Announcing the AbovePolitics.com 2007 Elections for President of the United States!

Originally posted by semperfortis
Is this ATS election going to turn into a "President Bush Hate Fest?"

My guess is that most candidates are going to run in opposition to the status quo. Seeing potential ATS 2007 presidential candidates posturing against the current administration is to be expected. My hope is that we don't have a chorus of whining every time someone on ATS criticizes the President. The real republican hopefuls for 2008 are already verbally beating the crap out of Bush, so will it be on ATS. Get over it.

semper, imho you will be making a serious political blunder if you choose to run on the Presidents record. His record is out of step with the desires of the American public. However I'm not sure how you can run against his record without appearing to be a flip-flopper.
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Let keep it on topic about the ATS elections rather then bush bashing or member bashing? At least until the forum in the AbovePolitics page is put up?

Anyway Ive offered anyone that has any ideas to message me and I would respond with my opinion or input and see what you think. Jso was the only one really who messaged me about it, but the debate didn't get very far as I never received any response.

Im open to changing opinions, so long as a strong case can be made and a strong solution can follow it.

That's what we call growth grim. It's the only way to effectively live and learn. Learning should be something that we never cease doing, since it's what makes us who we are.

In my campaigning news, I'm looking for a diligent advisor to keep me aprised of any of the major stories that hit ATS. And by "major", I'm talking about affecting this country in an adverse way major. If anyone thinks they have what it takes to undertake this task, feel free to U2U me with your qualifications. I'll keep looking until I find one, so take your time!!

For Democracy,

TheBorg

You guys would absolutely lose it if you had any idea of the team I've been assembling... last chance to drop out and join my staff.

Looks like we've got some heavy hitters lined up, don't think I'll take part as a candidate but I'll be watching closely

What I would like to see in this election is the option of voting for "None Of The Above" with 50% plus required to win. This is a candidate that we could rally around.

If Time magazine can make everybody man of the year, we should be able to make nobody our President.

[edit on 22-1-2007 by df1]

Originally posted by df1
we should be able to make nobody our President.
[edit on 22-1-2007 by df1]

www.abovetopsecret.com...

I'm not sure your candidate is going to want the job. With only 73 posts in 3 years of membership, I'm given the impression that creating featured content for Above Politics just wouldn't be his cup of tea.

Originally posted by The Vagabond
You guys would absolutely lose it if you had any idea of the team I've been assembling... last chance to drop out and join my staff.

Back attcha mate.

BTW, Bush is nothing. The REAL conspiracy was how the Pats took a late roughing the passer penalty when Manning was never touched.

Originally posted by The Vagabond
I'm not sure your candidate is going to want the job. With only 73 posts in 3 years of membership, I'm given the impression that creating featured content for Above Politics just wouldn't be his cup of tea.

Your probably right. This forces me to form my own exploratory committee, despite my having already conceded that nobody is a better presidential candidate than I.

[edit on 22-1-2007 by df1]

Originally posted by df1

Your probably right. This forces me to form my own exploratory committee, despite my having already conceded that nobody is a better presidential candidate than I.

Step up to the plate then df1. Come Feb., the game is afoot.

I've always wanted to say that.

Don't worry intrepid, the bears will avenge the pats. (Given the Chicago way of doing business, they might have had a hand in the call actually- making sure they get the match they want).

I am officially forming an exploratory commitee to look into
forming an exploratory commitee to become a...


Wait, now what was I saying?
Oh well, I9'll stick with not running.



I can't wait for this to really get started.

Originally posted by The Vagabond
You guys would absolutely lose it if you had any idea of the team I've been assembling... last chance to drop out and join my staff.

so vagabond needs a TEAM now? *scoffes* he must be losing his touch. Anyway I'll be going solo except for a VP. I see no need to involve other "advisors" and such to make it a big mess. Why should we complicate things more then they need to be? That turns off people from politics, not interests them. As my catch phrase since last year has been "Keep it simple" (those who know me in person can vouge for that motto).

semper, imho you will be making a serious political blunder if you choose to run on the Presidents record.

Opinion noted and appropriately filed my friend...

Semper

I would not dare presume to run alone.

Concensus building is of extreme importance.

The best policy on paper that makes nobody happy will never pass and will never better the country, so it is worthless. A second best policy that gives everyone just enough of what they want will get implemented, and thus will benefit the country more than the perfect policy.

For instance, we could pay off the national debt in 15 years if we dedicated 860 billion annually to it and maintained a balanced budget. The faster we buy back our debt, the more efficient it is, because we save on interest. However, to do that, we would need to make an additional trillion dollars through tax increases and spending cuts. Who is going to bear that burden for us? It is a burden so large that doubling income tax rates wouldn't be enough. You could never pass such a policy.

A slower, less efficient option is necessary. You must concede enough to the people that they are willing to embrace small sacrifices for the good of future generations and not feel as if they are being asked to starve themselves for the good of others.

That's where having a team behind you comes in. You need a broad base of feedback as you form you policy so that you can build realistic plans. There's an inordinate amount of research to do and a thousand other tasks as well.

