If I were President...

Started by Jude, December 28, 2010, 01:40:33 PM

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Jude

I'm am hoping to discuss some issues with this thread, but primarily I want to keep things light-hearted, so please don't criticize other people's platforms on the basis of disagreeing with their underlying ideas and philosophy.  Instead lets focus on letting people know when they write something that you consider especially clever or interesting, and try and work from a more Socratic viewpoint (ask questions).  I want this thread to be fun and to rely on positive reinforcement for the exchange of ideas instead of intense criticisms.  Obviously the latter is important, but it's the holidays and I just want to have fun while discussing politics in an almost "fantasy football league" sort of way.  Do not taunt happy fun ball.

It's 2012 and you're running for President.  During a debate you're given the following prompts:

1)  State the goal of your Presidency.
2)  What're the first 3 issues you're going to attempt to resolve?
3)  What 3 issues are you not going to deal with at all during your Presidency?
4)  Name one government program, initiative, or policy that you want to end.
5)  What will you do differently than other Presidents?

HockeyGod

1. To effectively govern for the common good of the people.

2. Understandably as President I am only 1/3 in the branches of government. As such I could scream until I turn blue in the face to get what I want, but those whack-adoos in Congress and the Dictators in the Supreme Court must also weigh in on these. 1. Equal rights for the lgbt community (marriage, adoption, employment, immigration) 2. Climate change; 3. Health care reform

3. 1. Unilateral aggression against foreign countries - we can't have a go-it-alone attitude and must work within the United Nations structure; 2. Altering abortion rights - that argument is over; 3. Social Security - we have enough money, it won't be privatized

4. Operation Iraqi Freedom or the inability for the government to negotiate prescription drug prices - both cost indescribable amounts of money and negatively effect Americans

5. Not hire people with conflicts of interest. The EPA Administrator will not have worked for big oil, my VP won't have worked for defense companies, etc.

Noelle

#2
State the goal of your Presidency.
At the risk of being a very unpopular and short-lived president, to push for moderate politics and remain vigilant about providing well-documented and unbiased evidence for all decisions that are made as well as aggressively going after those whose criticisms are not based on the same. I will accept true criticism with grace and acknowledge where I go wrong. And also, as a female agnostic president, maybe dodge a few bullets on the side. NBD.

What're the first 3 issues you're going to attempt to resolve?
1. Climate change. Being contradictory because you don't want to look at evidence that proves you wrong isn't good skepticism. Those people can either get on board with facts or I'm leaving them in the dust and will actually try to make significant progress and contribute to helping the cause rather than dragging our heels the whole way while the evidence continues to pile up.

2. Education. Not only the quality of education offered, but the emphases during the K-12 period, as well as examining our methods of tracking success and the way we help those who are struggling. More emphasis on basic math, science, and reading skills from beginning to end. Would also work to make tuition for higher education more affordable and stem the inflation. The more educated people we have, the better quality of life we all have because of their contributions.

3. Welfare. If you could be working some kind of job and you're not, good-bye. If you decide to keep having kids and take more money out of the system to support them, good-bye. Convicted drug users must remain clean and sober...I'm also considering a system where they have to submit to drug testing every so often, and those convicted of drug use or alcohol-related offenses while on the system get booted immediately and must prove themselves six months clean before they're allowed back on.
My agenda is basically to cut out those who are abusing the system while also trying to address the basic reforms that are needed to help avoid abuse in the future. If you're unemployed and on welfare, I would create a system where you have to go out and do X amount of volunteer work every week to continue receiving support. The benefits of this not only help improve their surrounding community, but also provides the person on welfare with valuable experience to pad their resume while they search for their next job. I would also try and offer low-cost or free birth control and/or sterilization for those receiving welfare.

What 3 issues are you not going to deal with at all during your Presidency?
1. Abortion.
2. Complaints of government intervention and anything with the words "nanny state" involved.
3. Stem cell research; namely, letting it remain legal.

Name one government program, initiative, or policy that you want to end.
Good-bye, war on drugs!

What will you do differently than other Presidents?
Stop babying the American public. I would let them hear the truth instead of stroking their egos just to get re-elected regardless of whether or not I've done any good. I'm going to blast dishonesty equally from either side and emphasize that where you stand on the issues isn't nearly as important as the intellectual process you've taken to arrive at that conclusion and if you understand it all or not. I'd be vocal about politicians who vote with their wallets and vigilant about trying to offer the most accurate and unbiased information as well as publicizing its availability for anyone to look and see. I'd probably be incredibly unpopular, I'm sure I'd get tossed out of the White House pretty damn fast, but this is MY presidency, dammit!

