The new "Contract With America"; Gingrich's "Platform of the American People"

Last Thursday I had the pleasure of hearing Newt Gingrich speak at a Republican Party of Wisconsin fundraiser here in Milwaukee. While the former speaker spent an ample amount of time recounting his time as speaker, he spoke at length about his 'think-tank of sorts,' American Solutions.

As one of it's glaring accomplishments is the completion of "The Platform of the American People." So basically stated:

[The Platform of the American People is...] A Red, White, and Blue platform to
replace the Red versus Blue partisan Split.

This Platform details the results of six national polls along a variety of issue areas. The poll was administered to self-identified Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. Taking the majority answers together on all sides of the spectrum and averaging them to find the mean, Gingrinch and American Solutions were presented with a product of bipartisan support.

The relation of The Platform to our coverage of spatial models is important. Support on the issue-specific areas within The Platform's support is listed as one number [both support for, and against], it is an average, or mean of the likened responses of the both Republicans, Democrats, and Independents.

While the numbers themselves do not necessarily correspond with different issue stances, because issues were measured in support for, or against, we are not presented with a middle, or mean of issue stances. In essence, The Platform contains issue items that are the middle, and generate positive response from all respondents regardless of party affiliation.

Gingrich hopes The Platform is adopted by local, state, and with hope national parties as a means to unify the American people. Gingrich does not rule out the divisive issues that will forever pit Republicans against Democrats- simply, he wishes to provide for the parties, issues that can unify and not divide.

While I realize the uptopian nature of such a platform, it presents possibilities for unifying issues between Republicans and Democrats. While the feasibility may be challenged on a national level, state and local politics could be greatly affected by adopting such a platform.