# Pitting the Republican Party of Texas **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 27, 2012, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-republican-party-of-texas/626436 "2012-06-27T06:54:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2012, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-republican-party-of-texas/626436/1 "2012-06-27T06:54:00Z")
I hardly know where to start with this. I picked up a link to a to the [Republican Party of Texas political platform](http://s3.amazonaws.com/texasgop_pre/assets/original/2012-Platform-Final.pdf) (PDF). Reading it I was so bowled over I thought surely someone must have made a really good fake. Nope, as it turns out you can pick this [right off their own site](http://convention.texasgop.org/). As I said I hardly know where to start…there is so much. I guess I will start with their principles: > [@](#): > > We, the 2012 Republican Party of Texas, believe in this platform and expect our elected leaders to uphold these truths through acknowledgement and action. We believe in: > > 1. Strict adherence to the original intent of the Declaration of Independence and U.S. and Texas Constitutions. > > 2. The sanctity of human life, created in the image of God, which should be protected from fertilization to natural death. > > 3. Preserving American and Texas Sovereignty and Freedom. > > 4. Limiting government power to those items enumerated in the U.S. and Texas Constitutions. > > 5. Personal Accountability and Responsibility. > > 6. Self-sufficient families, founded on the traditional marriage of a natural man and a natural woman. > > 7. Having an educated population, with parents having the freedom of choice for the education of their children. > > 8. Americans having the right to be safe in their homes, on their streets, and in their communities, and the unalienable right to defend themselves. > > 9. A free enterprise society unencumbered by government interference or subsidies. > > 10. Honoring all of those that serve and protect our freedom. > > 11. “The laws of nature and nature’s God” as our Founding Fathers believed. Not 100% awful but close. A few more choice bits (admittedly I am sort of randomly picking…there is so much to choose from): > [@](#): > > Classroom Discipline –We recommend that local school boards and classroom teachers be given more authority to deal with disciplinary problems. Corporal punishment is effective and legal in Texas. > > Controversial Theories – We support objective teaching and equal treatment of all sides of scientific theories. We believe theories such as life origins and environmental change should be taught as challengeable scientific theories subject to change as new data is produced. Teachers and students should be able to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of these theories openly and without fear of retribution or discrimination of any kind. > > Early Childhood Development – We believe that parents are best suited to train their children in their early development and oppose mandatory pre-school and Kindergarten. We urge Congress to repeal government-sponsored programs that deal with early childhood development. > > Federal Tax Reform – We recommend repeal of the Sixteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, with the goal of abolishing the I.R.S and replacing it with a national sales tax collected by the States. In the interim we urge the income tax be changed to a flatter, broader, lower tax with only minimal exemptions such as home mortgage interest deductions. > > Permanent Tax Cuts – We urge the income tax, capital gains tax, estate tax, and all other tax reductions be made permanent. The death tax is immoral and should be abolished forever. > > Capital Gains Tax – We favor abolishing the capital gains tax. And my personal favorite: > [@](#): > > Knowledge-Based Education – We oppose the teaching of Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) (values clarification), critical thinking skills and similar programs that are simply a relabeling of Outcome-Based Education (OBE) (mastery learning) which focus on behavior modification and have the purpose of challenging the student’s fixed beliefs and undermining parental authority. I know not everyone in Texas is in agreement with this but seeing this I am inclined to let Texas secede (or force them to if necessary) and go their own way. There’s lots of space in the rest of the country for the good folks in Texas. The rest can shove off. Good riddance. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2012, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-republican-party-of-texas/626436/2 "2012-06-27T06:58:06Z")
So they’re opposed to the death penalty, now? ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2012, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-republican-party-of-texas/626436/3 "2012-06-27T07:12:02Z")
Sounds like the usual. They put one of these things out every year, and it’s always the same crap. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2012, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-republican-party-of-texas/626436/4 "2012-06-27T09:04:08Z")
> [@](#): > > 1. Honoring all of those that serve and protect our freedom. _That is of course unless yer queer._ > [@](#): > > 1. Self-sufficient families, founded on the traditional marriage of a natural man and a natural woman. And I don’t even want to get into the whole “God” part. As I might be inclined to throw my moniter accross the room. I read an article once (Sorry can’t remember where) about the similarities of Republican doctrines and the dontrines of extreme Muslims. After reading that article I wondered why republicans don’t hail extreme Muslims as the greatest thing ever. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2012, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-republican-party-of-texas/626436/5 "2012-06-27T09:08:30Z")
