Sep 04, 2008 12:01 AM GMT
Since it's election time again, I thought I'd ask people what they'd like to see in their ideal political party. Be serious or be funny, either way doesn't matter to me. I just like to hear people's ideas.
If you could create your own political party, what would it be like?
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Sep 04, 2008 12:01 AM GMT -
Sep 04, 2008 12:19 AM GMTconativejj saidSince it's election time again, I thought I'd ask people what they'd like to see in their ideal political party. Be serious or be funny, either way doesn't matter to me. I just like to hear people's ideas.
I think I'd like a mixture of Dems and Republicans, including:
-The socially progressive mindset of the Dems
-The political effectiveness of the Reps.
-Challenging the dominant party and keeping checks and balances in place like the Dems say they do (but actually doing it)
-Reducing federal government spending and power like the Reps say they do (but actually doing it)
-More acceptance of gays like in the Democratic party
-More gay sex like in the Republican party -
Sep 04, 2008 12:25 AM GMTdowal said
conativejj saidSince it's election time again, I thought I'd ask people what they'd like to see in their ideal political party. Be serious or be funny, either way doesn't matter to me. I just like to hear people's ideas.
I think I'd like a mixture of Dems and Republicans, including:
-The socially progressive mindset of the Dems
-The political effectiveness of the Reps.
-Challenging the dominant party and keeping checks and balances in place like the Dems say they do (but actually doing it)
-Reducing federal government spending and power like the Reps say they do (but actually doing it)
-More acceptance of gays like in the Democratic party
-More gay sex like in the Republican party
Nice one at the end there dude! They do tend to have the hottest wildest sex don't they? I guess it's all those years of repression eh?
Aside from that, I like the rest of your points too and agree 110%. -
Sep 04, 2008 3:54 AM GMTdowal said
conativejj saidSince it's election time again, I thought I'd ask people what they'd like to see in their ideal political party. Be serious or be funny, either way doesn't matter to me. I just like to hear people's ideas.
I think I'd like a mixture of Dems and Republicans, including:
-The socially progressive mindset of the Dems
-The political effectiveness of the Reps.
-Challenging the dominant party and keeping checks and balances in place like the Dems say they do (but actually doing it)
-Reducing federal government spending and power like the Reps say they do (but actually doing it)
-More acceptance of gays like in the Democratic party
-More gay sex like in the Republican party
I agree! I'd also like a focus on Separation of Church and State. I happen to be pretty religious in my thinking, but believe each should stay out of the other. I feel that the Christian Coalition has done so much to turn back the idea our ancestors came here for. I mean for Christ's sake (literally), Jesus said very clearly that government is evil. Add in a focus to reshape the UN to get more involved in international affairs so we can stay out of them. -
Sep 04, 2008 4:01 AM GMTIn addition to what you guys have said, I would add that this party's elected officials must not only take an oath to support and defend the Constitution, but that it's members be active enough to rise up against them and force them from office when they don't.
For example, if this hypothetical party had someone like Pelosi who says (unconstitutionally) that "impeachment is off the table" rather than allow it to come to a vote on the floor of the house, this party's members would demand her immediate resignation and place enough pressure on her to ensure it. Likewise, her fellow elected officials would turn their back on her, even if she was the Speaker, and withdraw all support of her initiatives and actions.
It's not perfect, but it's a start. And worst case scenario, we'd vote her out in the next election assuming she survives the pressure that long. -
Sep 04, 2008 4:05 AM GMTI remember back in the 90s, either for Clinton's reelection or for the election after his, there was an obscure candidate that actually wanted to make maximum use of clipper ships in the navy and use the ships to increase jobs, etc, etc. Everything was based on his fascination with clipper ships. His name is Michael Levinson. More about whacky Presidential candidates here from a story ran in TIMES magazine: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,983871,00.html?promoid=googlep -
Sep 04, 2008 4:14 AM GMTMy favorite "non-serious" political party is the "National Barking Spider Resurgence Party" founded here in the great state of Colorado. Actually made some good points in a funny "Dave Barry" sort of way.
For example:
Taxes: Eliminate most of the income tax down to a low flat rate, then charge a nationwide sales tax on everything. Eliminate all double taxations, and fire all tax lawyers.
Abortion: This quote from the NBSRP platform says it best: "Get over the so-called 'progressive' notion that you aren't responsible for your own actions. Get responsible, or take your 'blame everyone else but yourself' ass to France, where irresponsibility and blaming someone else is a national pastime."
The Environment: The party is in favor of clean air and clean water policies. And, according to the platform, the only reason New Jersey has more hazardous material dumpsites and California has more fiscally bankrupting liberal lawyers is that New Jersey had first choice.
Alternative Energy: It's what the party is all about; we must harness the excess methane produced and synthesize it into useable fuels.
