2008 Presidential Candidates: Obama/Richardson and McCain/Huckabee.
Party: Democratic
Abortion: Having different states with different policies makes no sense as women just cross the borders for the procedures. Abortion should be legal in the first trimester (meaning before it become a fetus).
Affirmative Action: Affirmative Action is just racism reversed against whites. Equal treatment means equal treatment.
Afghanistan: The American invasion of Afghanistan was justified. Increased American presence in Afghanistan in an effort to permanently stamp out the Taliban (sponsors of Al-Qaeda). Troops from Iraq should be redeployed to Afghanistan
Alternative Energy: Heavy investment in alternative energy sources. 30% of America’s energy needs should be met by alternative energy by 2020.
Capital Punishment: Life in prison is a worse deterrent to crime than death. No man, no matter how heinous the crime, deserves to be killed.
Censorship: Freedom of speech. The FCC is fine at its current levels, but a slight loosening might be in order. Law and Order was fined for showing a woman’s butt. That might be a bit extreme.
Cuba: Keep the embargo until the government meets certain humanitarian guidelines agreed on by the United Nations. These guidelines should include a minimum wage, some form of a capitalist economy, and open borders. Be willing to meet with the head of the government (currently Raul Castro) without preconditions. We cannot foster a healthy relationship if we refuse to interact.
Current Administration (Bush/Cheney): Denounce the administration and have no ties to it whatsoever (so that’s a no from me on McCain). Actively work to erase the stain of Bush/Cheney from America.
Current Congress: A President and Congress devoted to change can start to heal America. Bush vetoed 8 bills since the 2006 election (as opposed to 1 bill in his first 6 years). A Congress with Bush in power is powerless. His vetoed bills include aid for Katrina victims as well as a children’s health insurance bill (twice).
Education: Repeal NCLB. A dumb idea from the start. Giving money to rich schools and taking it away from poor schools does not foster educational development. Increase government grants to college students.
Electoral College: Replace it with a straight popular vote. No longer will a candidate (Gore) win more voters than his opponent (Bush) and still lose the election.
Flag Burning: Freedom of Expression/Peaceful Protest
Foreign Policy: Begin a movement to get America back into it’s position as the moral leader of the world. America is universally hated internationally. This is one of the next President’s top priorities.
Free Trade: No free trade, but no restrictive tariffs. Tariffs should be high enough to allow American to be competitive for their jobs without causing foreign markets to bypass us.
Gas Prices: Do not begin drilling in the Alaskan Wildlife Refuse. Do not stop filling the Petroleum Reserves. Do NOT repeal federal gasoline tax for the summer. It will save the average American $25 and will cost 300,000 jobs for the Highway Commission. High gas prices spur popular opinion for alternative fuels.
Gay Rights: I don’t understand the appeal for gay men, but it is not the government’s place to restrict their right to marry. In the 1800’s, Americans would not allow white men and black women marry as it was “against the laws of God and nature”. Americans in the future will look back on our attitude towards gays today in shame.
Global Warming: Tax carbon emissions. Industrial businesses will be forced to explore methods of production that reduce pollution and help preserve our environment. We are destroying our planet and much of its beauty. Find a way to replace ozone lost in the atmosphere before the entire planet is baked in UV rays.
Globalization: Each culture should retain and revere their history, but the world is shrinking. The sooner that we begin to merge our cultures, the faster cross-cultural hatred will vanish.
Gun Control: The 2nd Amendment was written to prevent the American government from turning into the hated British government. It no longer has any real bearing on modern America and should be repealed.
Healthcare: Pass a law declaring that each parent must provide health care for their children. Government subsidies for families that are not able to provide health care for their children. In one or two generations, everyone will have healthcare.
Illegal Immigration: Illegal Immigration is, by definition, illegal. America has the right and the duty to enforce its own laws and secure its borders. Children of illegal immigrants are not natural born citizens. This will stop the practice of women crossing the border when pregnant to have their child in the US (dangerous for their health as well as subversive).
Iran: Do not antagonize. Seek to repair the damage done by Bush to American-Iranian relationship and normalize relationship. If Iran does attack Israel, respond will full military strength.
Marijuana Legalization: Absolutely not. Cigarettes should be declared illegal as well.
Media Bias: Media is biased. So what? Watch FOX for a conservative spin, watch CNN for a liberal spin. Different opinions aren’t necessarily a bad thing. Edit: I just watched this link from the media forums:
The Meter is Running Pt. 1 | The Daily Show | Comedy Central. I am now not against media bias, but media stupidity. FOX is obviously on some other planet.
School Prayer: If a child wants to pray in class, they are allowed to. Enforced prayer is not only morally wrong, it violates the separation of church and state.
Separation of Church and State: Maintain, but no more complaining about the President putting a Christmas tree in the White House. The law was put into place to ensure that religious matters did not affect the policies of the government, not their personal lives
Social Security: If it is going to survive, massive reform is needed. I’m not an economics expert, but it may be past the point of being repaired.
Stem Cell Research: No cloning of a full human being, but a full animal or human body part is acceptable. Strong regulation to ensure that no attempt to clone a human is occurring.
Taxes: Raise to help support more government involvement in health care and education.
Terrorism: President Clinton had a government organization whose sole purpose was to hunt down Osama bin Laden. One of Bush’s first acts was to disband this organization. As a result, terrorism scored a hit against the United States on 9/11. Continue the Global War on Terror.
The Constitution: The Constitution is the highest law in America. Laws that are not constitutional should be repealed immediately.
United Nations: The United Nations could be the most important factor for peace on the planet, but only if America allows it to be. If the USA wants to invade a country and the UN says no, we do not invade. Bush taught us a lesson about defying the will of the UN. Increased financial and military support for the UN. Maintain the Security Council in its current form.
War in Iraq: The US invaded Iraq because President Bush could not find bin Laden. He made a false connection between bin Laden and Hussein that never existed as a premise for an invasion. The surge worked for a moment, but it is quickly falling apart. Iraqis see Americans as Americans saw the British in the American Revolution. We invaded a sovereign nation without just cause. We were aggressive invaders on the same level as Nazi Germany. We defied international law and it is our duty to leave and give Iraqis back their country. We can continue to support the Iraqi government with money, trade, and military resources. No American troops in Iraq other than those around the US Embassy but 2010.
Welfare: If repealed, will see starving homeless on the streets. Some people who try to earn jobs simply have no success, should they be left to freeze to death in the winter? Those on welfare should be able to give proof that they are actively searching for a job.
Wiretapping: Not without a warrant.