> [@](#): > > Controversial Theories – We support objective teaching and equal treatment of all sides of scientific theories. We believe theories such as life origins and environmental change should be taught as challengeable scientific theories subject to change as new data is produced. Teachers and students should be able to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of these theories openly and without fear of retribution or discrimination of any kind. Also, I don’t think ‘scientific theory’ means what you think it means repubs. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2012, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-republican-party-of-texas/626436/6 "2012-06-27T09:31:21Z")
Oh, they’ve been doing this for years and years, we of the DFH community, but most especially we recovering Texans, look forward with gleeful anticipation. Its not any more nuts than it usually is. But, truth be known, I doubt if there’s one Republican in ten in Texas who knows or cares what the platform is, or what is in it. So far as I recall, the “gold standard” bit has been in there since Nixon. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2012, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-republican-party-of-texas/626436/7 "2012-06-27T09:50:16Z")
> [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > Sounds like the usual. They put one of these things out every year, and it’s always the same crap. Heh, yea. I guessed what this would be about before I opened the thread. ---
**Author:** ![Jman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jman/32/4416_2.png) [@Jman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jman)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2012, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-republican-party-of-texas/626436/8 "2012-06-27T11:24:43Z")
> [@](#): > > Knowledge-Based Education – We oppose the teaching of Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) (values clarification), critical thinking skills and similar programs that are simply a relabeling of Outcome-Based Education (OBE) (mastery learning) which focus on behavior modification and have the purpose of challenging the student’s fixed beliefs and undermining parental authority. So, in other words: We support letting you continue to believe whatever you want to believe and not actually teaching your kids anything. Great plan! I’m sure that’ll rocket us to the top! ---
**Author:** ![gamerunknown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6bbea6/32.png) [@gamerunknown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gamerunknown)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2012, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-republican-party-of-texas/626436/9 "2012-06-27T11:46:38Z")
> [@Republican](#): > > **Self-sufficient families** , founded on the traditional marriage of a natural man and a natural woman. Self-sufficiency is an important doctrine I can get behind. How, exactly, are the Republican party combating the growing tide of wage labour in the state? are they requisitioning company property in order that Texan families can practice subsistence farming? ---
**Author:** ![otternell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecc23a/32.png) [@otternell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/otternell)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2012, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-republican-party-of-texas/626436/10 "2012-06-27T13:19:59Z")
I’m pretty sure the Iowa GOP platform that came out a month or so ago (maybe, I don’t remember) was pretty much the same. Which of course is not a shock, they are probably all cribbing from the same original anyway. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2012, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-republican-party-of-texas/626436/11 "2012-06-27T13:29:12Z")
> [@](#): > > Classroom Discipline –We recommend that local school boards and classroom teachers be given more authority to deal with disciplinary problems. Corporal punishment is effective and legal in Texas. “Vote Republican: we’ll beat your children for you.” Yeah, I like it. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2012, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-republican-party-of-texas/626436/12 "2012-06-27T13:45:01Z")
Isn’t this pretty much the standard American Republican view? Not trying to be snarky, but does this conflict the nation GOP platforms? ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2012, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-republican-party-of-texas/626436/13 "2012-06-27T13:45:10Z")
[QUOTE=Emphasis added] 9. A free enterprise society unencumbered by government interference or **subsidies**. [/QUOTE] This part must come as a shock to the oil companies and farmers. ---
**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2012, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-republican-party-of-texas/626436/14 "2012-06-27T13:50:03Z")
> [@otternell](#): > > I’m pretty sure the Iowa GOP platform that came out a month or so ago (maybe, I don’t remember) was pretty much the same. Which of course is not a shock, they are probably all cribbing from the same original anyway. As an Iowan, I do find it strangly comforting that our Republicans are just normal, mainstream crazy conservatives and not some extreme outlier of Conservative Crazy. I still won’t vote for them though. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2012, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-republican-party-of-texas/626436/15 "2012-06-27T13:50:53Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > Isn’t this pretty much the standard American Republican view? Not trying to be snarky, but does this conflict the nation GOP platforms? Some parts of it are a bit out there to be on the national platform - the stuff about corporal punishment, for example. And I’m not sure if the education bullshit has made it into the national GOP platform, but I wouldn’t be shocked if it has. I’m also not sure that the national platform defines life at fertilization - typically implantation is the less extreme pro-life view, but that has been morphing lately. I was going to say that the part about repealing the Capital Gains tax was too out there for the national party but I guess Mitt saw an opportunity too good to pass up and seems to have grabbed on to that one too. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2012, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-republican-party-of-texas/626436/16 "2012-06-27T13:58:59Z")
