Enough with the lesser evil talk: if you get to pick

[SWPIGWANG]

For some reason the majority of the US forum going population seems to dislike both candiates.

If you get to choose an ideal candiate, what will be his (or her) policy goals, personality traits and whatever fancies you? Be realistic though.

[kojikun]

Ideally, I'd like a libertarian candidate who's also practically inclined and wants to test things first to make sure it all works before anything drastic is done.

[Stormbringer]

If you get to choose an ideal candiate, what will be his (or her) policy goals, personality traits and whatever fancies you? Be realistic though.

Fiscal conservative (ie keep it under budget and to the consitutional duties only), a moderate but firm foreign policy, and a fairly liberal social agenda.

I wouldn't mind seeing some one like former Governor Engler run or John McCain. Basically I can live with some differences as long as the guy has intergrity, try to do the right thing, and will follow through on what they promise. I don't see either of the candidates in this election doing that.

Hence I'm most likely going to being voting Libertarian.

[kojikun]

Hey, something me and Stormbringer agree on.. Let the partying begin!

[Howedar]

Make it three. Holy shit.

[Master of Ossus]

He's got to be fiscally conservative, with a conservative and firm foreign policy. He ought to have a reasonably liberal social agenda (I disagree with certain things like legalizing previously illegal drugs and such), and someone who's willing to take a stand and tell foreign leaders and special interest groups to fuck themselves if their agendas are ridiculous.

[kojikun]

I'm thinking that SDN is a Libertarian stronghold..

[Alyrium Denryle]

Fiscal: Federal Government deals with its constitutional duties only, runs under budget with any surplus either going back to the tax payers, or paying off the national debt(which would lower the needed revenue the next year.

Cut FICA out competely, keep a few forms of welfare, for no other reason than to make sure people arent starving in the streets. However, make it not enough to live on for long periods. Enough to pay the rent, put food on the table, and pay the electric, heating, and water bills. No more of this bullshit of people on welfare having cable, 2 cars and a jetski.

Increase military funding, and federal law enforcement funding(but still keep taxes low) and a modest increase in funding for the sciences(The vast majority of the ground-work for most of our technlogies was done when people were given grants by a government to do curiosity based research. History>political ideology

Social: The federal government exist almost soley to protect your life liberty and property. Civil rights are to be protected at the national level. WIth the national government trumping the states on matters directly mentioned in the constitution or Bill of Rights, the Bill of Rights WILL NOT BE INFRINGED.

1st emendment issues: Anyone can say what they want, when they want, where they want(so long as they are not trespassing) the government shall have no control over the press, the government shall remain completely secular.

Gun Control means being able to hit your target

Law enforcement must have a WARRANT to so much as set foot inside your home or search through your belongings. They must demonstrate to a judge who has jurisdiction, that they ahve probable cause. No sneak and peak, no phone tap NOTHING without a warrant. And they must list the manner of things they will search for on said warrant.

ALL prsons within the united states will be given a fair trial by a jury of their peers, and shall be charged with a crime within 2 days of their arrest. Foreign nationals incuded. No more secret courts. No more indefinent imprisonment without being charged.

No physical torture. However, prisons are not happy places...

States have the right to decide on things not in the national constitution. Drinking age, dribing laws etc etc

Foreign Free trade, non-aggression policy. You dont mess with us, we dont mess with you. You mess with us, and we kick your ass and bomb you back to the stone age. That means our allies as well, as well as Tiawan, whom we will recognize as the true government of China.

Personality: I want a cynical bastard, who WILL call the other canditates communists. Who will make comments that make the people laugh, and generally be brutally honest.

[Coyote]

I agree with much already said... fiscal conservative, socially liberal, moderate foreign policy. Definitely not someone beholden to any sort of religious organization. Undo bullshit Clinton era gun laws.

Someone with the guts (And a good plan) to reform education. Specifically to see to it that poor rural and inner-city schools get something comperable to what the lily-white suburb schools get.

Also, prison reform is needed badly. People busted for drug possession who have done no violent crime should be housed seperately and with an emphasis on rehab. Some foreign policy efforts would have to be made to encourage growers in other countries to find more legit crops.

There is a desperate need to cap malpractice awards and fees and the claims that go with them. That, more than anything, drives up the costs of medical practice. And some sort of oversight commitee needs to see how much prescription meds are being sold for and what constitutes fair balance of price/profit/availability.

Tax breaks for people who buy fuel-efficient cars, and federal matching funds for communities developing efficient mass-transit. This sort of thing should be viewed as a strategic imperative, weaning us off of foreign (And unstable) energy sources.

