israel-Hamas conflict is as predictable as it is uninspired. It parrots the usual lines about Israel’s right to defend itself, while trying to paint Biden as a humanitarian hero. The reality? Biden’s handling of the situation has been as ineffective as you’d expect from someone who can’t remember what day it is. The platform even goes so far as to call for a ceasefire, claiming it would make Israel more secure. Yeah, because nothing says security like letting terrorists regroup and rearm.
But the real kicker is how this platform takes every opportunity to bash former President Donald Trump. Whether it’s the economy, immigration, or foreign policy, the Democrats can’t seem to get Trump out of their heads. They argue that Trump’s policies favor billionaires and tear families apart, while conveniently ignoring the fact that their own policies are doing far more damage to everyday Americans. The platform even has the audacity to claim that a bipartisan border security bill would have made the country safer, had it not been for those pesky Republicans blocking it. The truth? Democrats wouldn’t know real border security if it bit them.
Let’s also talk about how bloated this document is. While Republicans trimmed their platform down to a concise 16 pages, focusing on broad policy goals, the Democrats felt the need to cram every possible topic into their 92-page tome. From foreign policy to gun violence, from civil rights to the so-called “Unity Agenda,” this platform is less of a coherent plan and more of a laundry list of left-wing talking points.
Ultimately, this platform is a relic of the Biden era, desperately trying to stay relevant in a world that’s moved on. Harris may be the new face of the Democratic Party, but she’s stuck with an old, outdated playbook. And if this platform is any indication of what’s to come, the Democrats are in for a rude awakening come election time.