So apart from #2 and #11 on the list - the superstition based BS - what exactly is so bad about all the other things? Is it the fact that they will cut out federal interference with local education? Or is it just the fact that Republicans are proposing them? ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2012, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-republican-party-of-texas/626436/17 "2012-06-27T14:00:34Z")
Well, #6 is some gay-bashing bullshit, for starters. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2012, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-republican-party-of-texas/626436/18 "2012-06-27T14:04:03Z")
And #9 is also bullshit when one considers the reality of GOP support for subsidies for oil, corn, and defense industry. And the idea that the “death tax” is immoral is a bit shocking in the same list that lauds the intent of the framers. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2012, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-republican-party-of-texas/626436/19 "2012-06-27T14:07:21Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > So apart from #2 and #11 on the list - the superstition based BS - what exactly is so bad about all the other things? Well, #6 is pretty full of superstition based BS too. There is no reason, except slavish deference to scriptural prohibitions, to restrict civil marriage between two consenting adults to “a natural man and a natural woman”. The rest of the so-called “principles” are mostly just eye-rolling boilerplate whose comedic or RO value depends less on their literal content than on their mismatch with actual Texas Republican policies (e.g., as **Maus Magill** noted, pretending to reject the concept of “subsidies” when Republican industrialists lobby as hard as they can for them). ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2012, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-republican-party-of-texas/626436/20 "2012-06-27T14:40:06Z")
Tough competition between Texas and Iowa: > [@](#): > > **Selections from the Iowa platform** > [ul] > [li]We oppose government distortion of the free market through subsidies and bailouts.[/li][li]We call for the repeal of all mandatory minimum wage laws.[/li][li]We call for the elimination of the Federal agency, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).[/li][li]We support the elimination of the Iowa Department of Education and of the U.S. Department of Education.[/li][li]We call for the removal of Kevin Jennings, now head of the United States Office of Safe Schools (Safe School Czar). America’s schools would be safer without him.[/li][li]We favor teaching systematic intensive phonics in reading, the three R’s, hard work and individual responsibility.\*\* \* (nice apostrophe there) _**[/li][li]We believe that Intelligent Design theory, or Creationism, should be included with all science instruction along with the Darwinian theory. No theory should then be taught in public schools to the exclusion of the other.[/li][li]We support the establishment of a no-activities night on Wednesdays.** (???)__[/li][li]We oppose the teaching of homosexual behavior as a normal or acceptable lifestyle in our public schools.[/li][li]We believe that voluntary teacher or student led prayer shall not be restricted in public schools._\* The use of the Bible as a textbook should be allowed.**[/li][li]We believe Congress and the President should remove all legislative and regulatory obstacles to the production of oil and the construction of refineries in the Caribbean, in Texas, in Alabama, in Alaska, in Colorado, and the Williston Basin.** (fuck you, landlocked\* Iowa\*)**[/li][li]We believe no-fault divorce laws should be repealed.[/li][li]We oppose the proposed North American Union, which would do away with our borders and sovereignty, and we are opposed to the Amero, which would do away with our currency and sovereignty[/li][li]We oppose any effort to implement Islamic Shariah law in this country.[/li][li]We call for the reintroduction and ratification of the original 13th Amendment, not the 13th Amendment in today’s Constitution.** (what?)\*\*[/li][li]We call for the legal ratification of the 14th Amendment and the clarification of Section I as based upon the author’s intent (Senator Jacob Howard).[/li][li]We believe no group or individual should be accorded “minority” or protected class status, or given the existing statutory benefits that come with the designation. All American citizens should be treated equally as called for by the Constitution and Declaration of Independence[/li][li]We call for reinstating, with proper safeguards, the death penalty for murderers, rapists, kidnappers, and drug dealers with a firm limit of 24 months for appeals and no intrusion of federal authorities.[/li][li]We oppose any taxes being placed on the United States by the United Nations[/li][/ul] This list is also a bit random, something I posted to the [SRIotD](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=511831&page=56)thread. There are other posts about the platform in there if you want to do a more nuanced comparison, but once you reach a level of depravity it’s all pretty much the same. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-republican-party-of-texas/626436.md?page=2)