Girl Scout cookies: The NBSRP pledges to spend $25 annually during the Girl Scout cookie drive, preferably on Thin Mints.
Foreign Policy: We shouldn't enforce our way of life on the rest of the world and should instead use careful diplomacy and understanding.
Edewekashun: Education currently sucks in America. Eliminate the Department of Education and return school control to individual states, allowing different states to provide different levels of educational support. This means bad schools in Mississippi and good schools in Colorado.
Meatloaf: The party wholeheartedly supports meatloaf, but is also supportive of a special soyloaf option for those of vegetarian persuasion. On the important issue of Bat Out of Hell II, the party does not take an active stance.
More here: http://everything2.com/e2node/National%2520Barking%2520Spider%2520Resurgence%2520Party -
Sep 04, 2008 5:36 AM GMTOkay, here's what my party would do. Of course, I'd be the one in The White House as President.
First, every newborn child would be issued a musical instrument.
Every other drinking fountain in parks and malls would have Kool-Aid.
And, in the Oval Office I'd hang an 11-foot, light-up model of the STARSHIP ENTERPRISE. Original Series, of course.
Seriously, my party would embrace The Second Ammendment, and gun ownership would be esier, provided you're not convicted of a violent crime or have been diagnosed as psychotic or bipolar, at least not a violent bipolar.
Police would be ABSOLUTELY REQUIRED to have probable cause before any traffic stop, search and seizure, or anything else. Miranda Rights would be reinstated.
Marijuana would be LEGAL ACROSS THE BOARD.
IRS wold be eliminated as it stands now. Instead we wold have a national sales tax on everything. Property taxes on homes would be eliminated. If you own the property free and clear, it's JUST THAT. FREE AND CLEAR,no more losing your home because you couldn't pay taxes. Individuals and couples, married or not, would be allowed to own no more than TWO homes or residences. No more voracious buying-up of homes as "an investment" to be flipped for profit. Hoes are not to be used as a trading chip. They are for people to live in.
Housing prices would be forcibly brought under control. Average people would once again be able to afford a home. Real estate speculators would be banned from business.
Energy research would be centered around cold fusion based on Helium-3 from the Moon, therefore we'd rebuild our space program, as well as enable greater private efforts to get into space. There would also be heavy asistance and research into cracking hydrogen from plain water to power cars just like Stan Meyer was, and many other are, trying to do. There would also be major incentives for using solar and wind power, more than what we offer now.
Gay marriage and adoption would be legal.
Abortion would be completely legal.
People with AIDS and other life-threatening illnesses would be free to purchase their meds from other countries like Brazil if the drug companies here in the U.S. refuse to stop profiteering. Such drug companies would be punished for profiteering, and research would move toward a CURE, not just management.
Families would only be allowed to have TWO natural children. After that if they want more, there would be financial incentives for adopting AMERICAN children first. You want a big family? Save some orphans. Charity begins at home. If they insist on having more babies of their own, they would be HEAVILY TAXED, at a rate of 50% of their income. They wanna overpopulate the planet? Fine, they'll have to pay for it!
There would be Gays and Lesbians allowed to serve openly in the military.
There would be greater protection of our natural resources such as wilderness lands. National Parks would be UNTOUCHABLE by development or Big Business.
Companies that make goods here in the U.S. would get tax breaks. Those that make goods abroad would be heavily tariffed if such goods could be made here instead.
Animal Shelters would receive subsidies to keep their healthy animals alive. Shelters would be heavily discouraged from killing unwanted animals.
Citizens would be encouraged to adopt shelter animals.
Nudity on beaches would be legalized, and nudity in National Parks would remain legal and sacred.
There would be HEAVY funding of The Arts. Television would be encouraged to broadcast more intelligent programming. Things such as UFC and NASCAR would be discouraged.
President's Council on Physical Fitness would be revived.
Twice a week The President would set aside 6 hours to meet the general public in The White House to discuss whatever the people need to discuss, just the way Andrew Jackson did.
Lastly, we would keep our military strong by encouraging enlistment and offering greater incentives to serve. We would also demand that our public schools allow NO CHILD to graduate who does not deserve to.
Gang membership wold be an automatic ticket into the military. If they don't shape-up there, they spend the next 20 years behind bars, but they will also GET AN EDUCATION and not just be housed.
Most people do have potential, they've just never been taught to look for it. Our party would help encourage people's dreams and life-hopes. -
Sep 04, 2008 4:53 PM GMTThis is what I would do..if I could...
Socially liberal
Heavily Green - pressure on builders to include solar on all new homes (they may have to give up installing the granite counters....)
