Continuing my fall series of interviews on different aspects of the 2020 Election, and in this interview I talk with Matthew Anderson on the platform (or lack thereof) of the Republican Party. It’s an enjoyable conversation on whether or not people read platforms anymore; why the Republicans chose to retain their 2016 platform while President Trump laid out his own “platform” in the form of a second term agenda; and how things are stacking up for the Republicans heading into the final weeks of the election.
NOTE: This was recorded before upheaval of presidential debates and President Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis, so if you’re wondering why we’re not talking about that, now you know. Enjoy!
Topics covered in this episode
- Why people do or do not ready party platforms
- Why the Republicans would retain their 2016 platform in 2020
- The place of social conservatives in the GOP (it’s not as big as you think)
- What Matt likes, dislikes, and wishes he’d see more of in the GOP platform
Conversation starter
If you’re a Republican/Republican-leaning voter, to what degree do you agree with Matt’s assessment of the GOP?
If you’re a Democratic/Democratic-leaning voter, what do you find you interesting, challenging, or surprising in Matt’s analysis of Republican politics?
Generally, how does this interview challenge your preexisting assumptions about the Republican Party and its members?
Related to the Republican Party
TTP posts and articles
- Podcast: Is the Republican Party Destroying Itself
- Podcast: Evangelicals and the 2020 Election
- Podcast: Is Donald Trump a Rational Actor?
- Article: Against Conservative Populists and American Divorce
- Article: The First Pagan President?
More on Matthew Anderson
- Matthew Anderson’s personal website
- Matthew Anderson’s newsletter: The Path Before Us
- Mere Fidelity podcast
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