Political issues you are concerned about

[2Xtreme21]

List some of the issues that a candidate for president or any other governmental position should focus on and others you feel are a waste of time or otherwise useless.

For me I'd say the important issues at the moment are:
- Iraq and foreign policy
- The economy, taxes, and domestic fiscal policy
- Education reform
- Health care reform
- Lobbying reform and other means to eliminate corruption in government.
- Bringing back federalism... more power to the states.
- Maintaining our rights guaranteed by the constitution.

Issues that I think are blown out of proportion:
- Religion
- Gay marriage
- Abortion
- Gun control / 2nd amendment rights.

 

[PrinceofWands]

Originally posted by: 2Xtreme21
List some of the issues that a candidate for president or any other governmental position should focus on and others you feel are a waste of time or otherwise useless.

For me I'd say the important issues at the moment are:
- Iraq and foreign policy
- The economy, taxes, and domestic fiscal policy
- Education reform
- Health care reform
- Lobbying reform and other means to eliminate corruption in government.
- Bringing back federalism... more power to the states.
- Maintaining our rights guaranteed by the constitution.

Issues that I think are blown out of proportion:
- Religion
- Gay marriage
- Abortion
- Gun control / 2nd amendment rights.

I agree that all of your important issues are important...however I would also include 2nd amendment (especially since we already agreed on maintaining our constitutional rights), and gay marriage/religion - which I think is one of the MOST important issues of the day. Not gay marriage alone, although that also falls under the heading of rights...but the fact it that it's merely religious extremism which creates the issue over gay marriage. Added to the overwhelming zealotry of the current admin I think the near total removal of all religion from our politics is an absolutely vital central requirement of modern politics.

The only one I think really is a non-issue is abortion. I would add to the list:

Hamstringing the executive branch, returning powers back to the legislative where applicable.
Modern environmental precautions.
Reduce the power/influence/corruption of business & corporations.
Increase worker rights.
Energy reform.
Encourage thought, intelligence, invention, etc instead of the business/economic focus.

 

[2Xtreme21]

I should specify that I think neither candidate should make either "I am so pro gun and that's why you should vote for me" or "I am so anti gun and that's why you should vote for me" part of their candidacy.

 

[Jaskalas]

For me I'd say the important issues at the moment are:
- Border Control, Illegal removal
- Iraq and foreign policy
- Lobbying reform and other means to eliminate corruption in government.
- Bringing back federalism... more power to the states.
- Maintaining our rights guaranteed by the constitution.
- The economy, taxes, and domestic fiscal policy
- Education reform
- Health care reform

Issues that I think are blown out of proportion:
- Religion
- Gay marriage
- Abortion

Two changes made to yours, pretty similar.

 

[PrinceofWands]

Originally posted by: 2Xtreme21
I should specify that I think neither candidate should make either "I am so pro gun and that's why you should vote for me" or "I am so anti gun and that's why you should vote for me" part of their candidacy.

That's definite...there is no such thing as just 1 important topic (except for last election where defeating Bushco was the ONLY thing that mattered). The focus on one particular topic is one of the biggest problems with our modern parties.

 

[Hacp]

Important Issues:
-Counter-Terrorism
-Social Security(Raise taxes or destroy benefits)
-Universal Health Care
-Education, especially universal college education
-Corporate Welfare
-Stem Cell Research

Issues that are blown out of Proportion
-Religion
-Gay Marriage
-Abortion
-Gun Control
-Iraq

 

[PrinceofWands]

Originally posted by: Jaskalas
For me I'd say the important issues at the moment are:
- Border Control, Illegal removal
- Iraq and foreign policy
- Lobbying reform and other means to eliminate corruption in government.
- Bringing back federalism... more power to the states.
- Maintaining our rights guaranteed by the constitution.
- The economy, taxes, and domestic fiscal policy
- Education reform
- Health care reform

Issues that I think are blown out of proportion:
- Religion
- Gay marriage
- Abortion

Two changes made to yours, pretty similar.

Good choice adding the immigration/border issue. I missed that one.

 

[StageLeft]

Bail on Iraq, lock down on illegal immigration, ramp back taxes and social spending considerably.

 

[senseamp]

The issue I am mostly concerned about but others don't seem to care about is the shifting of tax burden from the wealthy onto the middle class, either directly, or indirectly through deficit spending resulting in inflation that hits our pocketbooks.
I really think this is the key issue in play, and all others are just window dressing to get political support for getting your way on the first issue. Anything having to do with "Life" or "Family Values" is way overblown. Immigration is moderately overblown.

 

[azazyel]

It's been a while but it'll come up again, flag burning. You can count how many times it's happened on your hands yet congress needs to debate this like it's the most important thing in the world.

 

[azazyel]

can we not delete posts anymore?