RubySlippers

#3
1)  State the goal of your Presidency.

Abuse the position for all its worth while in office, legally.

2)  What're the first 3 issues you're going to attempt to resolve?

National Debt: Balance the budget by cutting back the military spending the Army and Army National Guard by 50% focusing more on the guard with standing forces, Air Force  30%, Coast Guard 30% and increase spending on the Marine Corps with manpower by 20% and Navy 10% as the main battle forces to defend the nation. Make Social Security needs based. Cut the rest of the budgets from the Office of the President to Congressand all other offices by 10% salaries and operating budgets. Institute strict Pay-Go and further under law 10% of the debts payments on interests must be added to the budget and used to repay debts. No more borrowing. Lastly any nation aiding and abetting an enemy of the nation will have all their debts assumed cleared, whether due to act of war or supporting terrorism by action or knowing inaction. Focus repayments on nations that support our security first.

Inequality Between Rick and Poor: Its important to make aure the vast wealth of the nation is shared to those that labor and that the poor benefit from their labors. Also strongly encourage the poor to vote for their interests and others left outside the system. SEE QUESTION 5

National Downshift: Set the full-time number of hours to 24 hours a week save for military, life saving, safety and security professions. Retract all rents by 20%, have price controls on staple foods, set-up a one payer health care system that is equitable with medical people educated free with modest salaries (middle class if a doctor or nurse practitioner) and all hospitals controlled by the government OR under tight regulations to control costs and discourage people prefering things over bettering themselvesand society. Place in the Constitution a mandate all persons who are citizens are entitled to health care, safe affordable housing, food and meaningful opportunities for employment. Go away from a consumer culture to a meeting needs culture with wants tempered.

3)  What 3 issues are you not going to deal with at all during your Presidency?

Abortion

Environmental Policies

Religion

4)  Name one government program, initiative, or policy that you want to end.

Department of Education: Education and mandates must be at the state level with not Federal intervention, would move issues of equality to the Department of Justice when there is a constitutional matter only involved.

5)  What will you do differently than other Presidents?

Let the Congress make laws just demand they be supported by the people, and I mean the poor as well with clear and open updates on the internet and other sources about major issues.: A veto should never be needed people elect their people and the poor and others should vote if they fail to then the results are the results bad or good for them.

OldSchoolGamer

What would I do if I were President?  Since I don't want to end up suffering an "accident," I would follow the orders of the Forbes 500 (the people who have ACTUALLY been running America for at least the past three decades now).  Good front men do as they're told...Reagan, Bush I, Clinton, Bush II and Obama have!

mystictiger

1)  State the goal of your Presidency.
To return the United States of America to the rightful and proper sovereignty of the British Crown.

2)  What're the first 3 issues you're going to attempt to resolve?
The conversion of American Football into Rugby
The conversion of Baseball into Cricket
The conversion of Coffee into Tea

3)  What 3 issues are you not going to deal with at all during your Presidency?
NAFTA (it'll become irrelevent when the USA becomes part of the EU)
NATO (it'll become irrelevent when the British Empire II is established)
Alaska (I plan to give it back to the Russians)

4)  Name one government program, initiative, or policy that you want to end.
Guantanamo Bay. I will establish proper military tribunals as mandated for under the Geneva Conventions, and then once the determination has been made that these people are not combatants, I'll put them through my court system.

5)  What will you do differently than other Presidents?
I'll give the country back to the Brits!
Want a system game? I got system games!

Kate

(not that I am from the USA .. but still... if i was)

1)  State the goal of your Presidency.

    To remove the need for one, anyone that isn't actively making their role obsolete isn't doing their job.

    Presidents and Popes included.

2)  What're the first 3 issues you're going to attempt to resolve?

  I) Remove policy making from politicians. Policies are presented by universities and
     anthropological experts, people vote on 3 yr 10 yr and 100 yr policies which will be implemented.
     Those implementing them (making them into law) are voted in separately.

     This removes the bickering of the principal of the policy itself from parliament, and only
     details of its implementation are debated.

  II) Stem cell research / abortion = fine.

  III) All drugs are legal. Drugs are an accepted and integrated part of the culture.
       All drugs are purchased from licensed pharmaceuticals.
       Narcotics or "entertainment" drugs have forced profit margins condition where
       1/3 profit must be proven to be spent by the pharmaceutical companies refining the party / social drugs
       to be better for the user's health, 1/3 profit refines lessening their addition levels or if unavoidable, improving
      "withdrawal/weening" options.

3)  What 3 issues are you not going to deal with at all during your Presidency?

