Willravel

I've been following the French Presidential elections and am looking forward to the US elections that have apparently already started. Sitting here thinking about how well Bobby Kennedy would do if he were in the 2008 elections I've started to imagine what I would do if I were to run for president.

So here's what I have in mind:
Step 1: Announce your intent to run for president (presumably of the US, but if you want to run for your home country, go right ahead). Give your party, and your basic intent.
Step 2: Pick a running mate. TFP people or otherwise.
Step 3: Speechafy about your platform. What do you stand for? What do you like now and what do you want to change? Please note, this is not a place to just bash what's going on: a good candidate has answers to their questions and concerns.
Step 4: We will have a poll. Interesting, no? Everyone may vote once, and we'll pick a top 25% of the candidates.
Step 5: Debates. This I'll have to figure out. Whether we'll be doing this in the opening podcast or just on here, I dunno.
Step 6: Final elections and bragging rights. The position won't have any power, but it'll be fun, right?

I hope this'll go well, and I hope everyone will have fun (and not take it too seriously).

I'll start:

dc_dux

I have too many skeletons in my closet to run, but I would make a hell of a campaign manager (dusting off my MPM degree for the highest bidder).

__________________
"The perfect is the enemy of the good."
~ Voltaire

Willravel

I dunno, I have a shitload of skeletons in my closet, but that's not stopping me!

reconmike

Will,
Interesting idea, but do you really think you are going to get anyone other than the way this board leans to actually throw their hat into the ring?

If they were actually delusional enough to think they could win here what kind of bragging rights would that be for the lefty that won?

I'm betting my house on whomever the left puts up as the winner from this very balanced board.

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Willravel

So you're afraid to run? Wow, I might just win....

The_Jazz

So this is a popularity contest? What's the point? The winner just gets bragging rights and no power to do anything that they can't already do.

will, you're going to have to convince us that there's a reason for this thread to stay open. By it's very design, this will get personal very quickly, and that's a big problem.

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Willravel

TFPolitics has become one dimensional. It's annoying. I figured this might be an interesting way to bring people more into the process and maybe inspire some people. I think it's clear from the OP that this isn't a popularity contest any more than any other election, and what's more political than an election? If people are interested (I don't see any sign of it yet, but who knows?), then this could be fun.

I don't have to convince anyone of anything. In my mind, the convincing would come in the form of participation. If the participants were to stick with the discussion and the 'game', then I see this as being something new and interesting in politics. If people don't participate, then it'll just sink into history as another thread. Either way, it's not something that would break rules or anything. It's clear that the intent of the thread is to bring people into the political discussion, and nothing in here breaks any rules. As such, unless the posters in the thread start to threadjack, I don't see any reason why it'd be closed.

loquitur

willravel, what do you mean when you say "TFPolitics has become one dimensional?"

Willravel

People post a link to an article that's political in nature and the usual suspects, myself included, will fall into place when posting. It's interesting, but often, in my humble opinion, it rarely changes. I like the idea of TFP always growing and evolving, and in order to evolve, we need mutations. I'd call this thread a mutation. If it works, then it will become a part of the site. If it doesn't work, then we simply go on.

If you're curious about the thread, I'd love to answer any questions you may have. I've spoken to one of our great moderators about the nature of the thread and I'm still interested in seeing where this can go. I would hope that someone might agree that this is an interesting idea and throw their hat in. Get out of what what you want.

loquitur

Ah. By "one dimensional" you mean "predictable." Gotcha.
I'll mull this over a bit. Maybe I'll post when I get home. But I should warn you, middle-aged guys with small paunches and bald spots make lousy presidential candidates. To say nothing of my taste for herbal entertainment back when I was in college. And given my Walter Mitty-ish life, I would choose someone much easier on the eyes for my VP. Is Nicole Kidman a US citizen?

Willravel

Ah, careful. Kidman backed Israel in the 2006 Lebanon/Israel conflict.

Also, John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Martin Van Buren, James Garfield, Ike, and Ford all had what I call 'distinguished scalps'. It didn't stop them!

loquitur

Well, I backed Israel, too. I tend to support Western democracies that are attacked by medieval hostage-taking gangsters who lob missiles at civilian targets even after the so-called "occupation" is removed.

JQ Adams? I never would have taken you for a JQ Adams fan. Or his dad, for that matter. Come to think of it, I think Chester Arthur had a receding hairline - does he count?

Willravel

When does Chester A. Arthur not count?

Sounds like Kidman might be a good running mate.

So are you throwing your hat in?

loquitur

If I throw my hat in it would uncover my bald spot, right?
Let me see what condition I'm in when I get home, and I'll let you know.

Eisenhower was a baldie, too. So was Martin Van Buren!

roachboy

my hair is too long and i have a beard.
i'd never win.


uh...

what?

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spinning dog. such faithfulness it hear

it make you sick.

