An apparently flame-proof 2008 Presidential thread...

[Mythsaje]

I posted this last night and got NO responses or Recommends... Figured I'd shine it up a little and try again.

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The Perfect 2008 Candidate

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"Hello, Americans. Some of you know me, some of you don't. But I'm running for President of the United States. I realize that many of you don't know me, and haven't ever heard my name, but that's okay. The same was true for the majority my predecessors, before they were elected to the position.

"If this campaign runs the way most of the recent ones have, my opponents will kick open my closet doors and drag whatever skeletons may be hiding in there out into the open.

"Well...I'll let you in on a little secret. I'm okay with that. The people should know who they're hiring to lead them. I'm human, and I came of age in a time of social upheaval, as did most of you. But I have learned from my mistakes and I believe in making the most of what I've learned. I made my share of errors, learned from them, and resolved not to make them again. This, in my opinion, is far better than denying their existence.

"Some of my opponents will try to make the most of some of them. They may expect me to say 'I did not inhale' or something equally ridiculous in an attempt to evade the question. They will attempt to twist my words into something that means something completely different from what I said, and turn this campaign into a mud-slinging contest.

"I will not. I will stand by my principles and my belief in American ideals of truth, justice, and fair dealing for all. And that means that I believe that each and every one of you out there has something to contribute to the discussion--whatever the discussion may be. That doesn't mean I will agree with everything everyone has to say, but I will listen. And that, in my opinion, puts me somewhere above the person who now holds the office.

"People will make an issue out of my lack of foreign policy experience. But I will appoint people to advise me who do have that experience, people who have a proven track record for getting things done and getting them done right. People with ideas, and imagination, and principles. People who aren't simply party loyalists, but people who have proven themselves as decent men and women with faith in American institutions and American principles of good governance.

"Won't THAT be a change?

"I will strive to fix that which has been broken. I will mend fences, and serve the interests of humanity, and work to see that the future is a better place for all of us. I will reconcile the lies, and reveal the truth, and make the United States a nation worthy of a sense of pride and accomplishment again. We will bring American troops out of harm's way and work with our allies and speak with our enemies to come to terms with our differences so no more men, women, or children will die for the sake of pride.

"We must reinvent America and help the world reinvent itself, not by force, but by becoming the sort of example that lit the way for two hundred years until we stumbled and dropped the torch. We cannot be the people who shake our fists at everyone else, but the people who extend a hand in friendship and welcome people of vastly different ideologies to the table of diplomacy.

"That is the America that should be. And it is the America that can be. All we need is the vision and the will to make it that way.

"America was once known as the 'Land of Opportunity,' but, in recent years, much of that reputation has been lost. Entrenched systems have separated people from their potential, and demanded sacrifice of people far beyond what they have provided in return. It's time we changed all that. We need to stop feeding greed and feed America's heart. We need to bring back everything that was ever good and decent about our country and shove all that was bad and nasty into the darkness where it belongs.

"We know that Americans want to see a healthier America. Healthier in mind, body, and soul. Americans want people to matter more than money, and want to know that every American gets a fair deal.

"That's what I want to give to Americans. A fair deal. A real deal. The chance to work hard and succeed, not work hard so someone else can succeed.

"It's that simple.

"Vote for me. Vote for the real deal. For the right deal."

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These are some of the things I would like to hear from a potential Presidential candidate.

[blm]

1. heh....If I ran I would say, Yes, I've led a 'colorful' life - my opponent is just jealous

because they WISH they had even half the fun I had. heheh....well....that's the way I think I'd handle it.

[MADem]

2. McCain does that 'real deal/straight talk' stuff. But he doesn't mean it.

He wrote a whole book, detailing his many failings, so he could say "See, I told ya first, before Kitty Kelley could...."

I dunno. They can and do say anything to get elected. It's harder to be sure if they mean it...which is why people often like to look at voting records to make that call, and anytime you get someone with a brief political record, like Monkeyboy, you're taking a huge chance.

[Mythsaje]

3. Except we all know what a voting record can mean...

And monkeyboy DID have a political record we could look back on. He was an idiot executive in Texas and he became an idiot executive on the world stage.

McCain's a joke. Hell, ALL the Republicans are a joke. I'd like to see a nominee willing to stand tall through the slinging mud, own his or her mistakes, and keep speaking directly to the American people. One that doesn't try to dodge the issues, or pretend to be something s/he isn't. Someone who doesn't ignore a swift-boat attack, but refutes it once in plain English. "These guys are full of crap and they know it. Can we move on?"

[MADem]

4. Yeah, but TX is a "weak governor" model--it's an unusual state in that regard.

The gov doesn't have much power of his own at all. It forces the person to be a "uniter," because he can't get shit done on his own authority.

That said, I'd like plain english to be a hallmark of the campaign as well. Enough of the euphemistic, high-falutin' talk. Plain, declarative sentences, and solid ideas are needed nowadays...