     N/A see item 2, point I

4)  Name one government program, initiative, or policy that you want to end.

   Federally declared "War on ANYTHING (drugs/terror/nation/whatever).
   Talk to families of war victims about how their lost son / daughter was worth it for a "better" good.
   Learn from their expressions. Think of why nations your country have warred against in the past seem so
   disagreeable to your country's UN proposals.

   None win wars, war is a fight of what we could integrate.

5)  What will you do differently than other Presidents ?

    Not have a need to voice an opinion that doesn't relate to my core focuses.

Callie Del Noire

1)  State the goal of your Presidency.

To push the entire public into taking a more active role in the process.

2)  What're the first 3 issues you're going to attempt to resolve?
   1. Education. Change the American outlook from 'those who can't, teach' to 'teaching a new generation is the highest responsibility'. Part of that is to change/reform/scrap the 'No child left behind' business from the Bush administration, that only
treated
   2. Reintroduce the corporate tax credit/reform corporate tax for companies that invest in American growth and development. IE. R&D tax credits would come back, if you want the credits you have to reinvest in American business growth (new mills, plants, office complexes, bye-bye outsourcing) Side note: Hold a summit with Canada and Mexico to redraft NAFTA and fix the inequities it has for all 3 countries. (Job/Commercial issues in the US, Material 'drain' issues for Canada, and Environmental and Labor issues for the people of Mexico)
  3. Reform the Special Interest/Lobbiest Issues in Governement. It's 'We the People', not 'We INC.'. Following President Obama's example, all cabinet positions and White House staff positions would require a modified 'No compete' clause that prevents any member signing the contract from working for a Special Interest Group or Lobbying firm for at least 2 years (preferably 4 +) and any member with prior associations are required to recuse themselves from policy making in areas where their past associations would constitute a conflict of interest.


3)  What 3 issues are you not going to deal with at all during your Presidency?
  1. Heath Care: One man can't fix this, I would direct congress to put up a bipartisan panel to build a program with the suggestion to be careful of special interests.
  2. Environmental Reform: As above
  3. Tax Reform: As above.
All 3 are issues that need time, work and a cooperative effort to resolve to the good of all.

4)  Name one government program, initiative, or policy that you want to end.
Don't know about doing away with something, but I'd definitely see about giving the GAO (Government Accounting Office) more teeth and independence to allow them to look into election fraud and misconduct.

5)  What will you do differently than other Presidents?
  Accept that I won't be getting reelected. :D

Honestly the biggest problem this country faces is that we don't participate in the process. I mean, since Watergate no election has had more than 60% (or so) of all registered voters and the number of registered voters to eligible voters is likewise smaller.

Too many people standing around wailing about the process and problems and not contributing to the process. A democracy works only as well as the people working in it, when only around 2/3rds of 2/3rds of the people eligible participate that is not a democracy and we have no one to blame but ourselves.

monicaclassycoed

Quote from: Jude on December 28, 2010, 01:40:33 PM
I'm am hoping to discuss some issues with this thread, but primarily I want to keep things light-hearted, so please don't criticize other people's platforms on the basis of disagreeing with their underlying ideas and philosophy.  Instead lets focus on letting people know when they write something that you consider especially clever or interesting, and try and work from a more Socratic viewpoint (ask questions).  I want this thread to be fun and to rely on positive reinforcement for the exchange of ideas instead of intense criticisms.  Obviously the latter is important, but it's the holidays and I just want to have fun while discussing politics in an almost "fantasy football league" sort of way.  Do not taunt happy fun ball.

It's 2012 and you're running for President.  During a debate you're given the following prompts:

1)  State the goal of your Presidency.3)  What 3 issues are you not going to deal with at all during your Presidency?
4)  Name one government program, initiative, or policy that you want to end.
5)  What will you do differently than other Presidents?


1)  State the goal of your Presidency. To help the working class regain footing in this race to the bottom world.


2)  What're the first 3 issues you're going to attempt to resolve?

a. free trade. I will end free trade in regards to the race to the bottom. If it can be made here then we will heavily tax imports of the same product.
b. national debt. I will greatly reduce SS bennies and Medicare to reflect a revenue neutral system.  We have to look at the fact that most people get more in bennies than they have paid into the system. Even people who made good money will usually end up taking more in Medicare than they paid in all taxes over a lifetime...this must end.
c. No fundraising allowed at all for any elected office

3)  What 3 issues are you not going to deal with at all during your Presidency?

a. God
b. Guns
c. Gays

Sick and tired of these wedge issues being used to deflect from what are real problems and priorities.




