Over the next week, I would like to introduce a set of ideas I have for building a winning political platform for 2014 & 2016.
My proposed platform for either major party would go something like this:
The X Party: Pro-Immigration, Pro-Transparency, Pro-Opportunity, Pro-Conscience, Pro-Health Freedom, Pro-Cannabis Freedom
Certainly, I am not an expert in government, politics, policy, etc., and it's likely one or more of my ideas will be dumb, unworkable, etc. But I thought I'd take a swing at it anyway.
I'll post details on my ideas for each plank over the next week. Meanwhile, I'm interested in hearing your ideas for a 2014 / 2016 platform in the comments.
7 comments:
How about the elimination of the Department of Education, or to frame it positively, Return control of education to the local level.
I'll never support legalization of drugs, but I'm also not a one-issue man.
I do think, though, that ahead of the rest of those, the platform should carry reduced individual income tax rates with reduced/eliminated subsidies, credits, deductions, all the other froo-froo, together with the clear statement that taxation is for the purpose of funding the government, not for effecting wealth redistribution.
At the same level, spending needs to be reduced greatly--with a target of 18% of GDP, but in all cases the five-year average (say) required to be less than the five-year average of tax revenues collected, with the surplus committed either to covering the cost of privatizing social security and medicare or to paying down our debt, or some combination of the two.
Your other four items look good, but I'd need to see the details. Included at this level, I'd want to see medicaid funding converted to block grants to the states at their current levels, then with that current level taken as the baseline, those block grants reduced by 10% of the baseline until Federal funding is eliminated.
Pie-in-the-sky items that every platform needs: my two are the rescission of all EPA regulations issued over the last 10 years and the complete defunding of the EPA--keeping in mind that during the Democrats' government shutdown, the EPA said that 93% of their personnel were nonessential. Along with that should be the repeal of the Clean Air Act, since that's been so thoroughly abused by the EPA.
My second item is a commitment (Romney came close to this, but he didn't quite enunciate it) to rescind 100% of Obama's Executive Orders.
My third item (OK, I lied--I'm a politician wannabe, I guess) is the elimination of the NLRB.
Eric Hines
battleblue1, I agree; I'm just not sure how to convince people of that.
Mr. Hines, good things to think about. Certainly simplifying the tax code could be a winning plank.
Bob, interested in a VP spot?
Bob, interested in a VP spot?
You'll need to issue him a shotgun and a closed door through which to shoot.
Eric Hines
...a guaranteed 14% return on your 401-K.
What is that--the government will guarantee to return 14% of our 401(k) after it's been confiscated for Obamacare subsidies?
Eric Hines
Bob, I like the way you think.
I don't know if it would get you elected, or if it is even feasible, but I like the idea of Forcing Congress to rewrite their rules of operation: One Issue, One Bill; Budget before other business; Line-item spending approval (allot the dollars, let the department determine how it's spent rather than mandating specific pork spending); a limit on the amount of text that can be included in a particular bill (no more omnibus legislation); read every bill on the floor before a vote can be cast.....that type of thing.
I'd also like to see the Feds take a step back on their involvement in most social issues, leaving these things to the States to handle.
Oh, yes, Medical Freedom of Choice and a Fair Tax system.
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