Voters? We don't need no stinkin' Voters!

Voting thoughts:

The wife and I have given lots of thought to the vote this year. We certainly consider ourselves independents. I’m stuck this year. Last time around I voted for myself (you are welcome to write me in if you want, it’s spelled “Jon Jared Paget”). My list of demands from a candidate are simple:

Balanced budget. What kind of message do we send to people when the federal government is running in the red? We need some fiscal responsibility. We need to be responsible for our federal budget and do what it takes to balance it. There needs to be a plan to control and reduce the deficit.

Taxes. This is an ugly subject. No one wants to raise taxes. Bush lowered taxes when he took office to “give back” the people the excess money in the federal budget. After 9/11 that money disappeared, the war started, but tax cuts stuck around. When we are in the red in our personal budgets we think the only solution is to make more money – so then why don’t people support raising taxes? It’s simple – we are spending more money than we have revenue – we have to BOTH cut back on spending and raise more federal revenue.

Foreign Policy. I honestly could write a book about this. The Bush Doctrine (for those of you, like Sarah Palin, who don’t know) states that the USA has the right to attack anyone they feel is threatening them - it’s contained in the document “The National Security Strategy of the United States of America.” From our side of the fence it looks good: If we feel threatened we can attack. Now, think this through: what if other countries take the same approach? North Korea, China, Iran, Syria, Russia, even Laos all could very easily adapt the same policy, citing the USA as their inspiration. Do we really want every country on earth attacking everyone else as soon as they feel threatened. I don’t. We need to set the global example.

Iraq. We should have never gone in. As congress voted on the issue, a room full of foreign policy grad students I was in agreed that we could never be successful in Iraq. If graduate students can come to that conclusion, why can’t our foreign policy leaders. Now that we are in Iraq, we can’t leave and not expect a full out civil war. The only real exit strategy is to pick a side and arm them to the teeth and train them all to smoosh anyone who opposes them.

Healthcare. This is a hot button issue. Healthcare insurance should not be a for-profit business. Talk to any economist – we already pay for the healthcare of the uninsured. Yes – the government does a horrible job of managing a lot of things (just go to your driver’s license office); but who better to manage healthcare?? I can’t think of anyone…

Abortion. Here’s where I take a right hand turn. Abortion is not a form of birth control. If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime. I do not think it’s too much to ask people to use some self control.

Gay Marriage. I find it sad that this is even an issue. I don’t believe in condoning homosexuality activity in any form. I love all of God’s children and will do what I can to help them be happy within God’s commandments.

Energy. We need to dump billions into solar power. Imagine how much better we would be if we put the money and effort into Solar Power that we put into the Iraq war.

Education. Imagine if we put the billions from Iraq into education. What a total revolution our school system would have! We need the best and the brightest at the head of our schools. Stop skimping on our future!

Environment. Mandatory full recycling. They do it in Japan. We can do it here too.

That’s a basic outline. I don’t think I’m that far off base on any of these. You are welcome to disagree. Unfortunately, I don’t see that any candidate agrees with me.

I honestly would most likely vote for 0Bama if it weren’t for the “moral” issues I have with his policy. If he does win, it gives us 8 years to derail Hillary’s next attempt. In 8 years you can really ruin someone. If McCain wins, he has to run against Hillary in 4 years. I really don’t like her. If 0bama wins, Romney runs against him in 4 years. I don’t see the economy being much better with either of them in office and there is a good chance the next president will be a one-termer.

I still think we should all just make Mr T dictator. He'd be the man.