The choices for president this election year are disturbingly weak. Each seems confused in some way, with one or more aspects of their approach and personality being deeply wrong. The problem is not that the country needs someone with a new or old vision of what to do or the charisma to force those ideas through. America does not need a king or tyrant. What the U.S. needs is a leader who will remind us of who we are and who will patiently but forcefully encourage our elected leaders to govern.
With that said, my ideal candidate will run on the following platform:
1. Stop pulling power into the office of president and away from the states and Congress. Go to Congress and push them, unceasingly, to do their jobs. Encourage them in every way to find common ground, to simplify government for the people...to legislate. If Congress refuses to act responsibly then go to the governors of the states to ask them if they want this responsibility in their hands through constitutional amendments. With all that encouragement to legislate, then if Congress still cannot act responsibly, for example on immigration reform, healthcare, or education, maybe a supermajority of states would like to take that authority down to the state level through a constitutional amendment. The federal government would cede those powers and move to a role of facilitator, encouraging incubation of ideas and policies at the state level, as well as helping states to form coalitions to work together when their policies are consistent with one another.
2. Stop picking on the Muslims (Donald!), but be more clear that there is a problem with the written doctrine of Islam and Sharia law (all the rest of you!). Islam is an idea, not a person. It's writings are truly, and widely, contrary to our constitution and cannot be tolerated in the United States. As painful as it is to admit, Islam, as a doctrine and as a nation that follows its word, is at war with us. How to address the politics of Islam is one topic in great need of attention from a united and purposeful Congress.
3. Lift up the American people! Whether you liked Ronald Reagan or not, there is no denying that Americans deeply enjoyed and vigorously responded to his reminders that the hard work, imagination and ingenuity of everyday Americans has always been what made our nation successful. Americans deserve to be reminded of this regularly. Since he left office, our nation's focus has been more on identifying victim groups who need more help. We have become a nation of victims looking for more benefits and rights for our own victim-groups. Surely there are real victims, as there are those who are physically or mentally unable to work. It seems that, today, these people do not get as much support as they should because what resources we have to give are shared among so many who are not so put upon, but actually could be proud, working contributors to our nation's success. To tempt those able-bodied and able-minded people to seek faceless federal handouts instead of building local relationships with individuals who would encourage them to work and contribute is to play a part in stealing their dignity.
So that is it. Encourage the American system of governance to work the way it was intended, begin a discussion about the problematic ideas in Islam and what to do about them, and restore the American people by reminding them that their joy and their nation's success will come from contributing, not from taking.
So who is the candidate that will say these things AND truly pursue them once in office? Is it too late for someone in the running to adjust their message?
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