I Would've Made A Good President.

I was thumbing through my scrapbook of various things recently (I could call it the Binder of Broken Dreams) and I came across many of my ideas of governing and policy.

I'm amazed at just how many good ideas I've had over the last few years......

I can't believe I almost fell for a NotDayton post.

Is he trolling?

Shut. Up.

I would have made a great one. And if anyone tried to do a JFK on me the jokes on them -
I would be wearing a leather jacket thanks to my head of security Space Turkey!

This is officially the stupidest thing I'll read all week.

Yes. oldfella made no sense whatsoever.

But you think that you did?

Yes. Dinner.

I think I have lots of good ideas that if properly implemented would be very useful and productive.

@Dayton3, don't be stingy, share the ideas here, for our edification. You've acknowledged recently that the Presidency is not in your future, but maybe one of the other Wordforge dreamers can still make it. One of your ideas could go the distance!

Alright, Dayton. Let's hear them.

For one, it has long been a tradition that a new president puts one member of the opposition party in his cabinet.

If I were president I would put three members of the opposition party (Democratic) in my cabinet.

And what would this achieve?

Innovative. Truly this will fix something.

Promotion of political unity. Give both parties a clear stake in governmental success. Promoting a variety of alternate ideas and approaches at the cabinet level.

One would think.

So what would your platform have been?

I'm sure it would've varied somewhat based on the specific economic, social, and diplomatic situation at the particular years.

In general I had nine major points.

1) Cut the federal budget deficit by 50% per year. Half through economic growth and half through budget cuts (first year would've been the most difficult).

I assumed a federal deficit of about 1 trillion when I promoted this idea. It is projected at half that now so obvious things would change

2) Cut illegal immigration by half by the time I left office. Mainly through rigorous enforcement of existing laws, steadily improved border security, assistance to Mexico in promoting economic growth and opportunity, and sanctions against U.S. employers.

3) Reduce elective abortions in the U.S. by 50% by the time I left office. Mainly by providing states with special incentives to take local measures to reduce the number of abortions performed. IIRC, the Clinton Admin. had a similar program to reduce teenage pregnancy.

4) Cut the number of American military personnel stationed on foreign soil by 40%. General move away from using land forces in military operations with more emphasis on air strikes and naval power.

5) Implement the 4% for Freedom program. Maintain defense spending at 4% of the GDP.

6) Eliminate at least 6 cabinet departments through downgrading back to their bureau status previously (like Veterans) or reorganizing and consolidating departments such as recombining Health & Human Services (HHS) with Education and turning against into HEW (Health, Education and Welfare).

7) The United States launches 4 manned space missions per year and launches 1 unmanned space probe mission per year. (I have a more detailed list of course).

Off hand that is ones I can think of.

So just fantasy stuff and window dressing without anything of substance nor any ideas how to actually achieve anything? Decrease abortions but no practical plan beyond making them harder to get? No real sex ed or increased access to birth control?

No, Dayton, you wouldn't have made a good President.

I don't know. Decreasing abortions could be a good thing depending on how it's done wouldn't it? Abortion doesn't always equal good.

That is why you give states incentives and let them handle the details. What works in one state won't work in another.

At any rate, a platform isn't generally supposed to be a laundry list of legislation.

I agree. The problem is he doesn't explain how to do it beyond something very vague. Here is an idea: provide real sex ed in schools, not that failed right wing abstanence only junk, and increase access to birth control and you will decrease both the number of abortions and the rate of sexually transmitted diseases. That last one actually is a valid public health issue.

Instead all Dayton seems to be doing is picking an arbitrary number but giving no realistic way to achieve that goal beyond just telling those dirty whores that President Dayton says no.

The best ones are. Check out FDR's promises about his first 100 days. He campaigned on them and they were a list of concrete legislation and actions all with a time frame.

I was flipping through old photo albums, and there's a pic of me at 4 years old in Superman footy pajamas, and you know, I really would have been a good Superman.
A few months in the gym, some pomade in my hair, and step aside, Henry Cavill.

Uh huh.

Post a link.

Because if I recall correctly, FDR was so confident of victory in 1932 that he AVOIDED specific proposals and refused to endorse any even during the 4 months from his election to his swearing in.