Political Platform

[Desertpuma]

At the risk of starting something, I'm asking for civility in this thread.

If you were running for President of the US, what would the 4 main points be for administration. The political climate can be different than what have currently if you want, no worries there.

This is more to create an interesting debate on ideas than anything else. Bashing each other's views on here is not what I would like to see but what you would mount your campaign. What 4 issues would you use to hold up your political platform?

[ThunderMonkey]

1) Campaign Finance Reform. That all elections from local to federal are limited to the money given to you based upon the office you are running for. This will also require a revamping of the FCC that will require networks (television, cable and internet) to grant equal time to candidates or lose their ability to broadcast.

2) Education Reform. Help communities and states provide a better pay scale for teachers. Raise standards and provide the funds to help schools and students reach those standards. Install a civil service initative that a student's college education would be paid for as long as they maintain a certain grade point and work (while in college or afterwards) as part of some community or military service. There also needs to be a stronger push for vocational skills and training at the local level.

3) End Corporate Welfare. Businesses should be given every opportunity to succeed. However, if a business fail because they didn't anticipate the changing marketplace or make bad investments, the government shouldn't bail them out.

4) Universal Health Care for all children. Children should be given every opportunity and means to health care. Regular check-ups, emergency care, dental and vision. As well as any rehabilitative therapy that made be needed to help their physical, mental and emotional development.

[Mister Andersen]

One of the single greatest things you could do to reform the political system in America is to remove the restriction on non-natives running for the office of President. While I might not agree with his politics. Someone like Arnie -- an immigrant who came to the country, gained citizenship and made massive amounts of win for himself and others -- should be able to run for President if they want to.

[Crafty_Alex]

Mine are simple - my platform is in essence, 'Stop gaming the system':

1) End lobbies. End them. Now. The lobbies of special interests drive our government down dark paths, and money has great sway over men. This goes hand in hand with Thunder Monkey's end of campaign finance reform, but even further - officers of the state may not accept gifts, including advertising, from lobbies of any sort. When the officers of the government are no longer beholden to the interests of the few, perhaps they will start to respect the will of the many.

2) Aggressive bipartisanship. Since 1994, bipartisan bickering/filibustering has made a mockery of our system's effectiveness. When we are in a 50%+1 mindset as a nation socially as well as politically, this leads to a tit-for-tat behavior that only bogs things down further and drives representatives from their people. We are a nation of individuals, but one people. We need to work for the common interest, rather than those on both fringes (see #1). My platform would work from the center, leaving the special/fringe interests where they are - on the fringe with a proportionate chunk of the pie.

3) Corporations will no longer have the rights of private citizens. This is perhaps one of the largest mistakes ever made in U.S. law (at the time when anti-trust was just really spinning up). I forget the case where this was handed down, but it has led to ridiculous behavior and tort that has allowed wild abuses of our legal and political system.

4) Rebuild public education. There is no greater success of the post-war years than the development of a high-functioning, free educational system - one that fueled America's continued climb to the top of the heap after WWII. Voucher programs are out, as is union seniority. Our system needs the best and brightest teaching the students of our future. In early education, we need stronger reading and basic skills development; in later education, we need standards that encourage students to succeed rather than give up, and a pathway for those students who choose trades rather than college after high school. Increasing education and opportunities here will greatly reduce the expeditures on prisons and law enforcement later on.

[Desertpuma]

Here are my four pillars to my platform.

1) Congressional benefits. Currently, once you've served in Congress, you are entitled to a full benefits package plus exceptional medical care better than anything in the private or public sector. Once you leave office, even if you get another job or are indicted (except for Treason), you maintain those benefits no matter what. A Congressman could be indicted, convicted and imprisoned as a pedophile and still retains his benefits which the American public pays for in entriety. It needs to end. Now.

2) Congressional Limits. While there are a combined 535 people in actual Congressional seats, some have been there longer than I have been alive. There needs to be established term limits on Congressional members by years of service and I'm thinking 24 years is a good number. Let's get some fresh blood in there and mess up the "ol' boys network".

3) Environmental Protection. While we cannot reverse the clock, we can slow it down. Part of this comes from becoming Teddy Roosevelt and preserving large chunks of land as protected and another part of it comes from enacting laws regarding reforestation, replanting of flora that has been removed to build housing, reestablishing environmental areas and pushing for eco-friendly expenditures in fuel (all kinds) and building materials.

4) Corporate Taxing/Jobs. Raise corporate taxes (since these directly go to our military and yes, this is in the Constitution) and advise them they will be lowered based upon when they bring jobs back to this country. More jobs here, means a stronger economy, which means more corporate taxes go to the military and are not taken from other programs which might benefit from regular taxes like Education plus it enables us to benefit more internally.