An aggressive and focused space policy. Pick a goal and devote towards it. A moon base that is permanent may be better than a Mars landing which is here-today-gone-tomorrow and ends up being a shelved accomplishment rather like Apollo is today.

Military spending needs to re-focus on basics. Uniforms, weapons, personal equipment, vehicles and other 'less-than-sexy' things. Base housing. R&D on crazy, big ticket items that fill Representatives' pork barrels needs to be reigned in.

Global trade and protectionist practices are a hard balancing act. It would be foolish to end US farm subsidies if, say, the EU continues them. At the same time, it would be foolish for the US and EU and other 1st world nations to drop all subsidies and accept food of dubious quality and grown under dubious health and environmental conditions from poor farmers in the Third World. Someone willing to take global action and make a concerted effort with others is needed that can face this.

Same with globally produced manufactured goods. It is unfair for people to be worked 16 hours a day for $5.00 a day at a company that dumps its waste in the nearest lake or river-- and it is worse when these cheaply-manufactured goods are used to flood another market. Again, global standards have to be agreed upon and met, and enforced.

So in other words, we need someone who plays well with others.

[Xon]

Fiscal conservative (ie keep it under budget and to the consitutional duties only), a moderate but firm foreign policy, and a fairly liberal social agenda.

Hey that sounds almost like what John Howard's major policies are.

There a few issues which still need hammering into shape, like a better foreign policy(Not being a Yes man to the USA...) and several domestic social issues.

As for limiting the Federal Government to consitutional duties, that works differently over here due to how our consitution is setup.

[HemlockGrey]

That means our allies as well, as well as Tiawan, whom we will recognize as the true government of China.

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

That's funny, no, really, that's hilarious. Severe relations with the government that is actually in control of the Chinese mainland, convince the four or five Chinese student-graduates that think the USA is not a threat that we really are coming to get them, fuck over our trade relations and virtually ensure some sort of nasty war in the future, all so we can back a dark horse that is never going to rule more than Taiwan itself.

Brilliant plan.

[Gil Hamilton]

I'd like to see a John McCain presidency with Arlen Spectre as his VP. It would piss the hell out of the far right (since they'd consider it the RINO ticket) and left equally, but it would have huge middle appeal and get the job done.

That or Bill Clinton's DNA reconsistuted in the body of a gorilla.

[Joe]

Boxy Brown from Aqua Teen Hunger Force.

[Alyrium Denryle]

That means our allies as well, as well as Tiawan, whom we will recognize as the true government of China.

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

That's funny, no, really, that's hilarious. Severe relations with the government that is actually in control of the Chinese mainland, convince the four or five Chinese student-graduates that think the USA is not a threat that we really are coming to get them, fuck over our trade relations and virtually ensure some sort of nasty war in the future, all so we can back a dark horse that is never going to rule more than Taiwan itself.

Brilliant plan.

Dude, we are obligated by treatyy to defend Tiawan if it seeks independance. We may as well come out and support tiawanese freedom from communist rule officially. Fucking hell, we invade Iraq and use its human rights record as an excuse, but we leave china alone when its record is WORSE. I dont think so.

[Guardsman Bass]

That means our allies as well, as well as Tiawan, whom we will recognize as the true government of China.

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

That's funny, no, really, that's hilarious. Severe relations with the government that is actually in control of the Chinese mainland, convince the four or five Chinese student-graduates that think the USA is not a threat that we really are coming to get them, fuck over our trade relations and virtually ensure some sort of nasty war in the future, all so we can back a dark horse that is never going to rule more than Taiwan itself.

Brilliant plan.

Dude, we are obligated by treatyy to defend Tiawan if it seeks independance. We may as well come out and support tiawanese freedom from communist rule officially. Fucking hell, we invade Iraq and use its human rights record as an excuse, but we leave china alone when its record is WORSE. I dont think so.

If you want to support Taiwanese freedom, why not just push for a sovereign Taiwan?

[Alyrium Denryle]

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

That's funny, no, really, that's hilarious. Severe relations with the government that is actually in control of the Chinese mainland, convince the four or five Chinese student-graduates that think the USA is not a threat that we really are coming to get them, fuck over our trade relations and virtually ensure some sort of nasty war in the future, all so we can back a dark horse that is never going to rule more than Taiwan itself.

Brilliant plan.

Dude, we are obligated by treatyy to defend Tiawan if it seeks independance. We may as well come out and support tiawanese freedom from communist rule officially. Fucking hell, we invade Iraq and use its human rights record as an excuse, but we leave china alone when its record is WORSE. I dont think so.

If you want to support Taiwanese freedom, why not just push for a sovereign Taiwan?

Hey, either way works, either way we will piss off mainland china.

