Firstly this idea was inspired by Mr.Mike if not for reading his blog I wouldn't have thought of this.
If you were in a situation where you could run for president what would your platform be, what would you be willing to sacrifice to acheieve these goals. I'll start off.
Right off the bat I would try to negotiate with the religious citizens. I might find them repugnant but honestly I can't win if they provide a united front against me.
My major goals would be:
Strengthening the US military to protect the US: The US Military would again have the man power to actually carry out multiple missions around the world. I would begin by giving more money directly to the soldiers in the form of raises and programs for their familys like the Crosby-Puller Act which would allow injured soldiers to continue receiving combat pay while they were hospitalized in in the states.
Immigration Reform: I would crack down heavily on those who hire illegal aliens while actively sending illegals back to their countries of origin when possible. I would try to get an amendment making American born "illegals" no longer citizens. Once I had accomplished all of this I would grant amnesty to all those in the country.
Education: The US take serious strides toward becoming the world leader in education again, not just on the university level where we are still rather dominant but also on the public level. I would begin by visiting other nations and studying what works for them. That said I would want smaller classrooms, more teachers and more children being failed and or held back. I would advance people through grades based on their ability to pass tests, there would be an "entrance" exam issued every year to every student to assess their individual ability so that inteligent kids wouldn't be held back.
National Budget: You can only spend more money than you make if Katrina happens or Kim Jong Il starts acting ill. Otherwise you have a fucking budget make it work period if that means raising taxes so be it, if it means cutting funding to some programs (hopefully meaningless ones) so be it.
English only: Ballots and licenses (drivers specifically) would only be issued in English. No official US legal document would be done in any language but English.
Foreign Oil: Drilling in Anwar and off our coasts would be allowed as well as more refineries allowed to open. To begin getting us off of foriegn oil. There would be a concentrated effort to discover/develope a viable alternative fuel source.
I'm sure there are other important issues but that is my current big list. My basic goal here is for all of us to mention what our own platforms would be and our stances and then open a series of threads where we hold "debates" on our various stances. I personally enjoy sparing with bloc but I wouldn't mind a few new people stepping in from time to time. Its kinda funny when I read a post from somebody saying something like I'm really enjoying this debate. But they don't add anything they just like watching me and Bloc go round.
