From: machman@milton.u.washington.edu (The Machman)
Subject: Re: 1992 REPUBLICAN PLATFORM (1/5)
Keywords: significant words from a document used as an index to content
Organization: University of Washington
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1992 19:35:59 GMT

eyc@acpub.duke.edu (EMIL CHUCK) writes:

>I don't know about you, but the following statements in the preamble of
>the Dem Platform gives me the impression that the Democrats are blaming
>President Reagan and President Bush for everything. That's called spin,
>on both the Democratic and Republican platforms.
>
>Preamble:
>"          The last 12 years have been a nightmare of Republican
>irresponsibility and neglect.  America's leadership is
>indifferent at home and uncertain in the world.  Republican
>mismanagement has disarmed government as an instrument to make
>our economy work and support the people's most basic values,
>needs and hopes.  The Republicans brought America a false and
>fragile prosperity based on borrowing, not income, and so will
>leave behind a mountain of public debt and a backbreaking annual
>burden in interest.  It is wrong to borrow to spend on ourselves,
>leaving our children to pay our debts."
>	Does this sound like attacking George Bush and Ronald Reagan?

No, it sounds like attacking Republicans.  Bush and Reagan just happen
to have been the two most powerful Republicans of the past 12 years.


>Opportunity section
>"          President Bush, with no interest in domestic policy,
>has given America the slowest economic growth, the slowest income
>growth, and the slowest jobs growth since the Great Depression.
>And the American people know the long Bush recession reflects not
>just a business cycle, but a long-term slide, so that even in a
>fragile recovery we're sinking.  The ballooning Bush deficits
>hijacked capital from productive investments.  Savings and loan
>sharks enriched themselves at their country's expense. The stock
>market tripled, but average incomes stalled, and poverty claimed
>more of our children."
>	Does this paragraph attack George Bush?

No, it attacks his failed policies.  


>Also recall that the Democratic Platform was written while Ross Perot
>was still a very popular candidate. The Republican Platform was drafted
>when the election was a two-person race. This makes a difference in the
>presentation of points and the characterization of the opposing
>viewpoints in a draft. That's the main reason why the platforms are so
>different.

There may be very subtle differences, but since neither platform 
specifically mentions Perot or his candidacy, to claim that his campaign 
is the main difference between the Republican and Democratic platforms 
is utterly ridiculous.  The difference in platforms is primarily related
to the differing ideology of those who drafted each of them.

>-- 
>Emil Thomas Chuck		eyc@acpub.duke.edu

-- 
 /'''   The Machman     machman@milton.u.washington.edu    david c carroll
 c-OO                                                                      
    \                     "Big Science.  Hallelujah"
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