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The Thomas Jefferson Discussion Group
of Orlando, Florida

Meeting No. 65 - May 2, 2007
Holiday House Restaurant, Orlando, Florida



THIS MONTH'S TOPIC:
A 21st Century Jeffersonian Party? A Proposed Party Platform – Part 2


Everyone claims Jefferson as their own – nearly every political persuasion.

Now, what would a Jeffersonian party look like today? We have spent almost six years studying, discussing, agreeing, disagreeing, whispering, yelling, pleading, petitioning, and beseeching each other on many contemporary issues and on what side of the watershed we think the Sage of Monticello would come down on. The little secret is from Jefferson's point of view I believe he would say that to worry about getting the "right answer" misses the point - assembling and entering into a free exchange of ideas is the "right answer," "(for)… error of opinion may be tolerated where reason is left free to combat it." Thomas Jefferson: 1st Inaugural, 1801. He would be very proud - Jefferson believed in the collective wisdom of the people and, left free to develop and manifest that wisdom, the country would do just fine.

Moving toward the 2008 presidential election, what would a Jeffersonian party platform look like? Let’s start with a proposed mission statement and a listing the platform planks. Wednesday night we will discuss the draft mission statement below and the proposed planks, adding to them. Over the months leading up to the presidential election we will attempt to fill out the platform using Jefferson quotes to support our positions.


Mission Statement

The Jeffersonian Party is dedicated to establishing a Federal Government that is faithfulto our constitution while addressing the issues that our citizens face today (for) we might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy as civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors. (Thomas Jefferson to Samuel Kercheval, 1816) either by promoting federal legislation that is in the best interest of a majority of the citizens, while respecting the rights of the minority, on issues rightly addressed at the federal level, or relegating issues not under its purview to the states (for) I consider the foundation of the [Federal] Constitution as laid on this ground: That "all powers not delegated to the United States, by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States or to the people." [10th Amendment]. To take a singlestep beyond the boundaries thus specifically drawn around the powers of Congress is to take possession of a boundless field of power, no longersusceptible of any definition. (Thomas Jefferson: Opinion on NationalBank, 1791).


Platform Planks

    1. Preamble – Basic Party Principles

    2. Domestic Policy
        a. Education
        b. Immigration
        c. Health Care
        d. Security (Including the individual right to bear arms)

    3. Foreign Policy
        a. Position on global terrorism
        b. World Court
        c. National sovereignty
        d. Our place in the global community




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