On March 28, 2020, I wrote a blog titled “The Ethics of Writing About Political Parties in 2020” and focused on the Democratic and Republican Parties in 2020.” I read it to prepare a similar blog vis-à-vis the 2024 election. It was only four years ago, but now it seems quaint at best and DOA at worst. In that election, the Democrats and Republicans were vigorously opposed on every policy issue, offered different perspectives on common issues, and snarled at one another. In retrospect, having two political parties scream at one another is just fine.
The presidential election this year seems like a three-way fight. The Democratic Party has a strong candidate. It’s preamble to the 2024 campaign is clear. “Our nation is at an inflection point. What kind of America will we be? A land of more freedom, or less freedom? More rights or fewer? An economy rigged for the rich and powerful, or where everyone has a fair shot at getting ahead? Will we lower the temperature in our politics and come together, or treat each other as enemies instead?”[1]
The Republican Party also has a strong candidate. It’s a preamble to the 2024 campaign that is longer. “In the early days of our Republic, the Founding Generation defeated what was then the most powerful Empire the World had ever seen. In the 20th Century, America vanquished Nazism and Fascism and then triumphed over Soviet Communism after forty-four years of the Cold War. But now we are a Nation in SERIOUS DECLINE. Our future, our identity, and our very way of life are under threat like never before. Today we must once again call upon the same American Spirit that led us to prevail through every challenge of the past if we are going to lead our Nation to a brighter future.”[2]
One way to differentiate between these two platforms is the style of writing. The Democratic text follows the Chicago Manual of Style. The Republican text is written with capitalism errors using upper case first letters on first words within sentences, including capital letters on other words, and written in 3POV by an omniscient narrator who seems to know about the candidate’s thoughts, motivations, and hopes for dominance.
And to complicate matters this year has a splinter movement focused on payback and revenge; MAGA. It isn’t a political party, has no platform, and has little interest in policy positions, actual governance, or truth. It is decidedly not a political party. “It is a nativist political movement that emerged in the United States during the 2016 presidential campaign of its putative leader, Donald Trump. Its name is derived from Trump’s 2016 campaign slogan “Make America Great Again,” which became a rallying cry for many Trump supporters during his candidacy, presidency (2017–21), and beyond.”[3]
MAGA differs from the traditional Republican party in many ways. It split the GOP into two unequal entities. The GOP is a coalition of voters. MAGA is a movement focused on one man—Donald J. Trump.
“In the 21st century, the Republican Party receives its strongest support from rural voters, evangelical Christians, men, senior citizens, and white voters without college degrees. On economic issues, the party has maintained a pro-business attitude since its inception. It supports low taxes and deregulation while opposing socialism, labor unions, and single-payer healthcare. The populist faction supports economic protectionism, including tariffs. On social issues, it advocates for restricting the legality of abortion, discouraging, and often prohibiting recreational drug use, promoting gun ownership, and easing gun restrictions, and opposing the transgender rights movement.”[4]
“In the 21st century, the Democrat party is strongest among urban voters, union workers, college graduates, women, African Americans, LGBT+ people, and the unmarried. On social issues, it advocates for abortion rights, voting rights, LGBT+ rights, action on climate change, and the legalization of marijuana. On economic issues, the party favors healthcare reform, universal childcare, paid sick leave, and supporting unions.”[5]
The MAGA movement in 2024 is a powerful force in American politics. “In late 2022 an estimated 4 in 10 Republicans identified themselves as “MAGA Republicans.” Shortly after the midterm elections of 2022, Trump declared his candidacy for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. Because of the strength of the MAGA movement, other candidates for the Republican nomination have been forced to adopt strategies that limit direct or serious criticisms of Trump and emphasize their acceptance of at least some of the extremist views of MAGA members.”[6]
Actually, there are two movements astir in the 2024 Presidential election. In addition to the MAGA movement, the NEVER TRUMP movement makes a fair amount of noise. “The Never Trump movement, also called the #nevertrump, Stop Trump, anti-Trump, or Dump Trump movement, is an ongoing moderate conservative movement that opposes Trumpism and former U.S. president Donald Trump. It began as an effort on the part of a group of Republicans (known as Never Trump Republicans) and other prominent conservatives to prevent Republican front-runner Trump from obtaining the 2016 Republican Party presidential nomination.”[7]
The 2024 Never-Trump-Movement is hopeful. “The Never Trump movement is finding our feet better than we have at any point since Trump came down the escalator. There’s a lot more of us. There’s actually infrastructure. There’s influence in the media both on the left and on the right. There are actual talks now about formalizing the organization. That’s happening a lot more now. It used to be sort of guerrilla tactics. Now, the question becomes: Do we want to be a faction? Or is there an attempt to kind of create a new party? I think that right now, the best thing to be doing is to demonstrate the power of the anti-Trump faction by defeating him. And then once that happens, you’re going to see, I think, a ton of movement, because the Republican Party will essentially shatter. It’s going to atomize once Trump loses.”[8]
George Washington, in his 1796 farewell address warned against “the baneful effects of the spirit of party” as inciting American citizens “with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms kindles the animosity of one part against the other, foments occasionally riot and insurrection.”[9] He accurately predicted the rise of independent voters. He hinted at the rise of political movements. In 21st Century U.S., neither the Republicans nor the Democrats can win without snaring a large swath of independents. With these fundamental notions in place, it’s time to examine whether political parties have ethical norms, and if so, how can writers comply with those norms when writing about the party espousing them. The 2024 election could give us a second insurrection and an attack on our capital if we vote for a political movement rather than a political party.
[1] https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/2024-democratic-party-platform
[2] https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/2024-republican-party-platform
[3] https://www.britannica.com/topic/MAGA-movement
[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Party_(United_States)#Composition
[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Party_(United_States)
[6] https://www.britannica.com/topic/MAGA-movement
[7] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Never_Trump_movement
[8] https://www.politico.com/news/2024/03/13/never-trumpers-gop-2024-elections-00146726
[9] https://www.loc.gov/resource/mgw2.024/?sp=241&st=text
I am an author and a part-time lawyer with a focus on ethics and professional discipline. I teach creative writing and ethics to law students at Arizona State University. Read my bio.
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I am an author and a part-time lawyer with a focus on ethics and professional discipline. I teach creative writing and ethics to law students at Arizona State University. 
My latest novel is Hide & Be. 
If you have an important story you want told, you can commission me to write it for you. 