For the Record: Can anyone toe the party line?

View this email in your browser Brought to you by USATODAY.com In normal election years, Republicans and Democrats set their platforms at national conventions with little controversy. They're non-binding and usually read more like a "Miss Congeniality" interview (the solution to everything is world peace, right?) than a list of bills that will ever cross the newly elected president's desk. Which means they quickly take a back seat to more important coverage, like what color socks candidates are wearing. But getting the party line right - or even approved - is becoming a far more difficult task in 2016. Because, honestly, can anything be easy this year? SIGH. WHAT'S THE PROBLEM NOW? Two words for Democrats: Bernie Sanders. Or, more accurately, the lefty ideals Sanders represents. He is working overtime in the run-up to the convention to ensure his pet issues, such as single-payer health care and free college tuition, get included in the party platform. One problem, though: Sanders doesn't seem to be winning. His single-payer idea was rejected outright during an initial platform committee meeting, as were proposals to create a carbon tax, end fracking and torpedo the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. Meanwhile, in GOP land, House Speaker Paul Ryan is taking the unusual step of pushing out a detailed platform ahead of the convention. His "A Better Way" plan has its own website and outlines ideas to handle poverty , revamp health care and overhaul the tax system, among others. Most pundits see it as fiscal conservatives' big fight to save the party from whatever direction Donald Trump feels like taking it. OK, AND I CARE WHY? Even if party platforms are quickly forgotten, they paint a good picture of what each believes (or at least strives to believe). It's a good window into the party's soul, its future direction and its ability to keep warring factions happy . Because both parties seem to be having identity crises at the moment, the platform fight is worth watching because it'll indicate whether Democrats will move to the left as a result of the Sanders movement, or whether Republicans are willing to endorse any of Trump's more controversial ideas, like building a border wall and asking Mexico to pay for it. OH. SO, WHERE ARE THEY NOW? It's still early in the process. But if the platform committee's draft is any indication, Democrats will press for additional banking regulations, a $15 minimum wage, comprehensive immigration reform and an end to the death penalty. They want the wealthy to pay more taxes and shoulder more of the Social Security burden, and they want the country to run entirely on clean energy by mid-century. Meanwhile, if Ryan's plan makes it though the convention, Republicans will press for fewer banking regulations, additional work requirements for welfare recipients, more secure borders and more congressional oversight on spending. They want to lower tax rates for the wealthy and small businesses, and they want to step back some of the Obama administration goals on clean energy to keep energy bills low. So, yeah, there are some pretty stark differences. MORE FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL • Clinton on possible VP pick Elizabeth Warren: 'I do just love to see how she gets under Donald Trump's thin skin' (Cincinnati Enquirer) • Clinton slams Trump on women after Supreme Court's abortion ruling. Trump doesn't immediately fire back. Is he feeling OK? (USA TODAY) • Fancy word-cloud analysis: Trump mostly talks about himself on Twitter (NBC News) • 1,400 people donated to a pro-Mitt Romney PAC in 2012; 29 of them have donated to a similar Trump PAC this year (USA TODAY) WHEN YOU NEED A PRIMAL SCREAM For those times when the election gets too annoying and predictable for its own good, file away this video of 82-year-old John Hetlinger, the former Hubble telescope engineer turned karaoke singer who performed THE BEST cover of Dead Pool's "Bodies." It's just what you need when you need to let out a primal scream. Invite others to enjoy For the Record newsletter. Thank you for subscribing to the For the Record. Got some feedback, a tip or just want to say hello? Email us at newsletters@e.usatoday.com. USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. Unsubscribe from the For the Record Why did I get this? Update my subscription preferences USA TODAY 7950 Jones Branch Drive McLean, VA 22102

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