<g>Mr. Mephisto, you might want to remind Ustwo where you live
Opie, I have no idea what you are referring to when you claim we are moving toward a brokerage economy--that's news to me. My understanding is that service oriented jobs are here for the run, but I don't know what a brokerage job would look like, so maybe we would agree after explication.
SATS, I agree with Opie that manufacturing jobs are not coming back. You may do better to look at candidates who promise to help us make the transition to whatever economy we are entering. I heard that kerry has a higher education plan that speaks to this issue--Bush does not. Bush believes that the free market will create impetus for educational opportunities and such. I am wary of any person claiming to bring our jobs back--it's not going to happen, even though we may be able to stem the tide of them flowing out.
Nader may have something to say on this, too. But I would bet libertarians would not, since they are more prone to believe the market will produce education opportunities or necessary worker training without external intervention.
People don't respond to Ustwo's claims regarding tort reform probably for two reasons: he claims to be an expert on the issue already and isn't going to change his mind, and the issue as he explained it is hyperbole.
Lawsuits aren't driving doctors out of business. In so far as any are leaving the state, they are doing so due to insurance costs.
The issue then would be insurance reform, an issue you listed as relevant. Not only would insurance reform address the relatively wonky lawsuits so heavily touted as the norm by people desiring tort reform for political reasons, they would also address the much more burgeoning problem of insane costs, managed care feascos, and pharmaceuticals. The single best system I can think of that would address all of those issues is government managed care. When I listen to the Senate speak, they claim it's what they have--a single payer system sponsered by the good ole US of A. And some of them want it for the rest of us citizens--one of them is Kerry.