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Monday, January 07, 2008

New Party

In reference to my last post regarding who you would vote for, I have decided that I think a new political party needs to be formed. It could be called the "Repubocrats." It would be a decent combination of both current major political parties, the Republicans and the Democrats.

This is where they would stand on the issues.

Education: Believes to NCLB is not working and that the states should be in charge of testing. Also believes that any federal money that is sent should be done with fewer strings attached.

Abortion: is pro choice.

Immigration: Believes in a path to citizenship for those already in the country, but also supports tightening border security.

Economy: supports fair and equal trade and keeping American businesses competitive.

Energy: supports renewable energies and reducing foreign oil dependence.

Foreign Policy: supports more monitoring of nuclear technology.

Climate: agrees that the planet is warming, but is skeptical about whether or not the cause(s) are man made.

Gun control: opposes most, if not all restrictions.

Social Security: opposes any plan that cuts benefits, is skeptical about (but willing to discuss) privatizing.

Same Sex Marriage: supports it. No questions asked.

Embryonic stem cell research: supports it. No questions asked.


At least then I would know who to vote for. I guess in the end, it is highly unlikely that there would ever be a single person who would fit the mold of what I think a president should be. It probably comes down to finding the one or two issues I am most passionate about, and finding someone who fits that mold.

*Update* Silly me forgot to include one of the major issues being discussed in this campaign...health care.

Health care: agrees that everyone should have access to health care/insurance, but doesn't make not carrying insurance a crime.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Point by point in a "how things more or less are now" perspective:
Check - really the feds shouldn't be involved.

Check

Check

Er... ITYM free trade.

Since government has been involved in encouraging one way or the other and disrupting the market, if we have to keep up, light-handed encouragement is fine.

Not an easy thing to do, but yeah. And the other 99.9% of foreign policy issues?

Check

Check

Benefits can't realistically go down for anyone depending on a currently projected amount. This is a tough thing and will require something like a 50 year rampdown to get us out of the mess, in a political environment that can't often follow one plan or policy longer than a few years. If Chile can do it, we can migrate to private. If you take the fact that I am already too old not to require some amount from SS, and I am near the end of the baby boomers, and the boomers are what will crash the thing beyond repair by sometime the 2020s, it's scary. Tackling it for real is going to be one of those profiles in courage things. Nobody will do it until it's becoming a disaster and harder to move gently on.

Check

Check

I just realized the kids allowed me to write this entire long comment, despite Deb being in bed, and I should have been writing a post or doing a blog redesign; something from my list of things of consequence that must be done.

Anonymous said...

My "in an ideal world" positions:

Government at no level should have anything to do with education.

Check

Open flow of people across borders.

Free and unrestricted trade internally and externally, with no meddling.

Entirely up to the market.

Kind of meddlesome, and the genie is out of the bottle. I do consider preemption

See, this is more normal. Sadie is crying because I told her I wanted to finish typing this and wanted to be able to think. Oh well.

GUYK said...

1..education: no where in the constitution does it give the Federal government any say so on education..education is a local or at most a state program..close up the Federal department of education completely and put education back under the control of local school boards.

2. Abortion..again it is a wild stretch of imagination to find a right to abortion in the constitution..the current "right" is based on the findings of activist judges. I would prefer that each state make the decision to allow or ban abortions.

3.Illegal immigration is just that..and those who have broken the laws of this country and entered illegally are criminals..just as any other law breaker is a criminal. I cannot see rewarding a criminal with citizenship. Some years ago the Federal Government had an "Operation Wetback" that rounded up and deported hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants. It is time for another such movement. Border security is a must and I will support any candidate who stands for this.

4. First of all, "fair" is an abstract concept..and there is never such thing as fair trade..what is fair to one trading partner may or may not be considered fair to the other. In todays world there are three ways to keep American business competitive and bring back the jobs to Americans...first we have to understand that we are only kidding ourselves if we think we tax a business. ALL business taxes are paid in the long run by the consumer of the business product..taxes are just a part of doing business. When the tax burden is such that the consumer will no longer buy the product the business either has to go out of business or move off shore. Another part of the problem is American labor law..the laws are rigged in favor of labor..an expense that also is borne by the consumer and coupled with high taxes has driven American manufacturers out of the country. Then, we come back to illegal immigration..cheap labor may be good for the consumer but it is not good for the country in the long run..illegal immigration is taking jobs that Americans should be performing.

5. There is a finite supply of crude oil on this earth and the competition for it is growing every day. However, the marketplace will determine the price of energy..and the type of energy we use..simply put it is not and should not be a government function. However, I do encourage government to allow offshore drilling and drilling on government land..not only do we need the oil, the government needs the royalty payments from the oil.
But in any event, government encouragement of private enterprise to develop new energy sources is needed..things like hydrogen motors, better batteries, and the use of solar power will help the energy problems.

6. Foreign policy. First of all, the earth needs the USA a lot more that the USA needs the rest of the earth..and it is time the other countries on this earth got this message. Diplomacy is an art that our current diplomats have never learned..it is a lot more than just giving in to demands..Teddy Roosevelt said "walk softly and carry a big stick!"

7. The planet is warming..at least in the northern hemisphere...but thus far the proof that it is caused by humans is just not there..the so called facts that the left wing throws at me and expects me to swallow just don't hold up..and then when one really checks the agenda one will find that the idea is to cripple the USA economy and bring it down to the level of the third world..so we can all be poor together under a one world government..I ain't buying it.

8. Gun Control..any politician or for that matter any person who is anti-2nd amendment rights needs to study American history..the Fathers of the USA insisted on the right to bear arms for one reason and one reason only...and it was not to shoot Bambi..it was to have the means for citizens to protect themselves against government! Moreover, the right to own property
infers the right to protect same..without the right to use force, ie firearms, we mightas well give up our right to own property..which by the way is the agenda of the anti-gun lobbies...can you say socialist my friends?

9. Social Security: a ponzi scheme. I am maybe one of the fortunates..if I live just six more years I will break out even on it. But, I will go along with keeping social security functional..actually it has worked well..the problem is that the social security trust fund is a myth..a stack of IOUs that will have to be paid with tax money and the only way that money can be had is by raising taxes..either payroll taxes or income taxes. The wrench hit the gears when the democrats decided to use social security money for general purposes instead of investing or just plain banking it..

10. same sex marriages..concur..kinda sorta. I would call it a legal civil contract and give the couples who enter into these contracts all of the rights and privileges of marriage. Keeping marriage as a religious ceremony might better satisfy the bible thumpers.

11. Embryonic stem cell research:
There are currently nothing prohibiting stem cell research..just that the prez will not allow Federal funding for same..again I think that this is and should be a function of private interprise and is not a function of government.

12..and you did not mention..health care. We as a society are going to have to make a determination if we want to pay for health care for all or just those who don't want to sacrifice and buy there own insurance. I do have a suggestion that I think might work although it would be somewhat expensive..the USA already has a United States Health Service in place at the Indian Reservations..this service could be expended to provide care for any one and every one that wanted it..no more medicare nor medicade..just go to the health service clicic or hospital.

I have been on a rant on your site..sorry Sharon, I can get carried away some times..

Sharon said...

Don't worry about ranting! This topic is highly "rantable." besdies, i like hearing your point of view ; )

The Dew's said...

i i i i i just cant comment it will start another war.