Republican National Convention Overview

The Republican Party (also known as the GOP or Grand Old Party) held their national convention August 27-30 in Tampa, Florida. National political conventions take place every four years before the general election. Their purpose is to present the party’s platform for approval and to officially nominate a candidate for president and vice president. In attendance this year were 2286 delegates, 2125 alternates, and about 15,000  members of the media. The theme was “A Better Future”, with separate sub-themes for each day: “We Can Do Better”, “We Built It” and “We Can Change It”.

Republican Platform

Before the convention, on Tuesday, August 21, a committee released “We Believe in America: the 2012 Republican Platform.” This 60-page document spells out in detail particular positions the party supports and suggests plans if their candidate is elected president. On August 28, delegates enthusiastically voted to adopt it as presented.

The platform is divided into six major sections covering the economy, constitution, natural resources, government reform, renewing values, and national defense. You can read the whole document here.

The highlights are as follows:

• Rebuilding the Economy – The Republicans believe economic growth is best achieved by pursuing free market policies in order to boost employment. If elected into office, they would make immediate cuts in federal spending. They will help small businesses create more jobs by lowering tax burden on corporations and investors. Also, the Bush tax relief packages would be extended to help the middle class.

• Restoration of the Constitution – In order to maintain a free, stable and prosperous country, the Republicans support a number of changes to the U.S. constitution. One example is a constitutional amendment to protest the rights on the unborn without exceptions. Ending the federal income tax by repealing the Sixteenth Amendment if the current tax system is greatly challenged. One of the most controversial calls of support is for a constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman.

• America’s Natural Resources – The Republicans believe our country can create jobs and sustain economic growth through development of our nation’s coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear energy resources. They oppose regulations on businesses to curb climate change, and want to limit the powers of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

• Reforming Government – Making government more efficient and providing better services is important to the Republican Party. They would like to reform Medicare by increasing the age of eligibility and shifting to a private contribution in which the government pays a fixed amount. They also want to shift the control of Medicaid from the federal government to the states. In addressing immigration, the Republicans call for a tightening of the law at our borders, as well as the support of a “guest worker” program, allowing foreigners to work for a specific period of time and then return home.

• Renewing American Values – The Republicans believe the needs and strengths of the family should be supported by public policy. They propose the following: upholding the union of a man and a woman as the national standard for marriage, reforming public assistance to ensure it promotes work, repealing Obamacare, and supporting parents’ choice in selecting the schools their children should attend.

• Strengthening National Defense – Peace through strength is the goal of the Republican party when it comes to national defense. They plan to work closely with the private sector to protect against cyberthreats. The full force of the law will be applied toward those who engage in human trafficking. The Republicans also support Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state with secure, defensible borders.

Speakers

Speeches always make up a large part of political nominating conventions. They help inform the public about why they should support a candidate. This year’s speakers were state governors, city mayors, US Representatives, Senators, and former high-ranking Republicans. However, among the speakers were business owners, the wife of the nominee, and special guests. Among the guest speakers was actor/director, Clint Eastwood who caused quite a stir with his improvised speech delivered to an empty chair representing President Obama.

The Convention officially nominated Mitt Romney as the Republican presidential candidate and Paul Ryan as the party’s Vice President.  Following their nominations, both addressed the convention. In his speech, Romney expressed his optimism about America’s future, touched on education, immigration and the environment, but he was mostly focused on the economy and a 5-point plan to create jobs, including making American energy-dependent by 2020. He also favored promoting school choice, forging new trade agreements, balancing the budget, and championing small businesses.

Conclusion

While changes in the candidate election process have changed the impact of modern-day nominating conventions, the gatherings still create a great deal of enthusiasm and unite the party leading into the election season.