Honorable Mention (if I can have one) is to make sure Firearm Safety and Education is taught in schools. Respect the weapon or the weapon will not respect you.

[ThunderMonkey]

3) Corporations will no longer have the rights of private citizens. This is perhaps one of the largest mistakes ever made in U.S. law (at the time when anti-trust was just really spinning up). I forget the case where this was handed down, but it has led to ridiculous behavior and tort that has allowed wild abuses of our legal and political system.

It wasn't a Supreme Court case per se... but rather a clerk's misinterpretation of the Justices' ruling on the case... I can't recall it. Progressive radio host Thom Hartman (whom I'll recomend if you want level-headed non-shrill analysis of politics and current events) constantly brings this up. He also talks a great deal about corporate welfare.

[Wolverine]

It's not really a political position, but it is something I would like to see happen in America:

Reform of the electoral system.

I've been paying attention to the political goings on State-side pretty closely for the last year or so, and I have to say that your system of holding elections is mind boggling at best. The Primary system isn't so bad, especially as it gives local electorates a chance to meet the candidates (more or less) before the big race kicks off. The main election, on the other hand, is just plain nuts.

First thing to go would be the Electoral College. Making decisions based on how the majority of a State votes is a really good way to disenfranchise a large number of voters. Say you're a Red voter living in a Blue state. You know that, come election time, you'll be voting for the Blue candidate, but most of your friends, neighbours, and possibly family members will be voting for the Red. If you don't vote for the winning candidate, your vote won't count for anything, so why even bother.

I'd like to think that we live in a sufficiently advanced society that every vote could be counted towards a nationwide total. A proper popular vote, as it were. One person, one vote. Let people know that their decision truly counted towards something and they might become more involved.

[Desertpuma]

Yeah, I agree the Electoral College sucks because those mysterious members in each state who belong can vote however they choose, regardless what the popular vote is. The popular vote can go one way and the entire Electoral College for that state goes the opposite. It has happened once before early on in the process but was swept under the rug for the most part.

[Krensky]

Yeah, I agree the Electoral College sucks because those mysterious members in each state who belong can vote however they choose, regardless what the popular vote is. The popular vote can go one way and the entire Electoral College for that state goes the opposite. It has happened once before early on in the process but was swept under the rug for the most part.

Untrue in most states. Granted, most are all or nothing rather then proportional, but the vast majority of states have laws directing their electors to follow the popular vote.

[Desertpuma]

As I had stated, it can and has happened before in the past very early on ... which is why those laws were enacted.

[TheAuldGrump]

The electoral college evolved in a time when the fastest means of reliable communication was a man on a good horse. And during a time when the U.S. had no unified roads.

It has since become a redundant, and occasionally corrupt, system.

And Maine, at the least, doles out its electoral votes proportional to the popular vote. (But Maine also has a very much checkered history in regards to politics in general, my favorite being when they mounted a Gatling gun on the state house stairs in 1879. )

The Auld Grump, scion of Boston, and fond of the high history of James Michael Curley.

[Desertpuma]

I'd be for abolishing it and instituting that a state needs to have 60% of the popular vote to go a certain way as opposed to a 50.1% majority.

[MilitiaJim]

I like the electoral college in an archaic, check on the masses, way.

And the biggest change I would make is to make killing an elected individual a misdemeanor.

I guess #2 would be to cap the number of pages available for laws, maybe around 10k pages.  If more are necessary, a legislator may sacrifice his/her life for 100 pages.

[TheAuldGrump]

I'd be for abolishing it and instituting that a state needs to have 60% of the popular vote to go a certain way as opposed to a 50.1% majority.

Yuck - I would much prefer the votes being doled out as they are scored - sometimes an election is that close. Sorry, no President - no one won.... A 10% minimum majority is begging for problems.

The Auld Grump

[Krensky]

I'd be for abolishing it and instituting that a state needs to have 60% of the popular vote to go a certain way as opposed to a 50.1% majority.

Yuck - I would much prefer the votes being doled out as they are scored - sometimes an election is that close. Sorry, no President - no one won.... A 10% minimum majority is begging for problems.

The Auld Grump

Indeed, it's opening an electoral system that despite it's warts has functioned smoothy and without major incident for 219 years up to the sort of chaos, uncertainty, shenanigans, and general crapiness that characterizes French and Zimbabwean elections. It's not perfect, but it works and it's generally fair in it's imperfections and I have no confidence of anyone changing it in a fair and just manner.