General non-MG related discussions. No politics here please!!
Since we Americans are now in our quadrennial madness that we call the presidental elections, I have been trying to answer a simple question. Since this board is a group of well respected people, I look to you for assistance.
What are you looking for in a president? Just one or two things.
I've come up with common sense and leadership. How about you?
1979LBC Wrote:
I'm staying out of this one. I've been too controversial lately
Just ask them two questions.
Who are they? (if they get 75% on that one then move to question two)
Are you alive? (simple yes/no answer will suffice)
Seriously,
Honesty, integrity, picking a position and sticking with it.
DUTY, HONOR, COUNTRY. Yeah, I know, that's 3....and here are 3 more:
FIDELITY, BRAVERY, INTEGRITY
We could go on, yes?
I have two:
Tell the truth!
Do what you promise!
Did anybody see the President of Bolivia on the "Daily Show"? Pretty impressive - he made three campaign promises, and fulfilled all three in eight months! We need a President like that!
Limey Wrote:
We need someone who will demonstrate LEADERSHIP and stop pandering to the radical fringes of their party.
That leader should focus on improving EDUCATION, before we become a nation of illiterates that can neither read nor write in a lucid manner, or perform basic mathematic functions.
In the last 40 years the property & violent crime rate per 100,000 has increased 500% . We need to solve the root causes of crime which are POVERTY and LACK of OPPORTUNITY. Until we address the cause, we will just have to build more jails and live in fear.
Will any of these ever happen? It’s doubtful. The modern Presidency is about getting elected… then re-elected and your achievements have to be something that is tangible in a three year period. None of the most pressing issues we face today is solvable in that time frame.
So, because our National Politicians lack the spine to develop real solutions to our long term National problems, we continue to decline as a nation.
Steve
(doing my part to add to the political content and raise tensions ;-)
tfisher7621 Wrote:
Well, in my lifetime as a voter it's always just been the lesser of two evils.
To be elected president, a candidate must sell his or her soul to special interest groups. Its the only way to raise the enormous amount of cash necessary to even run for president.
I will likely vote for the candidate that I believe will be in the opposite party as the party with control of congress following the election.
I tend to agree with what you have said Jay. I think that there are so many deals and friends made to get to the point of nomination for party primaries that it is too late. I wish someone would have the nerve to make the responsible decisions after they are in office.
Scott wrote "Honesty, integrity, picking a position and sticking with it."
That sounds great until you are in Iraq for years and roll out the new plan that is the same as when we got there!!!!!!!
Actually Scott i agree with you on your traits i just wish that you would have included 'brains'
how 'bout honesty and integrity....and a good heaping dose of common sense
Selected Quotes from H.L. Mencken:
A good politician is quite as unthinkable as an honest burglar.
A politician is an animal which can sit on a fence and yet keep both ears to the ground.
Every election is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen goods.
I believe that all government is evil, and that trying to improve it is largely a waste of time.
If a politician found he had cannibals among his constituents, he would promise them missionaries for dinner.
I guess you can tell my opinion of politicians .....................
How about ones that will REALLY uphold the constitution. I dont want promises,most promises are just another way of saying I will steal from your neighbors and give it to you.
A simple upholding of the constitution will work. The rest is up to us. It is an excellent formula, that has been proven to work.
wyatt Wrote:
Respect for the electrorate and the courage to be honest with them. All the other things mentioned could follow from this. My own opinion is that most politicians have grown to be so out of touch with the electorate and the notion that they somehow serve THEM, that is quite easy for them to forget who they represent or why.
Actually Jay, disagreeing about the constitution is a relatively new phenomenon,up until FDR's "New Deal" supreme court, there was virtually no dissention as to what the founding fathers had written. FDR wiped the court clean and put his people in to OK his unconstitutional policies.
This ought to cause some howls......howl away.
*shameless plug*
Ron Paul adamantly supports the US Constitution. And to those who think they would be tossing away their votes on him...
http://www.ronpaul2008.com
The man has raised more than $775,000 since the 24th in individual contributions, and will most likely have more cash on hand than some of the supposed "top-tier* candidates.
I definitely am not one to try to convert people, but I ask you to at least check him out and read what he has to say.
I believe that the best governament is the LEAST Government so I want a President that is frugal with our hard earned tax dollars. If he is going to tax me, I want the tax to be for things we really need such as the best defense and quality education for our future. Most entitlement programs such as foreign aid, farm subsidies etc should be severly cut or eliminated....
KLUTZ Wrote:
Also Marc, a President who actually wants to maintain the value of our dollar.
The price of oil has risen, but the skyrocket effect we as Americans notice is also due to the dilution of the greenback.
If the dollar keeps sliding into the doldrums, we simply won't ever be able to pay off our debts.
Zach,
I gotta tell you... the Ron Paul graphic look like the logo on a box of Tide laundry detergent! Maybe he can clean up America!
Steve
Dwain, you have my 100% support on this!!! I personally want to get rid of the state alltogether. I remember Mencken saying that he saw this country as "The greatest show on earth", LOL, I can attest to that. OK, I better stop now!
Peace, Kyle
Be a Wealthbuilder with Domestic & Foreign Gusto by Replacing Frowns with Everlasting Smiles wherever you go ;)
Cheers!
Mike
Perhaps one that will not sell our country out to the highest bidder. We need our manufacturing base, our tax money, and our borders back.