 

[ProfJohn]

I am going to agree with Hacp on Iraq being blow out of proportion.
The amount of money we spend in Iraq is only 3% of our entire budget.
And the amount of combat casualties per year is very similar to the historic amount of peace time casualties for the military.
How many people realize that the number of military deaths in 2004 was LESS than the number of deaths during 1980?

Issue I feel are important:
Closing the boarder and THEN working on solution for those already in country.
Entitlement reform: Social Security, Medicare etc.
Improving public education.
Reducing the size of our government (fat chance that will ever happen)

Issues where I am happy with the status quo:
Abortion
Gay marriage (leave both to the states)
Gun control for the most part

Blow out of proportion
Religion in government (Why are religious Republicans bad, but religious Democrats are not?)
The supposed attacks on our civil liberties.
The ?need? for Universal healthcare.

 

[ProfJohn]

Originally posted by: senseamp
The issue I am mostly concerned about but others don't seem to care about is the shifting of tax burden from the wealthy onto the middle class, either directly, or indirectly through deficit spending resulting in inflation that hits our pocketbooks.
I really think this is the key issue in play, and all others are just window dressing to get political support for getting your way on the first issue. Anything having to do with "Life" or "Family Values" is way overblown. Immigration is moderately overblown.

According to every piece of data I have seen from the IRS the wealthy are providing a larger percentage of overall tax revenue than ever before.
And inflation right now is nearly non-existent.
So I am not sure how this is an issue?

In 2004 the bottom 75% of all earners paid only 15% of Federal income tax revenue.
Meaning the top 25% (the rich) paid 85% of Federal income tax revenue.
The percentage of revenue provided by the top 25% of tax payers is higher than it has ever been.

 

[Jaskalas]

Originally posted by: ProfJohn
Closing the boarder and THEN working on solution for those already in country.

I sound very angry towards those already here, but if our government actually sealed the border I would start to consider reconciliatory measures to help integrate the foreign controlled cities back into the United States. However, no one is going to seal our border, and the numbers keep rising. The separatist movement keeps growing.

Reducing the size of our government (fat chance that will ever happen)

Fat chance indeed, our government has done nothing but grow since its formation. There is no sign indicating a change in direction, especially since government growth in size and power is now tied to the dog biscuits Americans get for good behavior. We?ll not bite the hand that feeds us.

Man, I need to find something positive to say!

 

[Vic]

The most important issue IMO is that we need to get out of Iraq and significantly curtail our bloated military.
We also need to restore states rights, reduce the size and scope of the federal government so that states can more easily fund themselves without depending on federal money with strings attached (education and health care reforms could then begin right there), and put more emphasis on individual constitutional rights.
The most overblown issues IMO are abortion (federal government has ZERO jurisdiction and even South Dakota wouldn't vote to ban it), and immigration. The solution to the latter is to open up the legal naturalization process, encouraging legal immigration, therefore making it easier to screen for undesirables and illegals. Or existing system right now is similar to the failed War on Drugs in that it makes everyone involved a criminal, and no there is no solution to that.

 

[b0mbrman]

Note that my list only applies to the forthcoming presidential election. Issues I care very much about, issues I somewhat care about, and issues that won't affect how I vote for president

Iraq War
Veterans
Economy
Education

Immigration reform
Abortion (unless much more of a call develops to roll back Roe v. Wade)

Gay Marriage
Universal Health Care (though I do care about Health Care reform)
Gun control

 

[Mean MrMustard]

Originally posted by: azazyel
It's been a while but it'll come up again, flag burning. You can count how many times it's happened on your hands yet congress needs to debate this like it's the most important thing in the world.

What's there to debate?

 

[Fern]

Originally posted by: ProfJohn
-snip-

Issue I feel are important:
Closing the boarder and THEN working on solution for those already in country.
Entitlement reform: Social Security, Medicare etc.
Improving public education.
Reducing the size of our government (fat chance that will ever happen)

Issues where I am happy with the status quo:
Abortion
Gay marriage (leave both to the states)
Gun control for the most part

Blow out of proportion
Religion in government (Why are religious Republicans bad, but religious Democrats are not?)
The supposed attacks on our civil liberties.
The ?need? for Universal healthcare.

Pretty much agree with the above. But I think MMGW is overblown too.

I have a "wish list" that includes others like:

-Decriminalization of drugs like pot

-Better funding of alt energy tech (not biofuels)

-Better funding of National Parks

-Less funding to other countries

-Make NASA do something cool, drop the space station, establish a moon base so we can go faster/deeper into space. While there check out (and possibly mine) the H3 for cheap/good fusion energy etc.

-Clean up the coal/energy companies/industry down here in the S.E. that are killing our trees etc. with acid rain.

-Reform trial lawyers, especialy class action crap where only the lawyers get anything.

Fern