Which of the following is the most important issue?

[porphyrian]

Assuming there is a single issue that's most important, which of the following do you think it is?

Please feel free to respond to this post to explain why you choose the issue you do.

[Hosnon]

1. Democracies require information - it all begins with maintaining an

independent media.

Edit: I'm on retard mode today.

[reichstag911]

12. You again?

Go study up for your Scalia q&a! Seriously, we're in agreement again, it seems. The banana Republicans only get away with what they do because they have a largely uninformed constituency.

[Hosnon]

17. Hey man...stay away from my threads...quite following me around.

Yep, an informed populace would remedy almost everything wrong with this country.

[reichstag911]

34. Hell, an informed PRESIDENT would probably do it! n/t

[Hosnon]

35. Without a doubt a nice place to start. nt

[question everything]

2. Other - message that is clear and important for most voters

Not the war in Iraq, not wiretapping, not impeachment and censure but job security, access to health care and to good education, dignified retirement.

Once we get the voters to connect with the fact that Democrats will be tackle them better than Republicans, everything else will fall into place.

[porphyrian]

19. This will be a difficult endeavor.

We have a whole lot of passionate special interests in our camp that want their pet topic to headline.

[sojourner]

3. ooh...first poster has me reconsidering. but without fair elections we

can kiss EVERYTHING goodbye. (Media can/could contribute to that...but won't IMO as long as Republicans and corporatists are in charge of the government).

[porphyrian]

20. A lot of the selections are interrelated. - n/t

[spag68]

4. poll

I choose the wedge issue, because until we solve this problem all the other choices are not attainable. The backers of the repubs. have been useing this tactic for so long that we should and could be able to defeat this notion by now.

[porphyrian]

21. You can see it with the immigration threads.

No matter how smart we are, we are all apparently easy to manipulate.

[DanCa]

5. Other stem cell research - I want to walk. (nt)

[porphyrian]

22. I want you to walk, too. - n/t

[gollygee]

6. Whether posters have typos in their headlines

biggest issue. Hands down.

:D

[porphyrian]

23. At least one White Rose Society member agrees with that. - n/t

[reichstag911]

7. If we had media...

...interested in adhering to their constitutional mandate as the ultimate watchdog of the government -- the very reason for "freedom of the press" -- the other problems would be exposed as the dangers they are, rather than being preempted by smiley-face infotainment crap.

[porphyrian]

24. Yeah, I think deregulation has been proven a bad idea.

Shame on everyone since reagan for pushing or allowing it.

[porphyrian]

8. On Campaign Reform

I noticed no one's picked this yet (unless someone has while I'm typing). As with electronic voting, can we ever have fair elections while the rich can buy the winner?

[liberal N proud]

9. How about All of the above?

The problem is voters want to there to be one single issue come election time. But everyone wants that to be a different issue. Then we let the republicans frame that issue in a bad light.
Americans need to realize it is a big world with many, many big problems and we need to allow the candidates to form opinions on all the issues while realizing that we can't agree with everything the candidate says.
Voters need to learn to look at the whole candidate and not disqualify a candidate on any single issue unless that issue is large enough to threaten the Constitution. Not just their little pet special interest.

[porphyrian]

16. I agree.

I was interested in what people would choose if forced to arbitrarily select a single issue. I'm glad some people like yourself rejected the format and posted other answers. We are definitely not a party of lock-step thinkers, and it will help us in the end.

[iamthebandfanman]

10. you know...

if the government wasnt full of cronyism and incompetent then alot of the problems listed would be solved.

[porphyrian]

33. Agreed. - n/t

[Julius Civitatus]

11. Other: IMPEACHING BUSH!!!

[porphyrian]

25. I hope we see this in our lifetime. - n/t

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

36. I was looking for this option! Thank you! eom

[tatertop]

13. The vote, of course. We are one election away from permanent repuke rule

As bad as it is now - look out!
If we fail to win in '06 we will fail to win in '08.
The power will be solidified and a permanently crooked
voting process will prevent a fair vote forever.

[porphyrian]

26. That's most likely the case. - n/t

[Bridget Burke]

14. I picked "wedge issue" ....

Although all the other issues are worthy.

Could it be that the "Illegal immigration" is linked to "Wedge Issue"? It's surely distracted DU in the last few days. While the whole immigration process needs rethinking, it's hardly a Crisis.

[porphyrian]

27. Illegal immigration is definitely a wedge issue.

It plays on so many levels. The answer to illegal immigration is swift and harsh punishment of those who hire them, but we're not supposed to think about that...better to blame the exploited poor for the laws they break...

Anyway, part of the reason for this poll is to help regain perspective.

[Lerkfish]

15. I would have liked to had torture as one of the choices, although

its obliquely related to the Iraq War, its not limited to that.

[porphyrian]

29. That's another good one.

Unfortunately, I was limited to 10.

[Lerkfish]

32. I understand. I just think the fact that it exists as a policy is the

penultimate indicator of the problem with this administration.

[porphyrian]

39. It's certainly one of the most blatant abuses.

- illegal torture
- illegal imprisonment without representation
- attempted cover-up
etc.

[Ioo]

18. I submit 2 other options to help make America great

Remove the Electoral Collage, make every state a battleground state.

Public funded camps, so they will work for us now.

[porphyrian]

30. I'm still shakey on the electoral college removal.

While that would give more direct power to our individual votes, it is all that protects minority-thinkers in large states. I'm not sure we're all ready to suffer the "tyranny of the majority" in republican states or be forced to move.

[mandyky]

28. None of those listed

Healthcare and pension robbing are 2 big ones.

I guess both of these fall under cronyism and the deficit, though.

There isn't just one issue! GWB has this country on the verge of collapse on several fronts. And the GOP Congress just rubber stamped it all!

[porphyrian]

31. Right, forcing you to pick a single issue is just an exercise. - n/t

[melissinha]

37. All important issues that need to be addressed BUT

If we are cheated by voting machines, we can't goven and impliment good changes and policies.

[porphyrian]

38. This is an issue that should be bipartisan, if it isn't.

Everyone wants their vote to count.

[melissinha]

40. true just ask that republican in Tx that lost out in primary to

Bushco candidate.