Ban fast and junk food from all schools, tax the other fast and junk food providers to help pay for the diabetic and obesity epidemic
Some viable form of universal health care (funding assisted by junk foods taxes)
Plan, study, begin to build National, state of the art high speed rail
More parks and protected open space
Education overhaul heavy in science, math and art
Bring troops home to sweep clean gang infested cities, protect the borders, ports and be ready to assist and protect americans here at home
Massive overhaul of nations waste water treatment plants to protect lakes, rivers and oceans
Mandatory controls on all offshore fishing (limited to seasons) to protect stocks and allow them to grow back to healthy numbers, imposing heavy taxes on imports from other coutries who fail to follow (the whole ocean food chain is on the brink of collapse)
Mandatory replacement of coal plant stacks to capture and reduce arsenic, particulate and mercury ouput (most fresh water fish in the US are unsafe to eat)
Connecting species migration routes allowing them to even cross under or over existing interstate safely.
*All this creating millions of new jobs in many new shifted industries
And do it all ASAP..not make target goals for 2050......
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Sep 04, 2008 5:04 PM GMTi think several parties have great strengths... if you could take the best of each party and make a new one that'd be awesome.
the idealist/utopian party might look like this:
the acceptance of diversity from the democrats
the priority given to sustainable culture from the greens
the stripping of federal power from the libertarians
the protection of consumers from the followers of nader
the sense of resposibility to and from all from the communists
the sense of self-empowered economics from the republicans
the willingness to help those in genuine need from the socialists
the ability to vote on issues, rather than personalities, from the independents
hey, you asked what it'd be like. you didn't say it had to be realistic. -
Sep 04, 2008 5:47 PM GMTLots of good ideas.
Along with all the others, I would like a party that is not connected to business in anyway. I think they have taken over the gov, esp. oil, medicine and pharmacy companies and we are all paying because of it.
I would also like a party that does not thank God in anyway! -
Sep 04, 2008 6:05 PM GMTA mixture of liberal economics, social progressiveness and fiscal conservatism. A willingness to work with other countries in dealing with world problems.
No political party in the world has this mixture, certainly none in the USA -
Sep 04, 2008 6:13 PM GMTIn response to taxing junk food. I think an easier route would be to just stop subsidizing it so that it is just as expensive, if not more so, than healthier alternatives.
In the same respect, I think we should end all subsidies to large industries and corporations. I still support some subsidizing to small businesses to help them get going for the first few years.
Of course, in such an environment, the American automotive, banking, agricultural, pharmaceutical, and airline industries would all fall apart in the face of better foreign products and services.
So another mandatory plank for my ideal party would be true support of free market capitalism. No more of this corporatism BS. -
Sep 04, 2008 8:25 PM GMTeven though i tend to lean very left on many political topics, much of what i said i would like to do are ideas that have been expressed by Arnold Schwarzenegger, a republican.
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Sep 05, 2008 12:27 PM GMTI think like a lot of you are suggesting, some sort of blended party is the way to go. But in real life, how do we go about promoting it and making sure it doesn't get marginalized by the media and big business? How to we make sure people don't adopt the traditional circular reasoning that this party has no chance to win so it's not worth supporting?
It's apparent that a good majority of the independents in the US and a lot of people in both parties are tired of our current Republicrat party. In that kind of environment, I don't see why we don't have stronger third parties.
I remember last year a group called Unity '08 (google them) trying to bring about a party created by its members based on what they wanted to see in a party. The result is pretty close to what you guys have said on here. But still, it was marginalized, rarely mentioned in the media, and got very little support outside its member base. Even though most people would like to be apart of something like their idea, where everyone contributes to the party's decisions and issues. Yet it got zero support and backing. -
Sep 05, 2008 1:14 PM GMTconativejj saidI think like a lot of you are suggesting, some sort of blended party is the way to go. But in real life, how do we go about promoting it and making sure it doesn't get marginalized by the media and big business? How to we make sure people don't adopt the traditional circular reasoning that this party has no chance to win so it's not worth supporting?
It's apparent that a good majority of the independents in the US and a lot of people in both parties are tired of our current Republicrat party. In that kind of environment, I don't see why we don't have stronger third parties.
I remember last year a group called Unity '08 (google them) trying to bring about a party created by its members based on what they wanted to see in a party. The result is pretty close to what you guys have said on here. But still, it was marginalized, rarely mentioned in the media, and got very little support outside its member base. Even though most people would like to be apart of something like their idea, where everyone contributes to the party's decisions and issues. Yet it got zero support and backing.
It would be very difficult. In Canada only two parties have ever held power. The Conservatives and the Liberals (the Conservatives are likely to win a majority in a few weeks). I have voted for both in the past, but like many I have been turned off by the Conservatives appealing to the religious fundamentalists (yes we do have them in Canada). We have the socialist New Democratic Party (NDP) who have won provinical elections, but have never been able to appeal to the whole country, and now the Green party which is gaining more and more support, but is not likely ever to get a few seats. They do not participate in the debates because they do not have any seats in the Federal parliament.
