Party platforms don’t really matter to the party elites, Republican or Democrat. Weeper of the House John Boehner let slip this fact at a recent breakfast when he said he’s never met anyone who reads the platforms.
But to the parties’ rank and file, platforms matter. They gather often, beginning in their local districts, in an effort to work their way up the party hierarchy just to get a chance to attend conventions as delegates and provide input on the platform.