No one person is as big as the problems facing the nation. Only the nation itself is that powerful. It is the role of leaders in government to organize and call upon the collective power of the nation to meet those challenges.

My team and I will draw upon the collective knowledge and power of this nation and this world and I will in turn draw upon them to marshall the collective strength of millions against the tremendous challenges that we face.

Anyone who believes that a general can walk onto the field without an army and succeed, don't vote for me. I just not that arrogant. I believe that it would be disgustingly elitist and anti-democratic for me to stand up as one man and say "I AM THE ANSWER". I am the person who can help us find the answer, not the answer itself.

No candidate is the electorate which he hopes to represent. We must compromise. To represent the voters, we must be prepared to be persuaded by the will of the majority just as much as we hope to persuade the majority. This will begin with my team and continue with the broader electorate during the campaign. I will make my case to the people, stand on my principles, but remain prepared to concede to the will of the people where principle does allow. That is the nature of public service and there it belies no weakness in a man to submit to it.

Exactly ONLY the nation itself is so large as to stand up to the problems which face it now. THAT is why we need to put it in their hands. I don't disagree with you for having people of different Ideas advise you as its a great way to get different viewpoints. Personally Im going with letting anyone who wants to comment, comment. Send a U2U. Rather then make this elite group of people who I listen to, why not just listen to everyone as though THE PEOPLE are your advisors?

Now personally I would ask the people "Do you want to fix this country and get out of debt?" If the response was yes, then the next words out of my mouth are "What are you willing to give up to do so?"

Now I am but one person so I cannot fix the country. I can only lead the people to act so that they may fix the country. Isn't it funny how 500 people in congress can make the decisions that will screw up a nation so badly and it take the population of a nation to get us back out of it?

What I would suggest is shutting down the federal reserve and crush the interest building from them. Because of the mistake of selling our debt to central banks and foreign investors, we will most likely still have to pay that interest back. Unfortunately they have sold about 50% of our national debt. So how exactly do we get rid of that problem?
Any ideas vagabond?

Originally posted by grimreaper797
I don't disagree with you for having people of different Ideas advise you as its a great way to get different viewpoints. Personally Im going with letting anyone who wants to comment, comment.

As am I, however it would be foolish as well to come in without an agenda of any kind. There is a reason that we don't run a direct democracy- it's incredibly unwieldy.
So I operate on a phased plan. I bounce my initial impression off of a few particularly bright people. We mull it over until its as good as we can make it. Then we take it to the people, get their feedback, and make it better still.

Unless every voter is prepared to invest tens if not hundreds of research hours and turn out several thousand words of policy proposal, which I would then somehow have to digest and integrate into one platform, it seems more realistic to let the platform snowball into existence by taking ideas, sanity checking them with a few, improving the ideas, sanity checking them with many, improving the ideas, testing them against opponents in an election, then improving them again based on election results and proceeding to govern with the resultant ideas.

The people are indeed not only my ultimate advisors, but the deciders. I believe my job as a prospective leader is to demonstrate the ability to help them exercise power effectively by efficiently uniting their input into effective policy.

Do you claim that you, without assistance, can digest the hundreds of replies to each question you ask? Even if you did, at some point you will have to propose a synthesis of ideas for them to approve or disapprove. By using a cross-section of the membership to speed up the initial process, and then cooperating with a team to digest and synthesize responses, I am confident that I will be able to develop a platform that makes sense far faster than a lone candidate who tries to "put his ear to the ground", and I trust that this will be all to clear when you see what happens to the polls after debates.

Any ideas vagabond?

I have the beginnings of a great many ideas on the matter, but I will answer this question exactly as I would govern and exactly as I will originate threads in the new forum that will be entrusted to our president and vice president: with meticulous research.

For that reason, I decline to offer a knee-jerk opinion at this time, while I am still involved in the initial stages of the process. It would likely yield little more than a fencing match between us, and I am not predisposed to mount such a defense of an idea until appropriately explored its merit.

Rest assured that over the weeks to come that and other planks of my platform will take shape, and between then and November there will be ample debate on them, which I intend to be completely prepared for.

My friendly advice is that by whatever system you intend to use you should likewise explore all implications of what you have just suggested and fully develop it before looking for a discussion with other candidates. The people can ill afford mistakes by their elected leaders, and will probably not look favorably upon candidates who shoot from the hip at the risk of getting it wrong.

Originally posted by The Vagabond
You guys would absolutely lose it if you had any idea of the team I've been assembling... last chance to drop out and join my staff.

I saw that squirrel team you got working in that sweatshop for no more than 5 acorns a day. Outsourcing already huh? I see. Well, best of luck with the squirrel team.

Anyway, I'm already working on getting some bigger names to join with me in my endeavor to take the ATS House. You'll just have to wait and see who I get. Good luck Vaga, you're gonna need it.

For Democracy,

TheBorg

Well I for one will be running a clean campaign. I will not lower myself to the level of muckrakeing and namecalling.

But I am not above shameless plugs for my campaign.


Vote What

I can't wait for this race to start, and may I say let the best member win.

I've already been involved in two unsuccessful ATS elections, so I think I'll sit this one out.

But if anyone needs an advisor, I'm available.