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tecoyah

Please understand, I do not wish to become your President. Given the current state of affairs, the Job will be one of a target, as much needs to be done to repair our beloved system of government. Between the economic corrections(Yes Taxes), rebuilding of international standing, weeding out of corporate influence within the political structure and looming energy crisis, No one with a measure of sanity really "Wants" this job. I will however, deal with the inevitable pain and sacrifice required to place this country on a path that will with luck, create some small measure of increased happiness in the lives of most Americans.
Given your support, and that of your neighbors....We can at the least try to repair this nation of diversity. To bring back the respect we once enjoyed within the world community. To temper the flames of rampant corruption destroying the vision of a nation, for the people, by the people.


Industry is NOT the people.

Lady Sage

I feel this is a fabulous thread. I look forward to keeping tabs on it.

It isnt often that something can drag me kicking and screaming into the Politics forum... this did. That in itself deserves kudos..

Bravo Will!

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Willravel

Tec, I wish you the best of luck.

Lady Sage, thanks!

mixedmedia

I'm a woman with hard convictions (aka, known in politico-speak as a bitch).

I will never be elected president.

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Willravel

Tell that to Hillary in 2 years....

aceventura3

I would run for President of the US as a Libertarian. My running mate would be either Steve Forbes or Ann Coulter, if I could get them to change party. Forbes has the money we would need and I would adopt his tax plan but on the otherhand Coulter is funny as hell and would be nice to have around to keep things light.

My platform would basiscally revolve around personal responsibility and smaller government. Special interest groups would have no chance, I would eleminate virtually all subsidies and let the free market do what does. I would increase penalties for criminal acts, fraud and negligence, and reduce excessive regulation. My foriegn policy plateform would reflect our leadership role in the world, in the mold of Reagan.

There is no possible way I could win based on the above, but since the question was presented there it is.

__________________
"Democracy is two wolves and a sheep voting on lunch."
"It is useless for the sheep to pass resolutions on vegetarianism while the wolf is of a different opinion."
"If you live among wolves you have to act like one."
"A lady screams at the mouse but smiles at the wolf. A gentleman is a wolf who sends flowers."

Willravel

I think that reasonable platforms are a rare thing, ace. While we may disagree now and again, you'd have a real shot at earning my vote.

tecoyah

The Tecoyocrat Platform:

Economics;
The United States will become a leader in global energy production. This will be accomplished by shifting all Tax breaks from Petroleum production to renewables. Renewable resources will be everything from solar, wind, tidal, chemical breakdown of waste, geothermal, hydrothermal, and Nuclear. The federal Govenment will give incentives to scientific pursuit of fields showing promise of creating the next generation of clean energy production, and the U.S. will export technology resulting from this burgeoning industry.
Included in this program will be a focus on Biomedical research, and microtechnology,shifting the failed manufacturing base from mechanical products to organics. In the first year, we will also create the first space elevator allowing this counrty to become the leader in the frontier of space resource manipulation. Within ten years we will create a presence on Lunar soil which will lead to new found economic capabilities.

Foreign Policy;
The United States will no longer police the world. For a period of four years, we will halt all Aid payments to outside entities, and use these funds to pay off accrued debt. within this period we will make such changes as needed to solidify the finances of the federal government, and cut such fat as required from military programs, while explaining to the world that any attack on U.S soil will be met with immediate and unmanned preciscion destruction regardless of State, Country, or Continent. This will be quite easy to take seriously with the creation of robotic, unmanned aircraft capable of reaching every inch of the Earth in a matter of Hours, and the inevitable Space Based "incentives" alowed through the use of a space elevator.

Domestic Programs;
As healthcare cost is the #1 issue facing financial stability in this country, it must be dealt with immediately and systematically. The federal Government will pay for prescription drugs, and use its buying power to negotiate rates from the pharmacutical industry. Any and All malpractice suits will be dealt with by the newly formed "Courts of Medicine", and frivolous actions will face charges in the civil courts with government representation on behaf of the doctor. Medicaid/Welfare will be replaced with a two year program of retraining and evaluation intended to not only instil incentive and pride in the individuals skill level, but create the needed workforce for newly forming industry.


end of part one

aceventura3

Looking forward to the debates to start.

__________________
"Democracy is two wolves and a sheep voting on lunch."
"It is useless for the sheep to pass resolutions on vegetarianism while the wolf is of a different opinion."
"If you live among wolves you have to act like one."
"A lady screams at the mouse but smiles at the wolf. A gentleman is a wolf who sends flowers."

Willravel

Homosexual Marriage:
The right to marriage is not the government’s to bestow on whom they wish. Marriage is as inaliable as speech. Though it may not exist in our Bill of Rights, that right is in the hearts of any and every man and woman, man and man, or woman and woman who feel love for one another. It’s wrong for a government to try and accord something it didn’t have the right to control in the first place. It’s irrelevant if you believe it’s right or wrong, gross or beautiful.

