Four days before the Democratic National Convention commences in Chicago, a significant error has been discovered in the party’s proposed platform. The Democratic platform, which outlines the party’s goals and policy positions, still names the wrong candidate for president. This issue arose because the platform has not been revised since a draft was released on July 13, before President Joe Biden withdrew from the race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris.
The committee responsible for crafting the platform had been working on it for over a year, allowing key stakeholders to provide input and suggest changes earlier in the summer. However, the platform set to be presented for approval to delegates during the convention has not been updated to reflect Biden’s departure. There are no plans for the rules body to convene and amend the platform before the convention convenes on Monday.
Despite assuming the top spot on the Democratic ticket, Vice President Harris has not yet disclosed a detailed list of her policy positions. Reports suggest that she may have shifted away from some of her more liberal stances from her 2020 presidential campaign, such as endorsing a ban on hydraulic fracturing. Consequently, the current platform does not offer clear insights into her specific views on key issues.
While the platform is nonbinding, some Democrats have criticized the lack of transparency in the Republican Party’s platform approval process during their convention last month. There were modifications made to align the document more closely with former President Donald Trump’s positions on various matters, including abortion. The Democratic National Committee stated that their platform would reflect the party’s values and build upon the accomplishments made during the Biden-Harris administration.
Despite the outdated mention of Biden in the draft platform’s preamble, which states that he and Harris are running for office, the proposed 80-page platform focuses on highlighting the differences between the Biden-Harris ticket and the Trump administration. It criticizes Trump and the Republicans for prioritizing revenge and retribution over opportunity and optimism and accuses them of infringing on personal freedoms, among other things.
While most of the platform supports the work of the Biden administration, there is a discrepancy in the level of input from the new ticket. The draft platform calls for various measures such as restoring abortion rights, promoting green energy initiatives, and advocating for a pathway to U.S. citizenship for long-term undocumented residents. It also expresses support for Israel’s right to self-defense and endorses efforts to broker a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas.