Your 2024 Platform

[vcczar]

If you were running for president in the primary of your preferred major party, what would be your platform in the following areas?

 

First, what major party would you run under in the primaries?

Secondly, Give us your platform using the following topics:

 

Abortion & Planned Parenthood:

 

Gay marriage and LGBT adoption:

 

Gender transition/identity:

 

Gun laws/regulations:

 

First Amendment/Hate speech/social media censorship:

 

Anti-racism/racism:

 

Government mandates during epidemics/pandemics:

 

Supreme Court/reform:

 

Election reform/gerrymandering:

 

Social Security/Welfare/Bailouts:

 

Education/Student Loans:

 

Big Pharma/Drug prices:

 

Obamacare:

 

Drug laws/War on Drugs/Marijuana:

 

Lobbyists/corruption:

 

Minimum Wage/Unions/Labor:

 

Corporations/Business:

 

Environment/Climate:

 

Natural Resources/Oil/Alt-energy:

 

Trade/NAFTA/tariffs:

 

Cryptocurrency:

 

Immigration/Borderwalls/Deportations:

 

Police reform:

 

NATO/UN:

 

Israel/Palestine:

 

Russia/Ukraine:

 

China:

 

Iran:

 

Syria:

 

Terrorism:

 

Foreign Aid:

 

Infrastructure:

 

Military Spending:

 

Domestic Spending:

 

IRS/Fed Reserve/Taxation:

 

Other topics not included above:

[Edouard]

First, what major party would you run under in the primaries?

Democrats

Secondly, Give us your platform using the following topics:

 

Abortion & Planned Parenthood: In favor of a 12 weeks abortion standart, up to 16 weeks in case of medical issue related to the birth (for example risk for the mother) and in favor of a criminal charge for those who interrupt birth against the consent of the mother as well as a delict for the mother if she interrupts the procession of birth beyond the limit fixed by law if it does not already exist. Of course the criminal charge for those who cause abortion against the consent of the mother should be more severely punished by law.

 

Gay marriage and LGBT adoption: In favor of both, and for a constitutionnal amendment to protect it as the Supreme Court is under the threat of partisanship. The federal law compromise of religious freedom coupled with civil rights protections is a good model.

 

Gender transition/identity: In favor of comprehensive sex education in schools to present what transgender is but not to ask children what their gender is according to them, only to explain to them what transgenders persons are, how few they are, what they experience to feel different from their gender. Also in favor of a national law on protecting transgenders in their fundamental rights. And for intervention in school I would be in favor that a transgender person be part of this, also I would prefer that this happens exclusively from the medium school.

Both for homosexuals, bisexuals and transgenders my personnal position is : Keep asking schools from medium schools to make education on who these persons are, explain according to science and consensus why they are attracted (for LGB) or feel to belong to the opposed gender (for transgenders) to promote understanding and respect while separing this fundamental need for education to the topics that create turmoil such as dragqueens in school or asking children to define themselves their sexual or gender belonging which feeds the culture war rethoric. It is however necessary that school specialists be there if teenagers want to express their questions regarding their attraction or gender affiliation but the initiative has to come from the children themselves (out the topic of sex education).

Also I think that below the majority or at least the age of 16 someone who feel to be from the wrong gender shouldn't have a physical operation just to be sure that this person is absolutely certain and would not feel any regret in future, it would take down the arguments of people abusively accusing transgenders of trying to push children to change gender. Of course, I would still be in favor that people below that age that are absolutely certain of not being from their gender of birth still be able to look like the opposed gender and ask for accomodation with school authorities and in life in general untill they turn 18. I know that a lot of transgenders feel not belonging to their birth gender at a very young age and so I understand that it is not easy for them.

In return of all those precisions, it would be crucial to cut federal aids to states that prevent transgender adults from changing their gender or denying their rights as well as those which would pass "don't say gay" or "don't say trans" laws.

 

Gun laws/regulations: In favor of a ban on assault weapons, and background checks particulary on people with mental disorders. It is time to END school shootings that are increasing more and more in the US. I would understand that americans remain attached to owning a personnal gun for safety.

 

First Amendment/Hate speech/social media censorship: In favor of free speech in all circumstance but to keep diffamation laws for allegations that are unfounded and aim to deter or dirt the personnality of someone. I wouldn't change much so. On terrorism, I would ask social medias to always track groups that plan to put a threat on national security but not beside this.

However in the specific case of schools, I would ask social medias to suspend any child or adult that commit school bullying online from social medias.

 

Anti-racism/racism: I would recommend a moderate approach. I would focus on every measures that aim to amplify social mixity and allow children from all background to evoluate. One of the main problem of racism is also that social mobility is broken or not efficient enough. In that aspect I would assume to push to increase education spendings to make schools more efficient and affordable particulary in rural and poorer areas.

 

Government mandates during epidemics/pandemics: I would favor mask mandates and vaccine research when necessary but I would not shutdown the economy unless there's a major evidence and need for that as we can't afford a lot of debt crises.

 

Supreme Court/reform: I would raise to 66 or 70 the number of senators needed to get a Supreme Court nominee to force both parties to find consensual names or focus on an independent commission to select names based on meritocracy. In this end the commission should be formed by a consens from the apropriation committee.

 

Election reform/gerrymandering: I would push for a national independent commission on ending gerrymandering. No one has interest to stop to gerrymander if not all stop at once.

 

Social Security/Welfare/Bailouts: Obamacare needs to be improved with the time and experience.

 

Education/Student Loans: I would push for making contributions equal to parental wages and make sure that parents do not abandon their child for that or refuse to cover for them. It is not normal that rich parents have children who pay the same tuition fees than students from poorer families. I would also make everything possible to slow the student debt crise. I would consider either transforming tuition fees to the equivalent on taxs on the revenue linked to family incomes or increase scholarships for poors or both. Buttigieg 2020 proposal was a good one in this end.

 

Big Pharma/Drug prices: Regulate it.

 

Obamacare: Already said.

 

Drug laws/War on Drugs/Marijuana: In favor to decriminalize it at the federal level but leave it to state by referendums to know if they want to do that or not, not usefull to divide the country over it.

 

Lobbyists/corruption: Keep an annual report on commission made between government agencies and NGOs.

 

Minimum Wage/Unions/Labor: Raise the federal minimum wage with inflation rate, let to state some freedom too.

 

Corporations/Business: Keep low taxes on most business.

 

Environment/Climate: Invest and pass fiscal measures on research and development.

 

Natural Resources/Oil/Alt-energy: Push to reduce natural ressources and increase alt-energy that cost few Co2 emissions including the nuclear energy.

 

Trade/NAFTA/tariffs: In favor of free trade with countries that have the same social standards than the US so the european union, Canada, Japan or Australia and New Zealand for example.

 

Cryptocurrency: No position but this money is too deregulated for being stable.

 

Immigration/Borderwalls/Deportations: I would surprisingly be tougher on this issue. No to borderwalls but increase means for making sure that immigrants become real americans while submitting value tests, language verification and I would favor refugees who want to come to the US because they left a dictatorship or went to be free from oppression rather than economic immigration. I would then favor immigrants who were oppressed for standing for democracy before the ones that come for economic reasons. I would of course keep supporting student immigration and try to make sure that these immigrants can speak english for at least a majority and are well followed to be able to learn and speak it in a short time in order to get citizenship.

 

Police reform: No to defund the police but yes to improve police formations.

 

NATO/UN: In favor of both, probably to give more weight to all countries in NATO to improve their participation.

 

Israel/Palestine: Keep promoting Clinton proposal, Palestine should get statehoood, Israël should be recognized by every countries in return.

 

Russia/Ukraine: All supports to Ukraine untill the end of the conflict. I would increase donations of highly advanced technology particulary in canons and aircrafts which can push for a quicker resolution of the conflict. It is necessary for Ukraine to win the war to preserve international stability. It's because Japan invaded China in 1931 with no resistance that Italy invaded Ethiopia in 1936 and that Austria followed. If Ukraine falls, others countries will get invaded in the future, not by the same countries than in the 30s but there's enough territorial disputes in nowadays worlds.

 

China: I would try to keep a diplomatic discussion with China. Xi Jipping is not Putin, he still hesitates to advocate for international order, this hesitation should be supported by the West as things can still be prevented in China. Taiwan is not yet invaded.

 

Iran: I would be much more in support of Iranian women that are being oppressed and would put more means on controling that Iran does not devellop nuclear arsenal.

 

Syria: I would not propose anything as the country suffered a bloody civil war and not it takes time for stability. I am no fan of Bachar Al Assad but there is no coherent alternative.

 

Terrorism: I would track down any fundamental groups either religious or for the far right and left that threaten to make terrorist acts and would ban them if they show any risk.

 

Foreign Aid: My foreign aid would be conditionnal to the promotion of democracy and environment devellopement. The more countries do efforts, the more I would help them.

 

Infrastructure: Bipartisan deals to continue.

 

Military Spending: I would keep military spending for the time being to settle the war in Ukraine then I would reduce it by 200 billions unless China or Iran raise its military spendings.

 

Domestic Spending: I would focus on education and healthcare as well as developping refugees for LGBT that are being rejected by their families and I would also fund associations that aim to help unemployees and people who suffer past drug addiction to get back to society and recover and rebuild their life.

 

IRS/Fed Reserve/Taxation: I would not do much, there needs to be a balance between the states and the federal level. Taxs have been reduced enough under Trump.

 

Other topics not included above: I think enough is being said.

Edited September 19, 2023 by Edouard

[Rezi]

First, what major party would you run under in the primaries?

Democratic

Secondly, Give us your platform using the following topics:

 

Abortion & Planned Parenthood: Publicly voice my support for reproductive rights, pushing on the states to allow for abortion through viability. Appoint pro-choice justices. Push strongly for state and national policy which would reduce abortions by increasing access to contraception, bringing back the COVID Child Tax Credit changes, pushing states to implement comprehensive sex education, etc.

 

Gay marriage and LGBT adoption: Attempt to push through a bill which would expand the Respect for Marriage Act and officially take gay and interracial marriage away from the courts, as well as LGBT adoption.

 

Gender transition/identity: Any state that puts limits on the ability of adults to transition will lose their federal highway funding because fuck you.

 

Gun laws/regulations: This is a states' issue, but push states to repeal red flag laws and implement full Castle Doctrine/Constitutional Carry/Stand Your Ground, while also publicly declaring that anyone who open carries has a small dick.

 

First Amendment/Hate speech/social media censorship: Social media can do whatever they like since they're private enterprises. Publicly declare Florida and any other states that follow their lead on free speech to be in violation of the First Amendment and take away their federal highway funding.

 

Anti-racism/racism: Status Quo.

 

Government mandates during epidemics/pandemics: No government mandates.

 

Supreme Court/reform: No policy changes, but appoint liberal constitutionalists to the court.

 

Election reform/gerrymandering: Attempt to push through a federal gerrymandering ban, encourage states and localities across the nation to adopt Ranked-Choice Voting.

 

Social Security/Welfare/Bailouts: Remove the Payroll Tax cap for Social Security. Generally keep welfare the same, but expand where reasonably possible if we enter an economic recession.

 

Education/Student Loans: No more interest on federal student loans, continue targeted loan forgiveness, but only if we enter a recessionary period. Push for free public college nationwide. Aim for nationwide weakening of teachers' unions.

 

Big Pharma/Drug prices: Allow Medicare and Medicaid to negotiate drug prices. Targeted deregulation of the pharmaceutical industry as means of further lowering drug prices. Allow greater access to experimental drugs.

 

Obamacare: Public Option, but only once we've seen a successful reduction in healthcare costs. 

 

Drug laws/War on Drugs/Marijuana: Legalize marijuana and all soft drugs/psychedelics.  Begin a slow process of decriminalization of hard drugs. Keep the DEA entirely targeted towards cartel activity, which should be greatly weakened anyways due to my drug policies.

 

Lobbyists/corruption: Appoint justices who will overturn Citizens' United. Fully revive the McCain-Feingold Act.

 

Minimum Wage/Unions/Labor: Maybe raise the federal minimum wage to $10 or so. Encourage states to take on Oregon's minimum wage laws, which would raise the minimum wage but keep it higher in urban areas and lower in rural ones. Fully support the labor union, appoint local union leaders to the NLRB, join workers on strikes.

 

Corporations/Business: Raise the Corporate Tax Rate back to 28%, higher than it is now and lower than it was pre-Trump tax cuts. Targeted deregulation where lower prices and economic growth would outdo any potential negative impacts to consumers and workers. Find a way so that small businesses pay less in taxes.

 

Environment/Climate: Permitting reform and build the fuck out of some nuclear reactors.

 

Natural Resources/Oil/Alt-energy: Try to slowly phase out natural gas and oil in a way that would protect the environment without majorly harming workers.

 

Trade/NAFTA/tariffs: Revive the TPP, Free Trade Free Trade Free Trade Free Trade.

 

Cryptocurrency: Not a government issue.

 

Immigration/Borderwalls/Deportations: Increase enforcement of the border while also making it much easier to immigrate legally and providing a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants.

 

Police reform: Ban no-knock raids, pressure for a nationwide weakening of police unions and implement any other policies which would make it easier to punish bad cops.

 

NATO/UN: Expand NATO as much as realistically possible, create a Pacific Version of NATO, including primarily Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Australia, Canada. Expand this if we get better relations with nations in this region.

 

Israel/Palestine: Platitudes to Israel since they're the lesser of two evils.

 

Russia/Ukraine: Keep on what we're doing. Give Ukraine more aid and training, push Europe to do the same. Fuck Russia, do whatever we can to destroy their economy and government. Maybe some covert attempts to overthrow Putin while ensuring it wouldn't lead to something worse.

 

China: Aforementioned Pacific Alliance. We'll slowly work our way towards full recognition of Taiwan. If China wants to stop working with us economically, they're just signing their own death warrant.

 

Iran: Covertly support a new government.

 

Syria: Syria is still an issue?

 

Terrorism: Extremely limited strikes, only if you can ensure limited civilian casualties to kill an important target.

 

Foreign Aid: Increase foreign aid to countries in an effort to improve their quality of life, democratize them, and bring them into our sphere of influence.

 

Infrastructure: Probably just another infrastructure bill.

 

Military Spending: Keep it.

 

Domestic Spending: Some targeted cuts and targeted raises in certain areas. Focus on decreasing bureaucracy and increasing efficiency.

 

IRS/Fed Reserve/Taxation: Revive Paul Volcker. Taxes already mentioned above. I guess also increase inheritance tax.

 

Other topics not included above: Repeal the PATRIOT Act and strengthen the 4th amendment once again. Weaken copyright laws. Encourage YIMBY policies in localities.

[Pringles]

First, what major party would you run under in the primaries?

Republican

Abortion & Planned Parenthood: Generally leave it to the states as the original pro-life movement intended. No national ban, attempt to explore a bipartisan national minimum though. I personally would encourage 12 week/6 week bans to be the standard, if states want to pass a 6-week ban they have every right to do so. Push back against talk of punishing women in terms of criminal offences for seeking abortions... just ludicrous. 

Gay marriage and LGBT adoption: Any stable family deserves the ability to adopt a child in need. Uphold the Respect for Marriage Act. 

Gender transition/identity: Ignore the culture war rhetoric on the issue, however, I do not believe any minor should go through with this until becoming an adult. There are so many things you can't do until turning 18 years old in this country, and with a decision as critical as gender transition, it needs to be deliberated upon heavily. Regardless, I support the rights of all Americans, Trans people aren't excluded from this. 

Gun laws/regulations: Continue to push Bipartisan gun reform, but ultimately we're respecting the Second Amendment. No assault weapons ban. 

First Amendment/Hate speech/social media censorship: Hate speech is free speech Constitutionally speaking (unless inciting violence, etc.), but companies have the right to enforce policy on their platform regardless. Seek efforts to monitor misinformation and nip it in the bud before going viral, I am also becoming increasingly open to some kind of internet version of the Patriot Act. Unfortunately, things are starting to get too out of control, and this demands action. 

Anti-racism/racism: Part of the problem of this relates to social media, but obviously racism has no place in modern America and should be shunned at every opportunity. 

Government mandates during epidemics/pandemics: I think the worst of COVID has been over for a while, even with a small resurgence perhaps. Locking down this country under Donald Trump did a lot of damage. Never again. I think we should heed the consensus of health experts and workers. Whether that be wearing a mask or taking a vaccine. I got the Moderna 2 shot vaccine, and I've seen no reason to get a booster given I'm very young and healthy... I'll wear the mask if where I'm going requires it. Just depends on who you are and your health. Not in favor of federal mask mandates generally. 

Supreme Court/reform: Roberts Court has been very good in my opinion, explore ethics reform but no further. Continue appointing mainstream judges, no MAGA justices or "legislate from the bench" Justices. Textualism is my preferred judicial philosophy, I'm supportive of swing justices as well generally. 

Election reform/gerrymandering: Election Day ought to be a Holiday, it'd be nice to end gerrymandering but I don't see it as a feasible possibility at the moment. States have the right to run their elections the way they want as long as it isn't violating the law, voters' rights, etc. Mail in ballots? Go for it. I strongly support voter ID and believe it should be necessary when voting, just as it is for plenty of other life interactions with the government. 

Social Security/Welfare/Bailouts: We aren't going to touch Social Security other than reforms to make it sustainable for the long term. Scale down other forms of welfare, and cut unemployment benefits that were raised during COVID. Increase the requirements in order to be eligible for other forms of welfare outside of social security, and explore repealing and handing over welfare completely to the states.  (SNAP, WIC, etc.) 

Education/Student Loans: No cancellation of debt for those who were irresponsible with their education decisions. Focus on lowering tuition costs. I'm accepting of the provision that the Supreme Court upheld of Biden's plan that allows income-based repayments with little to no interest. If you get yourself in debt, you're paying it back. Personal responsibility and it is the fairest option. Unless you preach an "equality" that cancels one group of people's debt, but not another like Elizabeth Warren professed. 

Big Pharma/Drug prices: Deregulation, and encourage Mark Cubans pharmacy website as an alternative. 😛 

Obamacare: Seems drawn out the whole Obamacare arguments... it failed to get repealed, and the program itself didn't work as intended. I don't support the program, but we need an actual plan if we're going to replace it. I'm open to a public option. I'd never support universal healthcare or any major program involving the federal government. States can handle this if they wish. The country and middle-class Americans who are content with their private insurance (many are) should not be thrown off by the whims of a loud minority. 

Drug laws/War on Drugs/Marijuana: Legalize marijuana and tax the hell out of it. No legalization of other hard drugs, continue major efforts to go after cartels and dealers. 

Lobbyists/corruption: Consider legislation to regulate the amount of money being pumped into politics, but unsure of what can *actually* be done on this front. 

Minimum Wage/Unions/Labor: Leave it to the states. Weaken teacher unions to the fullest point possible, get politics out of education and any teacher union that forces someone to join ought to not exist. The minimum wage is up to the states. Unions across the board are too political and have way too much power. 

Corporations/Business: Doing fine as is currently I suppose. They've had plenty of bailout money in the last 3 years from COVID subsidies. However, stop Biden's initiatives of punishing corporations over environmental issues and the "closing loopholes" argument which have been driving up prices across the board. 

Environment/Climate: Pursue international action. Stop imposing policies upon ourselves that hinder us and hurt consumers at home. Remain in the Paris Agreement for International coordination. 

Natural Resources/Oil/Alt-energy: Drill baby drill. Bring back the Keystone project, alternate energies such as solar are not, and likely will never be able to have the capabilities of other sources. More nuclear energy. More fracking, but with careful consideration of where we are fracking. 

Trade/NAFTA/tariffs: Free trade, low tariffs. Phony trade wars and high tariffs in the modern day only drive up prices, hurting consumers. 

Cryptocurrency: Leave it mostly unregulated, and consider options to engage/stop criminal activity and suspicious money flowing through crypto accounts. 

Immigration/Borderwalls/Deportations: Strong border, generous immigration. Stop the slaughter at the border of both the border patrol and immigrants. No wasting money on a wall but we need some kind of barrier, high-tech surveillance as well. Deport illegal immigrants with criminal records. 

Police reform: Weaken police unions, but we back our police officers. More funding, more training, and more education requirements to become an officer of the law. 

NATO/UN: Expand NATO as much as possible, support the UN but consider reforms to make the organization more efficient. All efforts to combat Sino-Russian influence. 

Israel/Palestine: Support for Israel 100%. Encourage coexistence between Israel and Palestinians, but one resorts to terrorism, the other is the only true liberal democracy in the Middle East. Also, encourage Israel to veer away from potential controversial illiberal reforms they've considered concerning their Supreme Court (thankfully it seems to be winding down).

Russia/Ukraine: Full support for Ukraine. Give them whatever they need to win, even if it's high-tech military equipment. F16s and Abrams, drones and more.  

China: Hawkish approach on China, contain Chinese influence, protect Taiwan at all costs. I'm optimistic the Chinese system is eventually going to collapse in on itself. Consider covert methods to destabilize the regime. Seek alternatives to tariffs concerning combatting China economically. 

Iran: Stay tough on Iran, covert operations supporting freedom lovers in Iran. If the continue to step out of line, punish accordingly.  

Syria: Status quo. Continue denouncing Assad, and consider covert operations. Humanitarian relief where possible. 

Terrorism: Continue utilization of drone strikes, thankfully terrorists have had a really bad several years. Continue to be proactive, and continue killing their leaders. 

Foreign Aid: Scale back foreign aid to countries with major human rights issues, and countries that denounce the US at every turn. My goals on this front align with Nikki Haley.

Infrastructure: Retain support for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Continue efforts to expand internet access, and highway/interstate expansion. 

Military Spending: Keep it at current levels at the least. Increase for more funding towards satellite warfare capabilities. More research for new technology to make soldiers better, safer, and stronger. 

Domestic Spending: Basically ties into previous topics. Nothing else to add at the moment. 

IRS/Fed Reserve/Taxation: Don't tread on the Fed. Keep the gas tax suspended. Once inflation continues to decrease consider major tax relief for the middle class for what they endured in 2021. Reduce capital gains taxes as well, along with introducing marijuana tax as mentioned in drug policy. Repeal provisions of the American Rescue Plan requiring taxpayers to report additional income over websites or applications involving money transfers. 

[DakotaHale]

Might be a few surprises in here. I could run as either main party.

Abortion & Planned Parenthood: Push for abortion bans in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters. But support child tax credits, universal Pre-K, allowing mothers to claim unborn children as dependents, and guaranteed maternity leave for businesses with 100+ employees.

Gay marriage and LGBT adoption: Don't care. Let both be legal.

Gender transition/identity: Don't care. Just don't do it to children or fund it with taxpayer money.

Gun laws/regulations: Wouldn't change anything.

First Amendment/Hate speech/social media censorship: Protect the 1st Amendment.

Anti-racism/racism: Have an aide take away my Twitter when I'm drinking.

Government mandates during epidemics/pandemics: Wouldn't be any federally.

Supreme Court/reform: Appoint Neil Gorsuch-like candidates to the court.

Election reform/gerrymandering: No better alternative; wouldn't do anything. Election Day holiday though (but only for presidential general elections).

Social Security/Welfare/Bailouts: I support the current system. Get rid of the cringe $250k cap. End corporate bailouts.

Education/Student Loans: Abolish the Dept of Education. Don't pay back current student loans, but create a low-income grant subsidy.

Big Pharma/Drug prices: Allow Medicaid/care to negotiate drug prices.

Obamacare: Repeal in favor of an actual universal health insurance plan.

Drug laws/War on Drugs/Marijuana: Legalize marijuana federally. Decriminalize drug possession federally (but still arrest distributors). Set up treatment centers.

Lobbyists/corruption: Look into increasing the amount of time before a former congressman can become a lobbyist.

Minimum Wage/Unions/Labor: Abolish the minimum wage. Support private unions rhetorically and meet with private sector union leaders. Reform or abolish public sector unions.

Corporations/Business: Raise the corporate tax rate 27%. End loopholes, but also decrease regulations.

Environment/Climate: Push for nuclear and renewable energy, but continue using oil in the short term. No subsidies, but consider tax credits for renewable energy companies.

Natural Resources/Oil/Alt-energy: Increase oil drilling. Increase oil refining. Approve keystone. Re-achieve energy independence before transitioning to renewable.

Trade/NAFTA/tariffs: Find a way to maintain free trade agreements while attempting to make America a manufacturing powerhouse again. Make Pacific trade deals to isolate China economically.

Cryptocurrency: Wouldn't regulate it.

Immigration/Borderwalls/Deportations: Grant one-time amnesty to all current illegal immigrants who are willing to pay back taxes for citizenship. Increase worker visas (low and high skilled). Build a wall, but for drug convoys; not people. Continue deporting immigrants encountered at the border.

Police reform: Consider abolishing police unions. Push for body cameras and community policing. Keep current funding, but redirect from militarization to social and deescalation training. Stricter education requirements and maybe require public-sector experience prior.

NATO/UN: Maintain our presence and leadership. Increase military exercises with NATO.

Israel/Palestine: Maintain status-quo and current aid to Israel (but don't increase it, so it gradual becomes a smaller % as the years go on).

Russia/Ukraine: Maintain military aid to Ukraine, but no more financial aid. Encourage a peace conference.

China: Isolate them economically via Pacific and Latin/South American trade deals. Increase domestic manufacturing to cut off reliance on Chinese imports. The US can beat China but it's a choice we have to make.

Iran: Call them cringe. No deal with Iran. Fight them diplomatically via the United Nations. Rhetorical support for Iranian protestors.

Syria: Pull out. ISIS is destroyed and Assad has basically won the civil war. Let Assad negotiate with Erdogan over disputes, but maybe offer to mediate it.

Terrorism: Continue current policy, but with more oversight. Reject missions/strikes that could kill civilians.

Foreign Aid: Keep current spending levels.

Infrastructure: Keep current spending levels to allow states to decide what best to spend on. Look into a national high-speed rail to link biggest cities.

Military Spending: Keep and freeze current levels throughout my term, but adjust what we're spending it on to be more efficient. Audit military spending.

Domestic Spending: Increase NASA budget by 25%. Attempt to reduce bureaucracy in the USA by doing the following: Abolish the Depts of Homeland Security (move responsibilities to Justice, Defense, Commerce etc.). Attempt to merge Depts of Interior/Agriculture. Attempt to merge Depts of Defense/VA. Abolish FDA and allocate its responsibilities to the Depts of Health and Agriculture. Merge/abolish agencies that do the same job.

IRS/Fed Reserve/Taxation: Maintain IRS, but get rid of the new agents and cringe $600 thing. Maintain the federal reserve, but put a monetarist in charge of it. Increase all income taxes by 1%, with an extra 1% on individual incomes above $100k, and another 1% bump on incomes over $400k. Reform the estate tax to start at $5M, with a progressive tax bracket starting at 15%, and going to 40% at the $80M level. Slightly expand child tax credits.

[DakotaHale]

5 hours ago, Rezi said:

First, what major party would you run under in the primaries?

Democratic

Secondly, Give us your platform using the following topics:

 

Abortion & Planned Parenthood: Publicly voice my support for reproductive rights, pushing on the states to allow for abortion through viability. Appoint pro-choice justices. Push strongly for state and national policy which would reduce abortions by increasing access to contraception, bringing back the COVID Child Tax Credit changes, pushing states to implement comprehensive sex education, etc.

 

Gay marriage and LGBT adoption: Attempt to push through a bill which would expand the Respect for Marriage Act and officially take gay and interracial marriage away from the courts, as well as LGBT adoption.

 

Gender transition/identity: Any state that puts limits on the ability of adults to transition will lose their federal highway funding because fuck you.

 

Gun laws/regulations: This is a states' issue, but push states to repeal red flag laws and implement full Castle Doctrine/Constitutional Carry/Stand Your Ground, while also publicly declaring that anyone who open carries has a small dick.

 

First Amendment/Hate speech/social media censorship: Social media can do whatever they like since they're private enterprises. Publicly declare Florida and any other states that follow their lead on free speech to be in violation of the First Amendment and take away their federal highway funding.

 

Anti-racism/racism: Status Quo.

 

Government mandates during epidemics/pandemics: No government mandates.

 

Supreme Court/reform: No policy changes, but appoint liberal constitutionalists to the court.

 

Election reform/gerrymandering: Attempt to push through a federal gerrymandering ban, encourage states and localities across the nation to adopt Ranked-Choice Voting.

 

Social Security/Welfare/Bailouts: Remove the Payroll Tax cap for Social Security. Generally keep welfare the same, but expand where reasonably possible if we enter an economic recession.

 

Education/Student Loans: No more interest on federal student loans, continue targeted loan forgiveness, but only if we enter a recessionary period. Push for free public college nationwide.

 

Big Pharma/Drug prices: Allow Medicare and Medicaid to negotiate drug prices. Targeted deregulation of the pharmaceutical industry as means of further lowering drug prices. Allow greater access to experimental drugs.

 

Obamacare: Public Option, but only once we've seen a successful reduction in healthcare costs. 

 

Drug laws/War on Drugs/Marijuana: Legalize marijuana and all soft drugs/psychedelics.  Begin a slow process of decriminalization of hard drugs. Keep the DEA entirely targeted towards cartel activity, which should be greatly weakened anyways due to my drug policies.

 

Lobbyists/corruption: Appoint justices who will overturn Citizens' United. Fully revive the McCain-Feingold Act.

 

Minimum Wage/Unions/Labor: Maybe raise the federal minimum wage to $10 or so. Encourage states to take on Oregon's minimum wage laws, which would raise the minimum wage but keep it higher in urban areas and lower in rural ones. Fully support the labor union, appoint local union leaders to the NLRB, join workers on strikes.

 

Corporations/Business: Raise the Corporate Tax Rate back to 28%, higher than it is now and lower than it was pre-Trump tax cuts. Targeted deregulation where lower prices and economic growth would outdo any potential negative impacts to consumers and workers. Find a way so that small businesses pay less in taxes.

 

Environment/Climate: Permitting reform and build the fuck out of some nuclear reactors.

 

Natural Resources/Oil/Alt-energy: Try to slowly phase out natural gas and oil in a way that would protect the environment without majorly harming workers.

 

Trade/NAFTA/tariffs: Revive the TPP, Free Trade Free Trade Free Trade Free Trade.

 

Cryptocurrency: Not a government issue.

 

Immigration/Borderwalls/Deportations: Increase enforcement of the border while also making it much easier to immigrate legally and providing a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants.

 

Police reform: Ban no-knock raids, pressure for a nationwide weakening of police unions and implement any other policies which would make it easier to punish bad cops.

 

NATO/UN: Expand NATO as much as realistically possible, create a Pacific Version of NATO, including primarily Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Australia, Canada. Expand this if we get better relations with nations in this region.

 

Israel/Palestine: Platitudes to Israel since they're the lesser of two evils.

 

Russia/Ukraine: Keep on what we're doing. Give Ukraine more aid and training, push Europe to do the same. Fuck Russia, do whatever we can to destroy their economy and government. Maybe some covert attempts to overthrow Putin while ensuring it wouldn't lead to something worse.

 

China: Aforementioned Pacific Alliance. We'll slowly work our way towards full recognition of Taiwan. If China wants to stop working with us economically, they're just signing their own death warrant.

 

Iran: Covertly support a new government.

 

Syria: Syria is still an issue?

 

Terrorism: Extremely limited strikes, only if you can ensure limited civilian casualties to kill an important target.

 

Foreign Aid: Increase foreign aid to countries in an effort to improve their quality of life, democratize them, and bring them into our sphere of influence.

 

Infrastructure: Probably just another infrastructure bill.

 

Military Spending: Keep it.

 

Domestic Spending: Some targeted cuts and targeted raises in certain areas. Focus on decreasing bureaucracy and increasing efficiency.

 

IRS/Fed Reserve/Taxation: Revive Paul Volcker. Taxes already mentioned above. I guess also increase inheritance tax.

 

Other topics not included above: Repeal the PATRIOT Act and strengthen the 4th amendment once again. Weaken copyright laws. Encourage YIMBY policies in localities.

I just read urs after posting mine and I'm surprised how much we agree on. Although we both have some disagreements, I don't think it would be inaccurate to say that we are both (lower-case L) libertarians but will still err on helping the needy.

[Pringles]

15 minutes ago, DakotaHale said:

Maintain IRS, but get rid of the new agents and cringe $600 thing.

Glad I’m not the only one on the cringe $600 thing. Fuck the ARP. 😤😤

[DakotaHale]

Would a triumvir of me, @Pringles and @Rezi do a better job governing the country than Brandon? I say yes.

[DakotaHale]

21 minutes ago, Pringles said:

Glad I’m not the only one on the cringe $600 thing. Fuck the ARP. 😤😤

Yeah these fuckers ain't getting past the claymore or chainsaw Roombas

[WVProgressive]

First, what major party would you run under in the primaries? Democratic

Secondly, Give us your platform using the following topics:

Abortion & Planned Parenthood: I am vocally pro-life, and will fight for a rebirth of the Hyde Amendment. Beyond that I will fight for comprehensive sex education, and increased access to contraceptives, but otherwise leave abortion to the states.

Gay marriage and LGBT adoption: Uphold, and strengthen the Respect for Marriage Act, and work to bring in full adoption rights for homosexual couples.

Gender transition/identity: Do everything in our power to protect transgender rights at the federal level, and encourage states to do the same by withholding federal funding. Beyond that, use the bully pulpit to preach acceptance of transgender people.

Gun laws/regulations: Bring in universal background checks, a national gun registry, ammo limits, and an assault weapons ban, while also bringing in national stand-your-ground, concealed carry, and open carry protections.

First Amendment/Hate speech/social media censorship: Find ways to suppress hate speech, and misinformation while also protecting the first amendment.

Anti-racism/racism: This is mainly an issue for local communities, and states to handle, but use the bully pulpit to advocate racial harmony

Government mandates during epidemics/pandemics: We'll cross that bridge the next time there's a once in a century pandemic. For now, just listen to the experts, and do what they recommend.

Supreme Court/reform: Appoint moderate justices, no litmus tests.

Election reform/gerrymandering: Make election day a national holiday, and work to beef up the Voting Rights Act. Look to Pennsylvania as a model for Automatic Voter Registration.

Social Security/Welfare/Bailouts: Increase Social Security benefits, paid for by removing the payroll tax cap. Simplify the welfare state by consolidating all our entitlements into a Universal Basic Income paid for by a VAT, and a Wealth Tax.

Education/Student Loans: Work to make Community College free, continue federal loan interest moratorium, and work to make college affordable for the middle, and working class. Increase funding for K-12 Education, including universal pre-k, and universal free school meals. Grant impoverished districts extra funding.

Big Pharma/Drug prices: Allow the government to negotiate for prescription drug prices. Increase funding for medical research, and for the FDA in order to expedite the drug approval process. Create a presidential commission to honestly study the benefits, and dangers of mRNA vaccines. 

Obamacare: Move towards a public option, but defend Obamacare's positive regulations.

Drug laws/War on Drugs/Marijuana: Legalize medical marijuana, but otherwise continue fighting the war on drugs. Reorientate our efforts to stopping the flow of narcotics from Latin America, and getting rid of the customer base by treating addiction as the medical issue it is.

Lobbyists/corruption: Lobbying is a natural, and healthy part of any democracy, I honestly don't think the system needs many reforms.

Minimum Wage/Unions/Labor: Unions are a natural part of the economy, and like any part of an economy should be regulated to prevent abuse. The governments should seek to balance the concerns of with the concerns of business. Increase the minimum wage to $12.50, but beyond that, minimum wage increases should be pursued at the state level

Corporations/Business: Increase taxes on large corporations, decrease taxes on small business. Decide regulations on a sector-by-sector basis.

Environment/Climate: End oil subsidies, increase subsidies to alternative energy companies including nuclear, and companies attempting to clean up the environment. Bring in a Carbon Tax. Also increase funding for R&D.

Natural Resources/Oil/Alt-energy: Transition away from fossil fuels as quickly as practical.

Trade/NAFTA/tariffs: Free trade all the way, protectionism is so 19th century. Bring back TPP, and negotiate further trade deals to strengthen our global position

Cryptocurrency: Let's hold off on pulling the regulation trigger, half the appeal of block-chain technology is that it isn't regulated.

Immigration/Borderwalls/Deportations: The current system honestly works fine for the most part, illegal immigrants give us a nearly inexhaustible workforce with no access to welfare or worker protection or all the other things that hurt businesses. Work to make it easier to both immigrate, and become a citizen. 

Police reform: At the local level, I'd encourage body cameras, community policing, increased funding for better equipment and training, but again that's something for local communities to decide on. At the national level I would try to coordinate domestic intelligence agencies against far right radicals, which I believe are the number one domestic threat currently.

NATO/UN: Expand NATO to isolate Russia, and reform SEATO to isolate China. Increase cooperation with our allies, and encourage reforms in the UN.

Israel/Palestine: We are behind Israel 1000%, increase aid, do what we can to fight terrorism, and eviscerate BDS. Support the settler movement, and encourage the Arabs to leave for Jordan or some other Arab country in the region.

Russia/Ukraine: Support Ukraine, give them everything they need to beat the Russians. The war could last a million years, if that's what it takes to see a Ukrainian victory. Covertly subvert Putin's reign over Russia.

China: Isolate China militarily, and economically. Recognize Taiwan, and encourage democratic movements inside the PRC.

Iran: Covertly support the opposition, and do whatever is necessary to prevent them from getting the bomb

Syria: Support the moderate rebels, and the Kurds.

Terrorism: Thankfully foreign terrorism seems to be on, but we should remain vigilante, and proactive in combating the enemies of America. Also crack down on domestic extremism on the left, and right which is currently a more immediate threat.

Foreign Aid: Increase foreign aid in general, but especially to Latin America, South/South-East Asia, and Africa.

Infrastructure: Encourage green infrastructure, mass transit, and public transportation

Military Spending: Increase defense spending in order to maintain our primacy.

Domestic Spending: Is there anything covered here that wasn't covered by a different category? Increase efficiency by increasing funding. Repeal the debt ceiling, Reagan, and Roosevelt both realized that the deficit doesn't matter in comparison to strong policy.

IRS/Fed Reserve/Taxation: Appoint a Volcker-Greenspanite to be Fed Chair once Powell's term is up. Increase funding to the IRS to crack down on Tax Fraud, and ensure that out tax laws are respected. Raise taxes slightly on the upper class, and maintain our progressive, tiered system.

Other topics not included above: Pare down agricultural subsidies, repeal the Jones Act, Increase NASA funding, and build more public housing.

[vcczar]

7 hours ago, WVProgressive said:

Support the settler movement, and encourage the Arabs to leave for Jordan or some other Arab country in the region.

If this becomes active policy, it's going to create a messy fiasco. Other Arab nations aren't going to allow 1.6 million (20% of Israel's population) to just move to their country. You might get a situation in which migration is blocked because these other nations haven't the resources, jobs, or infrastructure or housing to take them in. With no escape from Israeli aggression on who are technically their own citizens, the Palestinians would have to fight back, unless they do some Gandhi non-agressive protest. In this scenario, Israel and the US would look terrible. Those are 1.6 million people, not 1.6 million terrorists. They're just wanting work, live, raise their families, keep their homes. The Israeli settlement policy is basically a modern day Indian Removal Act. 

I say this while support Israel's right to a nation, but also as someone that think Palestine should have their own nation as well. If it helps Israel break Palestine in two, I'm okay with that as well. Gaza and West Bank could be different countries. Israel can even have all of Jerusalem. Palestinians just need a homeland of their own somewhere within Israel's current boundaries, as that's their home. I say the same for Kurds in Turkey, Syria, and Iran. They need their own country too. 

I say this not completely versed in the settlement issue. Do they even pay the Palestinians for the land their taking? Is it a real estate transaction? If it follows a legal, ethical path then that's a different story.

[Cenzonico]

This seems fun.

First, what major party would you run under in the primaries? Libertarian

Secondly, Give us your platform using the following topics:

Abortion & Planned Parenthood: Allow abortion rights on the basis that it is a decision made between private actors (the mother and her doctor) that shouldn't be regulated by government. Ultimately, try to follow the "Safe, Legal, & Rare" philosophy by encouraging comprehensive sex ed so people can be properly informed when it comes to decisions regarding sex.

Gay marriage and LGBT adoption: Who cares? Let a man marry another man, let a woman marry woman. I don't see a reason to bar them from adoption.

Gender transition/identity: When it comes to minors, have them go though a comprehensive psychological process to confirm their feelings (or perhaps not). Nothing should be done until they reach the age of consent. Adults can do whatever they want.

Gun laws/regulations: The constitution is very clear, "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."  This is non-negotiable outside of a few basic background checks to prevent people with a criminal history or medical diagnosis that may predispose them to violence from getting firearms.

First Amendment/Hate speech/social media censorship: All speech is free speech (including hate speech). The line is broken when someone begins to incite violence towards specific people and/or groups. Social media sites can do what they wish on their platform, but at times they can definitely be a bit trigger happy.

Anti-racism/racism: Racism is something that will always exist in some form, but the best way to minimize it is through education and getting boots on the ground to fight it's effect. Not much that government can do here.

Government mandates during epidemics/pandemics: A nationwide lockdown for a week or two while we figure out what the hell is going on is acceptable and I wouldn't mind that. From there the federal governments job should only be to work with the states to help stop the spread and get more medical equipment in. Any mandates or lockdowns will be at the discretion of the governor and state legislature.

Supreme Court/reform: The Supreme Court is fine in it's current state, I don't believe this is a issue we need to rock the boat on.

Election reform/gerrymandering: Expand the number of house representatives to a number similar to that of the House of Commons (we are a nation of over 360 million come on now), switch from FPTP and WTA to Star Voting and MMP, aim to give all parties equal coverage, independent commissions for all states. This would severely lessen the effects of gerrymandering and help to break the current duopoly held by the Dems and the GOP.

Social Security/Welfare/Bailouts: Welfare in it's current state only creates a cycle of dependency that has ripple effects in generations and the communities that rely the most on government assistance. Abolish the welfare state and replace it with a Universal Basic Income. How much depends on the person but it will only cover rent, bills, and a bit for food, the idea being that people will still be encouraged to work and better themselves while at least having the peace of mind that they will have something to fall back on if needed. A negative income tax in tandem is something I've considered but I would need to look more in the specifics before making a definitive answer. Bailouts are a distortion of the free market, as they say "Too Big to Fail is Too Big to Exist!".

Education/Student Loans: Student loan forgiveness is stupid, I don't believe we should be punishing taxpayers for the financial mishaps of others. The issue is that the federal government preys on people since they just give out loans like it's nothing. Restrict access for federal loans, only allowing a certain income level to use them. Let the banks and other private actors do the job for everyone else. Consider changing around (lowering?) funding for higher education to encourage colleges and universities to lower tuition.

Big Pharma/Drug prices & Obamacare: Obamacare? Gone! Medicare? Gone! Deregulation the shit out of our healthcare system and take away power from Big Pharma so physicians can provide care directly at the prices they decide. Encourage alternative means of acquiring pharmaceuticals as well, I've seen sites that do it and it's pretty cool.

Drug laws/War on Drugs/Marijuana: The War on Drugs is one of the biggest shams in history, a very costly one as well. Abolish the DEA and fully legalize all drugs on the federal level. From there the federal government should facilitate the legal sale of drugs at first with a model akin to that of an ABC store, ensuring that all drugs are "safe" (by safe I mean not laced or anything) and can be bought and sold at legitimate vendors. After a bit the federal government can let go and let states and localities deal with them. The idea is that 1. This will effectively kill any value hard drugs carry, crippling organized crime organizations such as the Cartels and 2. Addicts will be able to get the help they need without fear since this will finally become an issue of public health.

Lobbyists/corruption: Campaign fiance reform and overturn Citizens United, though most of this is something that individuals would have to solve.

Minimum Wage/Unions/Labor: There should be no such thing as a federal minimum wage, let the states and other localities decide what is best. I do believe that Unions inherently are a good thing, but they must be curtailed as too not have too much power (see Police and Teacher unions). Support private unions wholeheartedly though.

Corporations/Business: Big business are not our friends, anti-trust laws are great! That being said, deregulation and lower taxes are key for the growth of our economy. Small business make America go round.

Environment/Climate: With the scientific consensus on Climate Change, oil and coal will die out as our primary source of energy anyway. We can provide the right incentives to speed the process up though, encourage our inventors and entrepreneurs to look into renewables and provide tax credits to companies who spearhead the process. Allow West Virginia to burn coal, and let Alaska frack, but let California build solar panels. We should aim to make Nuclear Energy our prime renewable energy source.

Natural Resources/Oil/Alt-energy: Basically what I said above.

Trade/NAFTA/tariffs: The freer the markets the freer the people. Free trade is the only forward, and we should aim to promote trade with the world! Soft Power 101 people!

Cryptocurrency: Who cares?

Immigration/Borderwalls/Deportations: Freedom is movement is a basic human right, support a policy of open borders and let all make the American dream for themselves! Border patrol can stay merely to make sure everything is in order.

Police reform: Decentralize police departments in smaller groups that all work together but each properly represent the neighborhoods they serve. Demilitarize the police, get rid of qualified immunity.

NATO/UN: The U.S. has a place in the world that we must flex whether you like it or not, remain active in NATO and actively push for it's expansion. Try to see if we can reform the UN into a more effective organization.

Israel/Palestine: Withdraw support from either side, flex our diplomatic process and aim to force both sides into beginning proper peace talks for once. The U.S. can mediate and oversee it all.

Russia/Ukraine: Putin is a despot who wants to fulfill his wet irredentist dreams, America shouldn't just sit there and do nothing. Continue our support for Ukraine's struggle full throttle.

China: Don't antagonize China with nonsense trade wars, and trade with them as normal. Instead we should work to better manufacturing here and cultivate trading relationships with the countries that surround China, we can isolate them that way.

Iran: I think the status-quo with Iran works at the moment, let's just watch them and contain them properly if they decide to be a bit too quirky.

Syria: Assad is cringe but not much we can do here.

Terrorism: Work with foreign nations to combat terror around the world, just no drone strikes or bs like that.

Foreign Aid: Cut most foreign aid, reinvest it in countries such our Latin American neighbors and the homefront.

Infrastructure: "Buh Isaiah, who will build the streets!"  I don't know, private enterprise... as it always has?

Military Spending: Cut by half and reinvest the rest into R&D in a shift to focus on getting the latest and greatest tech. Sell it to our allies and boom America is it's own arms dealer!

Domestic Spending: Most of the federal government would be abolished or trimmed down significantly in it's current state so we'd have much more money to spare overall. Philosophically I am a Minarchist, but I know that won't be happening anytime soon.

IRS/Fed Reserve/Taxation: Taxation is thief folks! IRS? Gone! Taxation should be dropped across the board! Get rid of the Federal Reserve and move towards free banking.

Other topics not included above: Get rid of the Patriot Act, NSA, and other excuses the federal government uses to infringe on civil liberties. Liberalize zoning laws dramatically so we can build build build.

[vcczar]

My 2024 Platform

I'm running as a Democrat

Abortion & Planned Parenthood: I'll leave most of this to the states, but I'll request federal legislation with all sorts of aid for women compelled to carry and raise a child against their will if that child is severely disabled, if the mother is impoverished, etc. I'd consider some sort of legal way to have Planned Parenthood planted on federal property, outside of state jurisdiction, such as in federal post offices and things like that. This would grants wider access for women who might put themselves in danger with coathanger abortions and things like that. Planned Parenthood also does a ton of other things unrelated to abortion. That's just where politicians focus their attention. 

Gay marriage and LGBT adoption: Ideally pass an amendment protecting the former. Pass a law that allows any US citizen with the funds to raise a child, and the mental and physical health to raise a child, and with a clear criminal record, etc. to adopt a child regardless of their gender, identity, race, religion, etc. 

Gender transition/identity: Pass legislation to make this legal, treated as a normalized surgery procedure (i.e. not subject to bigoted restrictions), and the identity protected from discrimination. The federal age for legal transition will be age 18, but states can allow the surgery much earlier if they wish. States can also determine if someone younger than 18 needs parental approval or not. 

Gun laws/regulations: Invest in research and the creation of military-grade non-lethal firearms that can incapacitate a criminal as if they were dead with the same or better accuracy of a standard firearm. If research shows that these guns can do what regular guns do without killing people, then we will start with cops using these weapons. It should eradicate accidental killings. If successful, begin selling these to the public and eventually replace lethal firearms. There will be exceptions for gun collectors and hunters, but these guns should help in reducing accidental killings, both domestically and in public. Increase funding for mental health for cops and increase pensions for cops who served with good behavior. I am most at a loss of how to deal with decreasing mass shootings and school shootings, and so I'll need to have a committee of psychologists, ideally also gun owners, to help find a solution. I'll even invite the NRA to come up with ways to help with this. 

First Amendment/Hate speech/social media censorship: Social Media companies have the right to censor what they want, but users should have the right to petition to overturn the censorship if they feel they were wrongly censored. Any speech that encourages violence or misinformation that could increase deaths should be censored. Hate speech is harder to censor because, one could say, "I hate politicians that use their religion just to win votes." is technically hate speech. It might be better to say, any "hate speech that leads to violence, active discrimination (harassment, discrimination, etc) , will be penalized." This should be framed so that this protection also protects religious conservatives, males, and white people, just to make it equal, and possibly to gain support for it. Otherwise, expand the First Amendment to protect book publications, hair styles, clothing, etc. 

Anti-racism/racism: Although I like the idea of individual reparations for the sin of slavery, I think it is impossible to provide in a sensical way. One would have to pay a lot of money to document proof of genetic descent from an American enslaved person. Not all American blacks have slaves as descendants. Also American blacks aren't the only ones descendents of slaves. You'll have white people with, say 5% black DNA that might be descended from a slave. We'd have to test every US citizen. Native Americans were also slaves. I'm okay with testing everyone, but the cost of testing everyone would cost more than giving out the reparations. I think what we can do is create legislation, based on research, that improves the lives, job opportunities, education, etcs in historically black areas. I've been to some of these neighborhoods, and just psychologically they give off the vibe of hopelessness. Some of this legislation could be as simple as monetary and tax incentives for families to keep the neighborhoods sparklingly clean. Healthier food options should be subsidized so that they can open businesses in these neighborhoods and keep their prices low enough to compete with unhealthier food options. Job creation centers and pre-college education centers should be placed in each of these areas. Community College will be free and anyone from these communities that score a B or higher in Community College will have their 4-year college paid for, so long as they maintain a B or higher.  College grads who return to live and work in their home community will get some sort of incentive for improving the neighborhood. See my 1st Amendment section for my opposition to racism and hate speech. American slavery and slaveholders, segregation, redlining, and other racist parts of our history will be required to be taught, so too should other dark moments in our history that are less related to race, such as eugenics, child labor, xenophobia, various ideological scares, treatment of poor Southern whites by their own states, etc. Pro-active anti-racism should be encouraged, but it should be framed in a way that it doesn't seem like an attack on people less subject to racism or it may be counterproductive.

Government mandates during epidemics/pandemics: Temporary mandates are perfectly fine during an epidemic or pandemic, especially until a vaccine and an understanding of the virus, etcs is known. There should be research into epidemic/pandemic proof suits, sort of like a Hazmat suit, so that business and work can carry on as normal during these kinds of epidemic. This will help stop the economy from falling too much. These should be sold in stores, and in the event of another epidemic/pandemic, they should be given out free by the government for any family requesting one. If they're proved to be effective, then there will probably be a suit mandate during pandemics until incidents and deaths drop below flu season levels.

Supreme Court/reform: 10-year term limit, but allow reappointment requiring 2/3 support for reappointment confirmation. Require 60% Senate support for regular confirmation, but if after three nomination blocks or more, the first to get at least 50% support will be automatically approved. An exception is that any justice that is promoted from a lower federal court only needs 50% approval. I am also supportive of laws requiring a justice to not be a member of any party for SC consideration. I would sign a bill expanding the court, but I won't advocate for one, unless it requires me to appoint an equal number of justices recommended by the opposing party for fairness. It should be easier to remove a justice who is unethical or immoral. It really makes sense that SC justice should probably come from the lower federal courts and not from outside of these, since they'll be dealing with high-level federal cases. States can differ so much and anyone out of the court system is going to be at a disadvantage too.  There should probably be a retirement age and a minimum age if there isn't a term limit.

Election reform/gerrymandering: The non-partisan US Census districts should be the model for US districts. Future US Census districts should be created in the same non-partisan methods. Usually these are historic districts. I'm also okay with laws that have AI generate competitive districts, but all districts, regardless, should be shaped in sensical ways, somewhat resembling a square or reasonable rectangle. I think there should be a retirement age for non-term limited offices. Candidates for federal office should expect absolute transparency of their lives -- mental health, physical health, criminal/felony records, education records, financial records, employment records, etc. None of this will bar them from office, but it will give voters information, hopefully discouraging them from voting for unfit or unethical people. All US Citizens should be automatically registered at age 18, but they aren't required to vote. Automatic registration will also occur when moving residences. Every US Census district will have voting booths for federal elections. All candidates for federal office are required to participate in a primary or general debate, so long as they have at least 5% in an average of national polls recognized as reliable by the chairs of the top two major parties. 3rd parties that poll 5% will be required to attend general election debates. I would sign any legislation that makes Election Day a federal holiday, makes it more user-friendly for registered voters to vote, and would abolish or otherwise help do away with or reform the outdated Electoral College. A building shouldn't restrict the number of US Reps. A US Rep should be able to represent and know their constituents personally. For this reason, allow remote voting, and increase the # of US Reps from 1 US Rep for every 25,000 citizens. Increase the number of Reps each census year. I would sign legislation also creating a ratio for US Senators. Top 10 states get 3 US Senators and bottom 10 states get 1 US Senator. The rest get 2. Wyoming has way too much power over California. You could fit 20 Wyomings in NYC and its suburbs. Wyoming shouldn't have that much influence. I'd encourage protocol so that the Speaker and Sen Maj Ldr require 60% support for election, so that the houses of Congress are led by the least partisan members, make it more likely that work will get done and Congressional leader-led shenanigans are minimal.  I'd support legislation requiring US Senators to have first been a member of the US House or a US State legislature, to ensure that the upper house is more experienced than the lower.  I'd support laws getting SuperPacs, Lobbies, and Corporations out of elections by prohibiting donors from non-individuals. 

Social Security/Welfare/Bailouts: During a major economic emergency, I'm in favor of bailing out everyone and everything that contributes to an economy. Welfare and Social Security should be stronger and more beneficial than ever for those that are unable to work or are unhireable, for whatever reason. Welfare for those mentally and physically able to work should probably have stricter requirements for welfare, especially if they live in an area with plenty of jobs. Couple any welfare restrictions or regulations with a higher minimum wage and better access to healthcare so that people don't need welfare. Social Security could better be saved by allowing the wealthy to opt out of payments, so that it goes to those that need it to survive. I'd create a committee to help resolve any future crisis on this. We can't get rid of it. I'm okay with maybe pausing some payments on someone who is still working at an advanced age. That might help trim it down, especially if we create more jobs for elderly people. Doing so would also be good for their minds. They might make new friends too. Old age can be lonely for some. Make it work that's respectful and gives a sense of purpose. 

Education/Student Loans: Education should be as close to free as possible, especially if a student is averaging a B or higher. I would think of a way to abolish student loans by increasing grants, scholarships, and free-education opportunities (esp. for those that can't afford to pay for college). All colleges should be free for at least a year or two. College would then stay free for those earning a B or higher. I would happily sign a bill abolishing student debt. No student expects to owe over $100,000 after 10+ years paying the debt and working full time. Over the Summer, I was teaching a course with two other professors--all three of us owe over $100,000. It's crippling. I have no other debt, and I have excellent credit. So it isn't mismanagement. It's a massive flaw in the education and labor-employer sectors. If I'm unable to abolish student debt, I'll incorporate a permanent freeze on payments, lower interest rates to 0%, forgiving repayment of debt from interest, etc. Anything so our most educated people can afford to have children. This is probably the most personal issue to me, and I'd put a lot of energy towards this, tacking on forgiveness into packages as a barter to pass something that the GOP really wants. Typically, I'd want packages to be give and take anyway. I don't like winner-takes-all politics.

Big Pharma/Drug prices: All drug prices should be tied to a person's income, whether from work, welfare, or social security. Import medication to lower costs, if necessary. 

Obamacare: Same as the above. Healthcare is tied to a person's income. Work towards single-payer system. Subsidize the creation of more clinics and hospitals to reduce wait times. 

Drug laws/War on Drugs/Marijuana: Legalize all drugs that don't generate violent behavior and tax them. More or less end the domestic War on Drugs and focus all that attention on cartels and imported illegal drugs. My hope is that the legalization of non-violent drugs will weaken cartels. Subsidize treatment centers and etc for highly addictive drugs that can be prone to overdosing, possibly selling such drugs at such treatment centers.

Lobbyists/corruption: As stated under election reform, take lobbyist money out of elections. Forbid former elected politicians from becoming lobbyists. Bar politicians from having foreign bank accounts or foreign business interests. Forbid politicians from owning stocks while in office. Require politicians to abstain from votes on laws that specifically aid or harm an industry where they have a family member or spouse in that industry. Audit every political candidate and every politician annually for unethical behavior. Support laws that makes politicians as independent from influences other than their individual voters as possible. There should be no politicians that are the pawns of big oil, labor unions, big city machine politics, big agriculture, big pharma, AIPAC, Big Religion, NRA, Environmentalists, etc. If they align with these groups that's fine, but they should be proven to be free from monetary or other influential pressure from these groups as much as can be done with any practicality. 

Minimum Wage/Unions/Labor: The minimum wage should be tied to inflation with the purchasing of somewhere between $15-25 an hour. Incentives for businesses to get to this range or higher on their own. Incentives to states that provide a higher minimum wage. I like Labor Unions, but I'm okay with states opposing them only if they seriously resolved the demands that these labor unions have for wage workers. I'd sign federal legislation to require 2 weeks paid vacation, maternal leave, bereavement, personal days, sick days, and the protection of getting fired for being legitimately injured or sick. I'd make it illegal to force a contagious person to work, infecting coworkers and customers, especially in food handling industries. Personally, I'd like to see an end to unpaid internships because these entry level positions tend to lock out people who aren't in college from entry-level positions, including people who have graduated college. Many good jobs require entry-level experience that can only be gained through unpaid internships, at least in major cities. I'd be okay with allowing an unpaid intern (paid w/ college credit) for every paid, non-student intern. 

Corporations/Business: Encourage corporations to allow employees on their board or otherwise more involved with the decision-making. A more invested employee is going to put more heart and work into the company. Encourage profit-sharing. See my labor section for more related things. Maintain regulations. Apply corporate/business tax to Mega Churches or any religious organization in which the top minister (or equivalent) is making $1 million or more in profit. I'll apply this to any Secular tax-free organization in which the head is making a huge profit. 

Environment/Climate: Require all future vehicles to be hybrids and work towards entirely ALT-Energy vehicles. Find a similar transition for industries that generate a lot of pollution. Use diplomatic and financial incentives/pressure for China, India, and other major polluters to do likewise. Whether or not one believes in climate change or not, we can all agree that breathing clean air is preferable. Encourage the creation of more green spaces in cities. Encourage public transportation. Clean up the oceans. Save the Amazon. 

Natural Resources/Oil/Alt-energy: See the above.

Trade/NAFTA/tariffs: Tariffs only slapped on nations that aren't abiding to our climate or humanitarian policies. I'm typically approving of trade agreements that help all nations involved. Any trade deal that harms an industry in the US will lead to legislation to deal with that issue -- paid, retraining in another, but somewhat closely-related industry of equivalent pay, most likely. 

Cryptocurrency: I'm okay with any digital currency that can be regulated, audited, and doesn't financially favor early investors into cryptocurrency more than it would late joiners. It shouldn't be like a digital gold rush. Ideally, we'd wait until such currency becomes less volatile. Say, wait until it can go 10 years without volatility more extreme than standard currency.

Immigration/Borderwalls/Deportations: I'm okay with stricter border protection and enforcement of deportations of violent criminals. Make it more user-friendly for immigrants to document themselves. Be more respectful towards prospective immigrants in rhetoric and actions--no family separation. No wall, but more border guards, drone security (non-lethal), encourage national guards to help in border control. No quotas or bans on specific people. All foreigners will be treated equally, except for violent criminals. Accelerated entry for college-educated immigrants and spouses of US citizens. Create a more proactive immigration committee to resolve ongoing issues ethically and respectfully.

Police reform: See my section on guns. 

NATO/UN: Status quo. 

Israel/Palestine: Multi-state solution. Palestine needs a homeland. I'm okay with West Bank and Gaza being split into two Palestinian states, if Israel would prefer that. Let Israel have all of Jerusalem. I'll continue to aid Israel so long as they work towards a two (or more state) solution with me. If they reach an agreement on this, I'll strengthen the Israeli-US alliance. I'll provide massive foreign aid, so they can build their existing settlements much taller, so they don't have to expand laterally. Basically, I'll do just about whatever I can to resolve this issue finally, and I'll protect Israel from any invasion. 

Russia/Ukraine: I'll continue to aid Ukraine but no escalation of US involvement unless it becomes a humanitarian crisis. I support Ukraine's desire to regain Crimea. Work toward NATO membership of Ukraine. Heavy sanctions on Russia until the war is over. 

China: Ignore them as much as possible by seeking trade deals with other nations so that most of our goods aren't coming from China until China ends its humanitarian crises and respects the quasi-autonomy of minority groups in their nation. Encourage the rest of SE Asia to trade elsewhere also. Basically, encourage a global embargo, but don't enforce it, since it would be unenforcable. I'm okay with using such a strategy to slowly democratize China as well. I'll also recognize Taiwan, when practical. 

Iran: Reinstate the Nuclear Deal. Give them incentives for leaving Israel alone. Encourage democracy, but nothing resembling a coup. 

Syria: Give them incentives for leaving Israel alone. Encourage democracy, but nothing resembling a coup. This is my policy for all of the Middle East. 

Terrorism: Give Saudi Arabia, owners and protectors of Mecca, the lead on combating worldwide fundamental terrorism. Give incentives for this and to do it well. This should diffuse the anti-western attitude in the Arab world somewhat since it will be the major Arab power taking the lead on this. 

Foreign Aid: The ratio of this is based on need and based on how ethical their government is. Exceptions will have to exist, unfortunately (see my terrorism section). I'd also like to test the prospect of foreign aid with North Korea to see if that will open them up. They'll have get a token amount 5% and if they check off all the boxes off our checklist, they'll get the rest. If North Korea fires any missiles at allies, I'm going to think of a way to inform North Koreans that they can have a better life outside the Kim regime. Many are illiterate, so any such "propaganda" would have to be audible. No boots on the ground. This is probably the only place I'd be okay with aiding in a coup, honestly. But only if the leader of the coup is a serious democratically-minded leader who is bent on reunification with South Korea. 

Infrastructure: Pass legislation requiring all highways and airports etc to go through routine updates much more than they currently are.

Military Spending: Retire outdated military equipment, weapons, and personnel. Upgrade and research future tech. Decrease spending in peacetime, and increase it whenever there is a realistic threat of war. War only in self-defense or humanitarian reasons. Give military aid (but not troops) to allies when defending themselves. 

Domestic Spending: Obviously this is increasing. It's unavoidable. 

IRS/Fed Reserve/Taxation: Increase taxes on any individual and businesses that gross over 1 million in profit. Bigger increase for billionaires. No increase on 98% of US citizens. More tax incentives, but close loopholes. More vigorous audit of the IRS and Fed Reserve. 

Other topics not included above: I've said too much already. I could keep going on. 

Lastly, I'm not inflexible. I'm willing to compromise to work towards these goals if I can't have them outright. I want to incentivize support by giving Republicans some of the things that they want. I don't believe in winner-takes-all. I can also be talked out of parts of this if a reasonable alternative is suggested. 

[Fbarbarossa]

First, what major party would you run under in the primaries? Whig

Secondly, Give us your platform using the following topics:

 

Abortion & Planned Parenthood: Abortions for some, miniature American flags for others.

 

Gay marriage and LGBT adoption: Don't go making trouble for unorthodox couples who want to adopt babies. Because you know what? They ain't getting the good babies anyway.

 

Gender transition/identity: Male or female I don't care. They have organs and I'm going to sell them

 

Gun laws/regulations: Guns aren't toys. They're for family protection, hunting dangerous or delicious animals, and keeping the king of England out of your face.

 

First Amendment/Hate speech/social media censorship: [Censored]

 

Anti-racism/racism: I really hate those knife-ears

 

Government mandates during epidemics/pandemics: I think during a pandemic we should be in lockdown, not on man dates or any kind of date for that matter

 

Supreme Court/reform: I would nationalise the Supreme court, the courts being owned by Supreme is a disgrace

 

Election reform/gerrymandering: Make all states WTA so whichever party wins the PV of a state wins all of its house seats

 

Social Security/Welfare/Bailouts: The poor should bareknuckle box and the winner receives welfare

 

Education/Student Loans: All students should be paid $10,000 a month

 

Big Pharma/Drug prices: Institute a UBC act - Universal Basic Cocaine

 

Obamacare: Add a provision that discriminates gingers from the progam

 

Drug laws/War on Drugs/Marijuana: Deploy the marines to finally end this war

 

Lobbyists/corruption: So long as they're lobbying me with cash

 

Minimum Wage/Unions/Labor: Minimum wage, maximum fun

 

Corporations/Business: Enact new legislation to force all businesses to have at least 5% of their workforce be chimps

 

Environment/Climate: Start a new think tank to tackle climate change. Appoint only Muppets to this think tank

 

Natural Resources/Oil/Alt-energy: Perhaps caffine could be utilised to provide energy to the grid as well as people?

