In the lead-up to the Republican National Convention in Cleveland next week, senior party leaders have gathered to draft out the party's new platform that will be approved at the convention.
It's normally a relatively quiet affair. But thanks to some early leaks and a few reporters who have been tweeting about the deliberations, we have an idea of what most concerns GOP leaders about the future of their party.
Some of these concerns are…pretty out there.
One of the most pressing issues for the party, according to a draft leaked to the New York Times, is the reversal of the Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage across the U.S. Previously, leaders called for a "marriage amendment" to the Constitution that would define marriage as the union of a man and a woman. Now, however, the party is demanding a "reversal whether through judicial reconsideration or a constitutional amendment returning control over marriage to the states."
So the GOP either wants the highest court in the land to reverse its decision (something that almost never happens) or wants to create a new mechanism that would legalize locally what was just banned nationally (which makes less than zero logical sense).
All this because Republicans "do not accept" the Supreme Court's decision, they say.
On the subject of religion, the delegates have reportedly included an amendment calling for the Bible to be taught in schools as part of "American history." Maybe the Garden of Eden really is in Missouri, after all?
Oh, and pornography? Definitely not.
“Pornography, with his harmful effects, especially on children, has become a public health crisis that is destroying the life of millions. We encourage states to continue to fight this public menace and pledge our commitment to children’s safety and well-being,” an included platform amendment states, reported TIME.
Because the 1950s, the time when this battle was fought and lost already, were cool, so why not relive the glory?
GOP leaders also lent their support to the idea of conversion therapy, the notorious practice that sends LGBTQ children to "therapists" who try to "convert" them back into being straight. Mental health experts and human rights groups are almost universally opposed to conversion therapy.
“We support the right of parents to determine the proper treatment or therapy, for their minor children,” an amendment reads, according to TIME.
Conversion therapy has already been banned in many states, including in New Jersey with the support of Republican governor Chris Christie. Now, Christie is reportedly being vetted to join presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump on the ticket as a potential vice president. Awkward!
A fight about whether welfare recipients should be able to buy junk food or not apparently broke out at one point. One California delegate reportedly said, "This sounds like Michelle Obama" in protest of the entire discussion. "I hope we're not going to be the party of the food police," added another.
Oh, and also, weed is leading to mass murder.
And "cohabitation" is bad!
Jokes aside, the platform work that is being done now is notable because it will represent where senior party officials stand on many specific policies. It's even more important because presumptive nominee Donald Trump has been so amorphous about nailing down what his actual policies are.
On some issues, most notably trade, the senior party officials seem to be parroting Trump's populist rhetoric, notes CNN, which also received a leaked draft of the document.
"We need better negotiated trade agreements that put America first," the draft reportedly reads, directly quoting Trump. "Republicans understand that you can succeed in a negotiation only if you are willing to walk away from it."
That section on trade is the section which strays furthest from the latest platform paper that the party put together in 2012, reports CNN.
The majority of the issues discussed above do not squarely fit into Trump's rhetorical repertoire, yet with him at the forefront of the party, he will be expected to uphold some of the core principles they represent.
At the very least, though, they seem to be compatible with his platform, namely because both share an increasingly tenuous connection with how Americans actually feel about many of these things.
Daniel Rivero is a producer/reporter for Fusion who focuses on police and justice issues. He also skateboards, does a bunch of arts related things on his off time, and likes Cuban coffee.