COLUMBIA, S.C. - Did you know the South Carolina Democratic Party supports repealing the "Right to Work" law? Or that the South Carolina Republican Party wants to abolish the U.S. Department of Education?

Those are just two examples of the issues supported by the parties in resolutions and platforms. Party platforms are statements of principles and policies and serve as a tool to guide members.

The issue of party platforms came up Sunday at a debate between Republican U.S. Senate candidate Jim DeMint and Democratic candidate Inez Tenenbaum. The two were questioned about a state Republican Party platform item that says gays should not teach in public schools.

DeMint said he was opposed to having gays in the classroom, saying, "We need the folks that are teaching in schools to represent our values."

Tenenbaum called DeMint's position "un-American."

Campaign spokesman Geoff Embler said that DeMint, if elected, does not plan to work for a ban on hiring openly gay teachers.

Party platforms are largely symbolic and not really intended to be enacted, said Furman University political scientist Danielle Vinson.

"At one time in our country's past, the party platform did indicate what the party hoped to pursue," Vinson said. "Nowadays it seems to be used to get party activists interested."

The platforms are not binding on candidates. Some candidates don't care about the platforms or even know what they contain, she said.

Not all members agree with party platforms.

Gov. Mark Sanford - one's of the state's top Republican leaders - veered from the platform when he said a teacher's sexuality should not be an issue in the classroom.

"My hope is and ... my suspicion is, one's sexuality is not exactly the topic of classroom discussion in schools across the state. If somebody were to make that their agenda in the classroom, there would be obvious questions, but the same would be true if they were heterosexual," Sanford said. "The issue is, can you teach? Can you pass reading and writing skills on to students?"

Tenenbaum isn't basing her campaign on any platform, said campaign spokeswoman Kay Packett.

"She's running based on her own beliefs and those reflect what she thinks is right for South Carolina," Packett said.

DeMint doesn't agree with his entire party platform, Embler said.

"I don't think candidates from both parties even read their entire platforms," Embler said.

The state Democratic Party only adopts a state platform every four years, said executive director Michelle Macrina. The party adopted the national Democratic platform at its convention in May, but also approved a list of 28 state resolutions dealing specifically with state issues.

Among those issues, the Democrats agreed to work for universal health coverage, to urge Congress to lift a national travel ban and an embargo against medical supplies to Cuba, and to promote raising the state's tax on cigarettes to fully fund Medicare.

The Republicans oppose gay couples from adopting or having foster children, support the display of the Ten Commandments in schools, and oppose any distribution of contraceptives in schools, among other issues.