Who decides what the party stands for?
It used to be fifty years ago, even somewhat forty years ago, that at the national conventions they would have party caucuses and party platforms and there would be these epic battles over what the party platform was going to be, and whether the different planks party platform would be unveiled at the national convention, and that was really where the party was decided. Now the national convention and the party platforms have decreased in importance over time. They still have the party platforms and there are still fights over them but in reality the party platforms are more symbolic than hold any real power over governing the party. Currently, or more in modern times, really it is the leaders of the party, especially a President or a Presidential candidate tends to determine more what the party platform stands for. So for instance, George W. Bush is going to have a more active role in determining what this party stands for by what he puts forward and what he champions and the Republican leadership and Congress, the House and the Legislature by what they are willing to go along with and vice versa. So Clinton had a very big role in bringing the Democratic Party economically towards the center, more than the party platform.