4)  Name one government program, initiative, or policy that you want to end.

A. Corporate Welfare of all kinds. This includes tax abatements and incentives for private interests.

5)  What will you do differently than other Presidents?

Talk openly about the possibilty of a devaluation of our currency, the national debt and how each one of us is at least partly to blame for the current situation and what we need to do to correct the problem so that our country will last longer than the current projections.

Star Safyre

1)  State the goal of your Presidency.

To crush my enemies, see them driven before us, and to hear the lamentation of the women.

2)  What are the first 3 issues you're going to attempt to resolve?

Perfect the best enemy crushing device, lower tariffs on exported oil to promote enemy driving, and fix the tissue shortage.

3)  What 3 issues are you not going to deal with at all during your Presidency?

The purpose of prayer in governing, the pants shortage, and the proper treatment of camels.

4)  Name one government program, initiative, or policy that you want to end.

Tax breaks for snake cults.

5)  What will you do differently than other Presidents?

I would enforce all members of national, state and local governments to be bare-chested at all official appearances, crucify thieves in the sun, and make my bastard sword the sole diplomat to rival nations, being all of them.
My heaven is to be with him always.
|/| O/O's / Plots / tumblr / A/A's |/|
And I am a writer, writer of fictions
I am the heart that you call home
And I've written pages upon pages
Trying to rid you from my bones

Silverfyre

Quote from: Star Safyre on January 15, 2011, 02:16:10 PM
1)  State the goal of your Presidency.

To crush my enemies, see them driven before us, and to hear the lamentation of the women.

2)  What are the first 3 issues you're going to attempt to resolve?

Perfect the best enemy crushing device, lower tariffs on exported oil to promote enemy driving, and fix the tissue shortage.

3)  What 3 issues are you not going to deal with at all during your Presidency?

The purpose of prayer in governing, the pants shortage, and the proper treatment of camels.

4)  Name one government program, initiative, or policy that you want to end.

Tax breaks for snake cults.

5)  What will you do differently than other Presidents?

I would enforce all members of national, state and local governments to be bare-chested at all official appearances, crucify thieves in the sun, and make my bastard sword the sole diplomat to rival nations, being all of them.

Huh.  That certainly explains the surplus of loincloth purchases on our VISA card this month...


OHWceta

1)  State the goal of your Presidency.
To bring about a sense of rationality back into politics. To be a president that speaks for the people as one of them, not being some out of touch old man who doesn't really know what the average citizen wants.

2)  What're the first 3 issues you're going to attempt to resolve?
1- Education Reform
2- Health Care
3- Job Losses.
My plan is to reform the education system by offering educational vouchers for positions the government needs. For example, the high cost of health care is partially do to the lack of doctors available. If we had more people becoming doctors there would be more supply to meet the demand and people would be gaining jobs that are needed as opposed to jobs which could easily go away in the next few years. I'd also offer more benefits to companies who employ inside the U.S. while posting stricter restraints on companies that outsource.

3)  What 3 issues are you not going to deal with at all during your Presidency?
1- Gay Rights, the right to marry is the descision of the place in which the couple decides to Marry, not in the hands of the Presidency
2- Creationism Vs. Evolution. I don't even see why schools are debating this.
3- Abortion, this is also up to the State, not the Federal Government

4)  Name one government program, initiative, or policy that you want to end.
Just one?!?! Sorry, I have to name a list.
Political Parties- George Washington always said political parties would be our downfall. When one side makes any progress the other side cancels it out and this leads our country nowhere but a bunch of bickering idiots.
Welfare- Too many people are robbing the system blind and taking an unfair advantage while others who use it fairly have to go without. The only way it would be worth keeping would be a complete ovehaul of the system. Requiring mandatory Drug Testing, as well as limiting the products that can be bought with food stamps and welfare checks.
Bush Tax Cuts- Nuff Said.
Any Bans on so-called "dangerous breeds" of dogs.- This is just cruel and ignorant, most of the "banned breeds" are wonderful dogs, it all depends on how they are cared for. In fact I'd deffinetly have a Pit Bull in the White House as my pet when I'm President.

5)  What will you do differently than other Presidents?
I'd opperate on my own agenda with advice from my aids and in cooperation with the Judical and Legislative Branches of Government, refusing to follow a specific party's agenda. I'd be the first third party candidate elected. I'd wear a T-shirt to speeches and prove that I'm just like the citizens I'm the president of. I'd even hold talks with select civilians to hear their oppinions of the presidency and what they want for this country.
Can't get enough of RPing? Check out my site, it needs members, all are welcome.
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