[Darth Raptor]

Disturbingly, my whole political outlook is so geared towards what I don't like I have no idea what an ideal candidate would be for me.

[Andrew J.]

My ideal candidate would give me large quantities of money for no justifiable reason.

[Gil Hamilton]

Dude, we are obligated by treatyy to defend Tiawan if it seeks independance. We may as well come out and support tiawanese freedom from communist rule officially. Fucking hell, we invade Iraq and use its human rights record as an excuse, but we leave china alone when its record is WORSE. I dont think so.

The huge difference between Iraq and China is that China can, you know, fight back. You know how much pussyfooting was done with North Korea on the rumor they had a nuclear weapon. We know that China has nuclear weapons and the ability to deliver them to the US west coast... we aren't going to take a huge hard line against them unless we absolutely have to. All this aside from our economic investments in China.

[admiral_danielsben]

For some reason the majority of the US forum going population seems to dislike both candiates.

If you get to choose an ideal candiate, what will be his (or her) policy goals, personality traits and whatever fancies you? Be realistic though.

Politically:

I want a candidate who is a fiscal conservative. I favor a flat income tax in the 15-20% range for middle and upper income earners, with few or no exceptions (that applies both to residential and corporate taxes). A national sales tax or VAT might work instead (not in addition to) an income tax, although i'd have to be convinced.

The ideal candiedate would support free-trade with democratic and capitalist nations - if other nations are willing to let the market work (and aren't abusing workers overmuch), so should the US. I do NOT support trade with communist states such as China; i am rather mixed on trade with Saudi Arabia, it is at present needed but undesirable.

I favor a candidate who is willing to get us off our dependence on foreign oil in more than one way. Drilling in Alaska and supporting hybrid and fuel-cell techonology are not mutually exclusive.

I favor a candidate who is strong on foreign policy, who is willing to take risks - although not too many or too much. Bush is just about right here, maybe the candidate should be a little more considerate of other nations, but this is one area i usually agree with him on.

I favor a candidate who favors overturning Roe v. Wade and letting the states decide the issue - as infanticide is generally speaking a state crime, and not a federal one.

I favor a candidate who supports equal rights - not special rights. That means any form of segregation (be it 'back of the bus' or 'affirmative action') is out.

I favor a candidate who thinks religion should be unregulated save for things otherwise illegal - like human sacrifice. Religion should be neither promoted nor discouraged; religious organizations may provide services in addition to secular organizations, but not instead of them.

I favor a candidate who is going to turn Education and HHS into strictly oversight departments, and let the states and local governments handle them, and perhaps recombining the rump departments into the old Health, Welfare, and Education department.

I favor a candidate who is interested in science and technology - although one that sees the best role in government is to encourage private industry in this regard and engage in joint-ventures rather than taking up the mantle on its own. NASA should continue, perhaps in joint venture with private space exploration companies and individuals.

I favor a candidate who is tough on government waste - one that will veto a spending package that is too porcine (or perhaps use a line-item veto). This is one of Bush's weaknesses - he has yet to veto a spending bill, and Congress is by nature a pork-laden enterprise.

Personality:

I favor a candidate who is both honest and eloquent. Combine the speaking ability of Reagan or FDR with the honesty and nice-guyness of George W. or maybe Joe Lieberman. He (or she) must be willing to stand according to their principles. Although I do not especially care about whether or not a president has faith, they should be honest about it.

A president's principles should be strong. He or she should be faithful to his or her spouse, if married. He or she should, ideally, be a good parent, although this isn't neccesary for running the country.

There's a ton more, but it'd take up a ton of pages....

[HemlockGrey]

Hey, either way works, either way we will piss off mainland china.

Pushing for an officially independent Taiwan won't work. While there is some treaty or EO stating that we will work towards the reunification of China "in the future", Taiwan will never, ever be the government of a unified China, and if we push for their independence the Chinese will go into hysterics, wave around that treaty, fuck over our trade relation and fire up the missiles.

The only path towards de jure independence for Taiwan is through the Taiwanese themselves. We really can't do anything except sit a few carriers in the straits and have them look menacing.

[Illuminatus Primus]

Make it three. Holy shit.

Four.

[Uraniun235]

I want:

A candidate that believes the government should only do what it does best.

A candidate who errs on the side of personal liberty as opposed to corporate security, and errs on the side of personal security rather than corporate liberty.

A candidate who won't make an ass out of the nation throughout the world.

I think that's about it. Everything else is details or bonus.

[kojikun]

I want:

A candidate that believes the government should only do what it does best.

You mean you want a candidate who believes government should assrape people and royally fuck over anything good that it attempts to do?

[salm]

not quite sure, but nader fits my views pretty well i think.