 

Trade/NAFTA/tariffs: I'll trade you half of my sandwich for your cupcake

 

Cryptocurrency: I will laugh when cryptocurrency crashes and the cryptobros go into shambles. This answer is real

 

Immigration/Borderwalls/Deportations: Deport every seventeenth person

 

Police reform: Abolish the police and let our superhumans pull more of the weight

 

NATO/UN: Maybe we should let Russia join NATO? 

 

Israel/Palestine: Reform the Crusader states

 

Russia/Ukraine: <-- This is what I will do, insert a / to separate Russia and Ukraine

 

China: Bing chilling!!!

 

Iran: Just send in Chuck Norris

 

Syria: Hmmmm

 

Terrorism: I grew up in a little town, which ironically, was called Terrorism

 

Foreign Aid: The US is essentially providing no foreign aid. Whatever aid it gives is offset by its export of the Kardashians

 

Infrastructure: Ultrastructure

 

Military Spending: One dollah!!!

 

Domestic Spending: One domestic spending for every sick skateboard trick that the state governor can perform

 

IRS/Fed Reserve/Taxation: I'm crazy enough to take on Batman, but the IRS? Nooo, thank you!

[vcczar]

I'll have us vote for each "candidate" above at some point. I just need to organize the info in a way that's more user-friendly for a vote. 

[ConservativeElector2]

Republican!

Abortion & Planned Parenthood:
Defund PP
Ban on abortions with some exceptions like when the mother's life is in danger, rape or incest.

Gay marriage and LGBT adoption:
Overturn Obergefell v. Hodges and return marriage to the states. 
Consider honoring Bush's legacy and bring back a Federal Marriage Amendment (not a priority tho)
Let the states also decide on adoption unless an amendment would prohibit it (I am not sure if I supported such an amendment. It's better to give children to those who are truly caring. If that's a same-sex couple, it's better than some child caring facility with no love and care at all I guess)

Gender transition/identity:
No medical or surgical transitions below the age of consent.

Gun laws/regulations:
The 2nd amendment says everything on that and needs to be protected at all costs.

First Amendment/Hate speech/social media censorship:
The 1st amendment protects even hate speech. However, open the debate of passing an amendment to ban flag burnings and Communist/National socialist symbols and material. E.g. make denying the Holocaust illegal by an amendment.
Ban Tiktok because of Chinese influence. 

Anti-racism/racism:
America is not a racist country! Make it clear that the Democratic Party has become the party of hatred and division with their focus on so-called social justice.
Get CSA monuments, flags and named institutions back installed, because we don't give in to mob rule (although the Southern cause is in fact treachery from a Union standpoint, I am inclined to value history more than evil mob rule. Most of these 'activists' give a damn about social justice, they just hate America!)

Government mandates during epidemics/pandemics:
The government is allowed to make recommendations but has no right to issue any mandates.

Supreme Court/reform:
No reform needed. Appoint conservative justices.

Election reform/gerrymandering:
Push for strong Voter ID laws. Addressing gerrymandering is up to the states.

Social Security/Welfare/Bailouts:
Pass more checks so these programs are really for those in need and cannot be exploited.

Education/Student Loans:
Get left-wing concepts out of the curriculums. Push for patriotic education and make students feel proud to be American again.
No infringement on teaching creationism.
No change on student loans.

Big Pharma/Drug prices:
Work out a strategy to lower drug prices. I am supportive of prices being tied to a person's income. That's also pro-Business if otherwise people can't buy medication anyway.

Obamacare:
Private insurance for those who can afford it, the rest needs to be addressed by the states.

Drug laws/War on Drugs/Marijuana:
Use the Military against cartels.
Outlaw each and every drug also marijuana. Increase penalties.

Lobbyists/corruption:
Get rid of DC corruption. Increase penalties for corruption.

Minimum Wage/Unions/Labor:
No minimum wages.
Weaken unions

Corporations/Business:
pro-Business, lower taxes

Environment/Climate:
Make it clear that climate activists are greatly exaggerating things by saying doomsday is ahead because of our climate.
Get climate education out of schools.
Leave the Paris accord.

Natural Resources/Oil/Alt-energy:
Use whatever we have. Pro-nuclear energy, drilling and fossil fuels.

Trade/NAFTA/tariffs:
Punish nations hostile to the US. Make sure we profit from NAFTA otherwise get the hell out of it.

Cryptocurrency:
Not a matter of concern. Make sure paper money remains, if necessary protect paper money via an amendment.

Immigration/Borderwalls/Deportations:
Merit based integration system.
Deport all criminal immigrants.
Crack down on illegal immigration. Deport all illegal aliens who don't contribute to the US.

Police reform:
Massively fund police depts. No reform towards downscaling the police or it's abilities. 
Double the effort combating crime and push for mandatory death penalty for the most violent crimes like murder and rape. Thus overturn Louisiana v. Kennedy and Roper v. Simmons.
Allow police forces to use military grade equipment if necessary.

NATO/UN:
Make sure the US leads both organizations or get the hell out of it. 
Make sure other countries pay their share or retaliate against them.
Massively scale down foreign aid, especially to hostile nations. Our money for our people!
Consider making NATO global so Japan, South Korea, Australia and the likes could join.
Leave the WHO.
Never surrender to the International Court of Justice.

Israel/Palestine:
100% pro-Israel (If Palestinians were peaceful, we had no problem with them tho.)

Russia/Ukraine:
Putin's our enemy and we should consider all options including preemptive nuclear strikes!
Make it clear that Zelensky is also bad for Ukraine's democracy.
Work covertly to overthrow Zelensky and install a pro-US government (probably after the war).

China:
China is our enemy, consider all options including preemptive nuclear strikes.

Iran:
Another enemy! Consider all options including preemptive nuclear strikes especially against nuclear facilities.

Syria:
Assad is our enemy. Consider taking him out in a coup and installing a pro-US gov. The situation there is probably helpless and not worth the effort tho.

Terrorism:
Continue the War on Terror including drone strikes etc. Push for mandatory death penalty for terrorists and their supporters.
Carpet-bomb ISIS strongholds.

Foreign Aid:
"Foreign Aid" equals global corruption, so dictators can stay in power. Cut foreign aid massively, especially to hostile nations. Push for making foreign aid internationally illegal to combat Chinese and Russian influence..

Infrastructure:
States should handle this.

Military Spending:
Increase it massively.
The US military needs to be ready to fight a full-scale multi-front war if necessary.  If needed bring back the draft.

Domestic Spending:
Decrease it. States should handle this.

IRS/Fed Reserve/Taxation:
Lower taxes, decrease the IRS and Fed powers. Open the debate about the Gold Standard.

Other topics not included above:
Bring back John B. Anderson's constitutional amendment to recognize the law and authority of Jesus Christ over the US to honor the Judeo-Christian heritage of the US (not a priority tho)

[vcczar]

I'd like to see more people do this @MrPotatoTed @Dobs @jvikings1 @Bushwa777 @OrangeP47 and any of the other regulars. 

[OrangeP47]

5 minutes ago, vcczar said:

I'd like to see more people do this @MrPotatoTed @Dobs @jvikings1 @Bushwa777 @OrangeP47 and any of the other regulars. 

I'll do it in a few minutes, but I'm just gonna preface it you may be in for a wild ride.

[Bushwa777]

13 minutes ago, vcczar said:

I'd like to see more people do this @MrPotatoTed @Dobs @jvikings1 @Bushwa777 @OrangeP47 and any of the other regulars. 

Im not sure you really want my thoughts as i am a minority in this forum being Republican and don't wish to argue or be mocked for my beliefs 

[MrPotatoTed]

16 minutes ago, vcczar said:

I'd like to see more people do this @MrPotatoTed @Dobs @jvikings1 @Bushwa777 @OrangeP47 and any of the other regulars. 

I appreciate the invite! But I got sole custody of my daughter in the divorce, plus I’m acting in three shows (just booked a fourth!), career, maintaining the house…life is busy these days!

[vcczar]

Just now, Bushwa777 said:

Im not sure you really want my thoughts as i am a minority in this forum being Republican and don't wish to argue or be mocked for my beliefs 

You won't be. You have Republicans that have already responded. At worst, someone might debate you, but it isn't going to be mocking. The conservative minority in this forum isn't really that small of a minority. I'd wage, out of the regulars, it's like 60/40, but I wouldn't be shocked it is actually 50/50. 

Let me tag @Willthescout7 @matthewyoung123 @ShortKing to see if I can get them to take this poll. 

[vcczar]

2 minutes ago, MrPotatoTed said:

I appreciate the invite! But I got sole custody of my daughter in the divorce, plus I’m acting in three shows (just booked a fourth!), career, maintaining the house…life is busy these days!

Wow!

[OrangeP47]

On 9/19/2023 at 11:31 AM, vcczar said:

If you were running for president in the primary of your preferred major party, what would be your platform in the following areas?

 

First, what major party would you run under in the primaries?

Democratic

Secondly, Give us your platform using the following topics:

 

Abortion & Planned Parenthood:

Abortion is a medical procedure the state does not have a right to interfere with, which is functionally the same as must be protected.  To elaborate further, steps must be taken to restore the old standards under Roe, which were fine.

 

Gay marriage and LGBT adoption:

I can't even fathom being opposed to either of these, but again, to elaborate, we should transition as a society to marriage being a government function for tax benefits to encourage a stable social structure.  Sex, gender, etc, has no standing on whether or not someone can successfully participate in this structure.  I went to a Bernie rally in 2015.  To paraphrase, He said Republicans like to go on and on about family values.  Well guess what buttercup, we have family values too, BETTER family values, because we don't discriminate within our own families and shun people.

Gender transition/identity:

Goes along with the above.  Just to bloviate on legal principles, permission and protection are the higher law that overwrites discrimination, and the equal protection clause and full faith and credit means that as long as one state allows it, the federal government must insist the other states honor that protection.

Gun laws/regulations:

I'm actually fairly permissive when it comes to gun control.  However, present circumstances make it clear the status quo isn't working.  I'm in favor of "getting creative", though not necessarily in the ways people have already tried.  Ammo regulation, for example.  I feel a lot of the things like bump stock bans, etc etc are just rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.

First Amendment/Hate speech/social media censorship:

I guess, to be fair, the somewhat annoying question that gets asked a lot really is on the nose "What is speech?".  It's where speech crosses the line into action that we have to find, and tbh some people are over that line.  Furthermore, if you were committing *another* crime, and you happened to make your intent clear, that can be tacked on.  That's not speech, that's evidence against you in another crime.  Maybe instead of slinging slurs and you assault someone next time yell "I plead the 5th!  I plead the 5th!".

Anti-racism/racism:

Not sure on what the question is.  I mean overall I'm very pro-diversity, I can say that, but specifics on racism?  TBH specifics are probably best left up to the specifics of any given incident or local communities.

