Parties Take Different Tacks On Platforms Gop’S Approach Traditional, Specific; Demos’ Planks Broad And General

Parents ought to know when their children are going to have an abortion.

They deserve tax credits for sending their kids to private schools.

Let the state make all of the environmental rules. Open National Forest roadless areas to logging. Don’t bring back wolves and grizzly bears.

Tell the federal government to stay out of Idaho. But make it continue sending money for pet projects like the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory.

So say the planks of the 1998 Idaho Republican Party Platform.

And what do the Democrats say? It’s tough to know.

The state’s minority party adopted a page of general principles instead of a plank-by-plank platform. Emphasize general.

Democrats traditionally are identified with education, but this season managed only to announce support for “full funding (of) free quality public education” in “safe and modern facilities.” Hardly bold words in a state with an estimated $1billion school construction backlog.

Environment and natural resources issues? The Idaho Democratic platform calls for “open dialogue to achieve shared goals” to avoid confrontation and condemnation.

The closest thing to a strong language comes where Democrats call for campaign finance reform, support collective bargaining and talk about a criminal justice system that emphasizes rehabilitation.

The goal is for the party to be more general and more inclusive, leaving specifics up to Democratic candidates themselves, explained Jasper LiCalzi, chairman of the Democrats’ platform committee.

Such a fuzzy message reflects the Democrats’ malaise, said Florence Heffron, director of University of Idaho’s Bureau of Public Affairs Research.

“I think the Democrats are going through an identity crisis right now and they don’t know who they are or who they should be,” Heffron said. “So basically nothing comes out.”

Both Republicans and Democrats, however, can be accused of sidestepping. Idaho’s highest-profile issue its national reputation for racism is missing from the two-party debate.

Republicans are mute. Democrats give it a cameo appearance with words about “celebrating diversity” and “elimination of political rhetoric that fosters a climate of hate, intolerance and violence within our state and nation.”

It’s no accident that neither party issues a call for decisive action or strongly condemns Idaho’s rap for intolerance, political scholars say.

“We certainly don’t want the image nationally of being a racist state,” Heffron said. “But on the other hand, I don’t think we would welcome increased diversity.

“I think a politician or party that advocated that would pay for it at the polls.”

With all of this, what do people make of these platforms? Not much.

“I don’t ever hear many candidates running on political platforms,” said Jim Weatherby, a Boise State University political scientist. “In fact, I remember Robert Dole running for president saying he hadn’t ever read the Republican Party platform.

“It reflects the pragmatism of the parties, whose goals are winning elections, not necessarily adopting certain policies.”

The number one purpose of a platform is appeasing all factions in a party, without being too controversial or extreme in the eyes of the public, Heffron said.

And because Idaho is so socially, economically and demographically homogenous, it’s hard for state political parties to be different and remain viable, she said.

The effects of that struggle are even more apparent this year. For example, Idaho Democrats normally portray themselves as pro-choice.

This time, abortion is never mentioned. That may be in deference to Democrat Richard Stallings, an anti-abortion candidate who is making a bid to retake the Southern Idaho congressional seat.

“They don’t want to embarrass Stallings or hurt his chances,” Weatherby explained, noting that Stallings is one of the Democrats’ strongest candidates.

However, Weatherby identifies one place that voters might find a significant difference - Republican support for tax credits for home schooling parents or parents who send their children to private school.

Considering Idaho essentially is a one-party state, people concerned about public education might “want to ask Republican candidates if they plan to pass that into law,” Weatherby said, “and what effect that will have on public education.”

Beyond that, there is little to make of the rhetoric, even the Democrats’ search for voters by staking their identity claim in the most neutral ground.

“The situation we are in now, there aren’t many hot-button issues,” Heffron said. And in the end, “the majority of the members of both parties won’t be that much different.”

MORE INFORMATION To read the Republican and Democratic platforms and resolutions, check out Election Central on The Spokesman-Review’s Web site: www.spokane.net/election.