Last week we shuddered as we read the ideals the Republican Party stands for as they released the official 2012 Republican Party Platform.  Talk about a giant leap backwards…  Courtesy of ThinkProgress, here are some of the standout parts:

  • NO ABORTION IN CASES OF RAPE OR INCEST. The proposal for a “human life amendment”passed without a hitch — and without any exceptions for rape or incest. The committee didn’t stop there; they also adopted language that would ban drugs that end pregnancy after conception, which could potentially include Plan B, the “morning after pill.”
  • SALUTE TO MANDATORY ULTRASOUNDS. The GOP officially praises states’ “informed consent” laws that force women to undergo unnecessary procedures, require waiting periods and endure other measures meant to discourage them from getting an abortion. One such law receiving a “salute” was crafted by committee head McDonnell, who passed a notorious mandatory ultrasound requirement after he signed an unsuccessful bill to require an even more invasive transvaginal probe ultrasound during an abortion consultation.
  • NO LEGAL RECOGNITION OF SAME-SEX COUPLES. The committee embraced extreme anti-gay language, even rejecting a proposal to endorse civil unions for gay couples after vehement objections from Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council and Romney adviser Jim Bopp, who called it a “counterfeit marriage.” The rejection of civil unions, along with the refusal to include a line affirming the legal equality of same-sex couplesprompted the organization GOProud to declare, “Those who have engaged in this public platform fight have provided distraction from important issues and damaged Mitt Romney’s campaign.”
  • REPLICATE ARIZONA-STYLE IMMIGRATION LAWS. Kris Kobach, who wrote the now mostly invalidated immigration laws in Arizona and Alabama, pushed for language calling for a border fence, a national E-Verify system to make it harder for undocumented workers to find employment, the end of in-state tuition for illegal immigrants and an end to sanctuary cities. The committee overwhelmingly approved the proposals, as well as a line chastising the Department of Justice to halt the lawsuits against draconian immigration laws in Arizona, Alabama, South Carolina and Utah: “State efforts to reduce illegal immigration must be encouraged, not attacked.”
  • AUDIT THE FED. The pet project of Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) to audit the Federal Reserve has now been embraced as an official Republican goal. For the first time, the platform calls for an annual audit of the Federal Reserve.
  • NO WOMEN IN COMBAT. The platform condemns “social experimentation” in the military, which covers everything from the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” to allowing officers to wear their uniforms in gay pride events to letting women serve on the front lines.
  • NO STATEHOOD, MORE GUNS FOR WASHINGTON DC. FRC’s Perkins, who recently blamed President Obama and the Southern Poverty Law Center for the shooting at FRC’s Washington headquarters, requested and received a section specifically urging the DC Council to expand gun rights. The same section also opposes DC statehood, which would allow the District to govern itself and put an end to Congressional attempts to impose abortion bans on DC.
  • NO NEW TAXES, EXCEPT FOR WAR. The platform calls for a Constitutional amendment requiring a super-majority to approve any tax increase, “with exceptions for only war and national emergencies.” It would also deliberately hobble future Congresses through a cap limiting all government spending to historical average percentage of GDP — “so that future Congresses cannot balance the budget by raising taxes.”

A further search of GOP Party Platform at Think Progress turned up these frightening headlines:

Radical GOP Platform Calls For Constitutional Amendment To Make Tax Increases Virtually Impossible

GOP Platform Says ‘Impeachment’ Is A Solution To Judicial Decisions The GOP Opposes

GOP Platform Calls For Cutting Off Federal Funds From Colleges That Offer In-State Tuition To Undocumented Immigrants

GOP Platform Calls For Prosecutors To ‘Vigorously’ Prosecute Porn

GOP Platform Suggests Billionaires Should Be Able To Give Unlimited Donations To Mitt Romney

GOP Platform Lies About Abstinence Education’s Effectiveness

Today we got the draft of the Democratic Party Platform -to be voted on today- which, although far from perfect, at least moves the nation forward.  From Think Progress,

  • Tax breaks for insourced jobs. “We want to cut tax breaks for companies that are shipping jobs overseas and for special interests, and instead offer tax breaks to companies that are investing right here in the United States of America, betting on American workers who are making American products we sell to the world that are stamped with three proud words: Made in America.”
  • Extend tax cuts for the middle class. “We are committed to extending the middle class tax cuts for the 98 percent of American families who make less than $250,000 a year, and we will not raise taxes on them. In order to reduce the deficit while still making the investments we need in education, research, infrastructure, and clean energy, the President has asked for the wealthiest taxpayers to pay their fair share.
  • Unrestricted abortion rights. “Abortion is an intensely personal decision between a woman, her family, her doctor and her clergy; there is no place for politicians or government to get in the way.”
  • Clean energy by 2035. “An all-of-the-above approach to developing America’s many energy resources, including wind, solar, biofuels, geothermal, hydropower, nuclear, oil, clean coal, and natural gas.”
  • Stop Citizens United. “We believe we must take immediate action to curb the influence of lobbyists and special interests on our political institutions…by constitutional amendment if necessary.”
  • Pass the DREAM Act. “We need an immigration reform that creates a system for allocating
    visas that meets our economic needs, keeps families together, and enforces the law…Only Congress can provide a permanent, comprehensive solution.”
  • Close Guantanamo. “We remain committed to working with all branches of government to close the prison altogether because it is inconsistent with our national security interests and our values.”
  • Repeal DOMA, legalize same-sex marriage. “We also support the freedom of churches and religious
    entities to decide how to administer marriage as a religious sacrament without government interference. We oppose discriminatory federal and state constitutional amendments and other attempts to deny equal protection of the laws to committed same-sex couples who seek the same respect and responsibilities as other married couples.”
  • Tougher gun control. “We can work together to enact commonsense improvements – like reinstating the
    assault weapons ban and closing the gun show loophole – so that guns do not fall into the hands of those irresponsible, law-breaking
    few.”
  • Build on Obamacare. “No law is perfect and Democrats stand willing to work with anyone to improve the law where necessary, but we are committed to moving forward…We refuse to go back to the days when health insurance companies had unchecked power to cancel your health policy, deny you coverage, or charge women more than men.”

I don’t understand how anyone could be undecided at this point.  But if you are, all you need do is take a look at the two platforms and decide which party most  closely represents you.  It’s a no-brainer.