Government mandates during epidemics/pandemics:

I'm in favor of disease control measures.  An ounce of prevention stops a pound of cure, or something like that.  I'm all for naming and shaming the people who would get us into the pound of cure stage, if it got to that. 

Supreme Court/reform:

TBH we're overdue for expanding the supreme court even without the present shenanigans, maybe one justice for each circuit, etc.  In general though I think SCOTUS needs reminded that what Congress givith Congress can taketh away, though that's more on Congress than me as President.

Election reform/gerrymandering:

There's definitely room for a national anti-gerrymandering statute, at least for federal elections.  For federal elections it almost has to come from the top, least lop-sided adoption actually makes the problem worse.  State level is more tricky, and for state elections I do have to conceed there has to be some degree of hands off, but at the same time I'm thinking we're on the verge of needing some sort of democracy requirements for states.  I have not fleshed that out yet.

Social Security/Welfare/Bailouts:

UBI.  Direct cash payments, from a benefit effectiveness standpoint, have some of the highest rating, and also have some of the lowest admin overhead, and could lead to conslidation.  Win/Win, probably some more wins.

Education/Student Loans:

Government holds the loans, government can forgive the loans.  Very simple fact.  Would be great for people, would be great economic stimulus.  As a die hard Keynesian, it would be heresy to not forgive the loans.  Think of the GDP growth.

Big Pharma/Drug prices:

Obamacare:

Combining these two.  I have a lot of experience in my professional life in this field.  I think the way forward here is single-payer, but nationalized health-insurance.  In some sectors and niches this is how it already operations, and presuming you live in a state that actually cares, it actually works really damn well.  It's not privatization.  The government is still on top making sure corners aren't cut and mandates are followed, but the private admin structure is still there taking the burden off and you get choice on your ancillary products.  That great coverage everyone wants already exists... the problem is, as consumers, we just buy the cheapest option.  Just have the government buy the most expensive option for everyone and control the cost.

Drug laws/War on Drugs/Marijuana:

Legalize everything.  Legalize gambling.  Legalize prostitution.

Lobbyists/corruption:

Lobbying is a protected activity because of the 1st amendment's right to petition the government.  Every time you call your senator, you're lobbying.  You just aren't paid by someone else to sit around in DC all day and yell at the senator, you gotta do it on your own time.  Anti-lobbying efforts, if overzealous, will infringe upon the average citizen's ability to make their voice heard.  What we need, rather, is publicly funded election campaigns so everyone has the same funds for the same tier of election.

Minimum Wage/Unions/Labor:

If UBI is put in place, we could get rid of Minimum wage.  However, without that, it does need to be higher.  Every worker should have a union, even those some people disagree with such as police, etc.

Corporations/Business:

Need more specifics on the question.  I mean, in general, corporations need taxed more, yes?  Need a specific question to give any more specific insight.

Environment/Climate:

Natural Resources/Oil/Alt-energy:

I fully acknowledge climate change, however, unlike many, I think technology is going to get us through it and there's no need to be doom and gloom.  You can expect the problem to fixed in 10 seconds, it takes years.  That said, at every opportunity, more funding for clean tech and less funding for fossil fuels to assist in the process.

Trade/NAFTA/tariffs:

Free trade is a double edged sword, I'm generally case by case basis on it.

Cryptocurrency:

It's stupid, but if people want to mess around with it, okay.  We're not going to let you hide assets or whatever with it though.

Immigration/Borderwalls/Deportations:

Anyone who wants to be American should be American.

Police reform:

We need to get all this military equipment out of the hands of the police, it's like a solution looking for a problem.  It's not the exact same situation, but there's a really good BSG quote that fits here.  Commander William Adama : There's a reason you separate military and the police. One fights the enemies of the state, the other serves and protects the people. When the military becomes both, then the enemies of the state tend to become the people.

NATO/UN:

International organizations are a good thing, though these two are different in scope.  Not much to say about NATO, other than it's good, but the UN is vital even if people are frustrated it doesn't do much.  There mere fact that there is a forum for nations to air their grievances without violence is a massive human achievement that should be celebrated.  Indeed, giving that organization strength to enforce it's own will, would, in some ways, cheapen that accomplishment of the unity of all nations.

Israel/Palestine:

It's time for a two state solution.  Israel is here to stay, but cannot infringe upon the Palestinians.

Russia/Ukraine:

If you wrote a cartoon villain like Russia people would call it unrealistic.

China:

China can be worked with on the international stage, but we must make sure not to take too soft a line on them.  They are willing to work within the international system, but only if others hold them to it, and that is a responsibility we must not neglect.

Iran:

In general, I am fine with Iran, except for the anti-women stuff that has especially flared up recently.

Syria:

I haven't kept up with the recent specifics much.  I will roll most of this response into the next line item.

Terrorism:

By and large I don't think intervention for intervention sake is good, and nothing specifically gives the US the right to go into another country and interfere.  That said, when human rights are on the line, or a democratic government is at risk, there is sort of a moral imperative to assist.

Foreign Aid:

The haves should assist the have nots, it's a moral imperative.  I don't feel as if any argument to "help our own people first" negates the imperative to help others in the world either, there are always circumstances that make it viable, and it's not as if we're only doing one.

Infrastructure:

I watch videos about cool infrastructure all the time and have a favorite interstate I probably need help.  Of course I want more funding for it, and even non-transportation forms of infrastructure.

Military Spending:

We spend an absurd amount on the military, probably too much.  That said, I wouldn't necessarily decrease it, just not increase it.

Domestic Spending:

Keynesiam baby!  More spending = more GDP.  Let that cash flow.

IRS/Fed Reserve/Taxation:

Taxes are at a historic low which isn't great.  I keep repeating this, but more and more spending creates a positive feedback loop and that's what we want.

Other topics not included above:

Platform within the quote.

[Bushwa777]

57 minutes ago, vcczar said:

You won't be. You have Republicans that have already responded. At worst, someone might debate you, but it isn't going to be mocking. The conservative minority in this forum isn't really that small of a minority. I'd wage, out of the regulars, it's like 60/40, but I wouldn't be shocked it is actually 50/50. 

Let me tag @Willthescout7 @matthewyoung123 @ShortKing to see if I can get them to take this poll. 

Will do this after church 

[ShortKing]

If you were running for president in the primary of your preferred major party, what would be your platform in the following areas?

 

First, what major party would you run under in the primaries? Republican

Secondly, Give us your platform using the following topics:

 

Abortion & Planned Parenthood: Defer to states, strengthen Hyde Amendment, redirect national funding currently allocated for Planned Parenthood to community health centers

 

Gay marriage and LGBT adoption: Gay marriage is fine, streamline the adoption process generally to make it easier and ideally more affordable, including for same sex couples

 

Gender transition/identity: Not for minors, for adults defer to the states

 

Gun laws/regulations: defer to the states, but vocally support red flag laws

 

First Amendment/Hate speech/social media censorship: status quo

 

Anti-racism/racism: Policy changes I doubt can do much on this, I do view this as a mostly cultural issue that the bully pulpit could be useful for

 

Government mandates during epidemics/pandemics: Not philosophically opposed to mandates, but would emphasize proper due diligence beforehand on making sure they would have a measurable and significant mitigating effect and make clear that the federal government, and ideally state governments, will not impose mandates they do not intend to enforce

 

Supreme Court/reform: Status quo, appointees would be mostly in the FedSoc mold, ideally similar in jurisprudence to Amy Coney Barrett

 

Election reform/gerrymandering: Defer to the states, but vocally support fair maps or at least maps that prioritize competitiveness

 

Social Security/Welfare/Bailouts: Cut spending now to keep manageable, current levels do not seem sustainable (ideally, shift most of this spending to UBI, but seems less than feasible in the current climate)

 

Education/Student Loans: I could be persuaded to make them dischargeable via claiming bankruptcy like certain other forms of debt, but that's about it

 

Big Pharma/Drug prices: Let the government negotiate drug prices, implement reform at the FDA to address the sclerotic pace at which they approve medications and treatments that are widely used in other countries

 

Obamacare: Would not have voted for its passage, but to repeal it now would be to pull the rug out from many people. Could honestly be open to a public option

 

Drug laws/War on Drugs/Marijuana: Legalize recreational marijuana federally, as for hard drugs, defer to the states as laboratories of democracy, such as how Oregon has decriminalized a number of hard drugs

 

Lobbyists/corruption: Fully repeal McCain-Feingold, force members of Congress and their spouses to put their investment portfolios in a blind trust. 

 

Minimum Wage/Unions/Labor: index minimum wage to inflation, crack down on public sector unions

 

Corporations/Business: Corporations are people, my friend

 

Environment/Climate: invest heavily in nuclear energy and advancements in other forms of clean energy, not opposed to other policy changes to combat climate change, but I would be wary of the tradeoffs associated with them in regards to energy output or economic performance

 

Natural Resources/Oil/Alt-energy: Increase domestic energy output across the board

 

Trade/NAFTA/tariffs: eliminate most tariffs, if possible pursue a TPP-style trade deal in the pacific, encourage and foster free trade whenever the opportunity arises

 

Cryptocurrency: Don't really think action on this is necessary, everyone getting involved with it is gonna get what they should have expected

 

Immigration/Borderwalls/Deportations: offer a path to citizenship to DACA/TPS holders as well as undocumented immigrants residing in the US without a criminal record, invest in securing the Southern border, deport criminal aliens

 

Police reform: End qualified immunity, roll back civil asset forfeiture, crack down on police unions

 

NATO/UN: Remain an active member, but especially insofar as the UN is concerned, remember that they've rendered themselves basically useless in most instances due to the nation-states they try to include and platform

 

Israel/Palestine: status quo, call out Israel for human rights violations but remain committed to them as our strongest ally in the middle east and keep the funding high. 

 

Russia/Ukraine: Unmitigated support for Ukraine throughout and after the war. 

 

China: Continue building upon alliances with nations in the pacific region and lay the groundwork for a coalition to respond to any Chinese aggression that crosses a line against the West or against Taiwan

 

Iran: Raisi is a menace and a threat and Iran is rapidly approaching the nuclear threshold, no option can be taken off the table at this time

 

Syria: Assad is a human rights violator, we must do what we can to support the protestors and the Kurds

 

Terrorism: The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing, we can not sit idly by while great evils are being perpetrated against innocents, though what specifically the response should be will be informed by the relevant context and specifics. 

 

Foreign Aid: a worthwhile and important investment, as well as a useful tool for countering Chinese influence

 

Infrastructure: The BIF was good, would like to see how things look once these funds have been disbursed to see what specifically should be targeted in the next package, but I would like to see more cities be designed for walkability. 

 

Military Spending: Would be supportive of an audit to identify waste, fraud, and abuse, but generally supportive of defense spending, esp regarding the precarious state of geopolitics

 

Domestic Spending: same as above, though I imagine there's more fat to cut here

 

IRS/Fed Reserve/Taxation: Michael Dukakis' REAP program was a great success in Massachusetts, would like to see something along those lines at the federal level. 

Edited September 26, 2023 by ShortKing