The Responsibility to Vote:
In a democracy or representative republic, the civilian is always allowed one right so that their government might adequately represent them. To vote is to take responsibility as a citizen with an informed opinion. To vote is to be an active part of your world. To study and make an informed decision about what man or woman might best represent you and the best interests of our cities, states, country and even the world. I also recognize that to not vote, and to do so with a loud voice is a statement in and of itself. While I will always vote, I could not begrudge someone for his or her freedom not to vote.

Gun Rights:
I recognize the Second Amendment of our United States as a means to ensure that our government cannot become an oppressive organization. In the unfortunate event of an oppressive regime that undermines our freedoms and rights, one must have the right to defend our people and Constitution from all enemies, be they foreign or domestic. While I personally do not recognize that the Second Amendment guarantees the right for all civilians to bear arms, I will abide by the decisions of our great judicial system.

War:
War is certainly the last resort in an absolutely desperate situation, and is a decision that should never be taken lightly or quickly. When we were attacked on 9/11, instead of waging a smart war against those who were responsible, we have decimated several countries, one of which had nothing to do with the attack or that was a clear and present threat and the other had only loose ties with the event. We have lost countless lives of those we promised to liberate when we ignited a civil war. Iraq is worse now than it was under the oppressive regime of Saddam Hussein. We are allowing our brave young men and women to be put in harms way not in order to rectify a mistake but to continue in it. We are allowing billions of tax dollars that could save lives to be wasted. We are creating terrorism. We are creating enemies that will come back for us in the future. We, the people, are now entering into the same mistakes that caused 9/11 by interfering with peoples that ignorant and selfish elements of our government would seek to control, use and steal from. This immoral and illogical war must stop immediately. I will call for the withdrawal of US troops and dismantling of US military bases in Iraq without delay. I will go before the UN and formally apologize to every man, woman, and child who has been victimized and to ask for help. It is important to be humble when admitting a mistake was made. I am humbled by our horrible mistake. I would ask that every American look in their hearts and ask what they can do to help.

Health Care:
Our health care is failing us. The rich are given all the medical treatment they need and the poor are left to under funded clinics and their own devices. This is not good enough. I am interested in exploring the very real possibility of a universal health care system being implemented over the next 4-8 years. I am interested in having a hybrid universal health care system, where we share the cost of health care that will eventually shift over to a single-payer system where the government will pay for your medical treatment in full. Be prepared for taxes to respond to this, but also expect that the socialization of the process will lower the overall cost of health care in this country and will eventually mean substantial savings for all. We will work to solve common problems such as wait times by making sure there are always enough doctors and large enough facilities to deal with even great disasters, let alone times of reasonable health. We will do everything in our power to make sure that we have at least 1 doctor for every 300 people or more at all times. In order to do this, we will be offering more scholarships to medical school in the coming years. We will be contacting professionals in France and Italy for their expertise and experience with their systems. I promise that our health care system will no longer be ranked 37 in the world by the time I leave office.

Torture:
Torture is wrong and our country should never torture or be friends with countries that use torture. It is morally reprehensible and a sign of weak minded and violent people. Since we are neither weak minded nor violent, we will not ever torture. I am announcing that I will be promoting a new Amendment to the Bill of Rights, specifically stating that no American will be tortured and that the government, military, or any other American organization or individual cannot torture.

Oh, I almost forgot my running mate: Bobby Kennedy.

tecoyah

My running mate.........wait for it.........

















Is Host


I need someone to liason with the democratic congress

Willravel

I don't stand a chance...

loquitur

you realize, of course, if I were to run, my platform would be to dismantle almost everything in Washington. The surest way to prevent corruption is to build a structure that doesn't have anything to be corrupt about. Less government, less corruption. No lobbyists. Less at stake, less need for campaign contributions.

It would never sell.

Willravel

This is for fun. It's a new way to get into politics. What's the worst that can happen? We all get our asses handed to us by Halx. Hahaha...I'm still waitin for Halx to run!

loquitur

How about a platform that included mandatory viewing of porno on a daily basis?

Willravel

No fair cheating!

loquitur

well at least that way the populace would be assured of an upstanding president. (if it's a male)

dc_dux

Will the winner be the TFP entry for the "Independent"?

__________________
"The perfect is the enemy of the good."
~ Voltaire

Willravel

Meh, seemed like a good idea at the time. I'll bring this back in a few years if I think people will be interested. Thanks, everyone.

dksuddeth

I'm running on an originalist intent platform of limited government and the people are the authority.

I choose as my running mate.......Bill of Rights. If he should decline, then I choose Dunedan.

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"no amount of force can control a free man, a man whose mind is free. No, not the rack, not fission bombs, not anything. You cannot conquer a free man; the most you can do is kill him."