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NonProgressive, proAmerican, Pro capitalism. Anti NAFTA, anti taxation, Anti nationalized healthcare. Small government including getting rid of the Dept of Education. Sure the list will get longer but these things are a must for me, and I can't find it in many.
If the Republicans can get on board, they can actually win with a moderate candidate. The problem, I think, is that the current environment is not conducive to a moderate. As such, they will likely nominate someone that's far too right which will only hurt their chances in 2012. For those reasons, I think Obama will win re-election.
As a slightly left leaning voter, I prefer someone that will stick to their values and is a moderate politically. Even better would be someone that's somewhat fiscally conservative and somewhat liberal in regards to social programs. Having said that, I think the ability to compromise on some issues is very important. It's too bad that so few politicians are willing to do that.
1. an experienced do-er (a governor, a businessman, a mayor, a runner of a large non-profit org.). Someone who has experience dealing with problems, not just a person with ideas. Someone who has had to work within a budget. Former lawyers, consultants, analysts, academics and those who ran for Congress with no managerial/CEO experience need not apply. Ideas are like a**h*les, everyone has one. If you didn't run something significant, adios.
2. a person who has demonstrated by their experience that big government is not the answer. I want to hear specifics on what federal government departments/agencies would be eliminated or scaled back under their administration. I want to hear specifics on the federal regulations that will be eliminated. I don't want pie in the sky ideas. I want to hear that there is a plan and how much money it will save taxpayers. I want to hear about the time you turned down a federal handout for something that was not a federal mandate. If you say you are eliminating the IRS you aren't telling the truth since someone has to collect whatever taxes from whatever tax system is in play so don't exaggerate and just say you are eliminating the federal income tax.
3. Someone who doesn't have the enthusiastic support of the Republican Machine and that machine includes the snooty DC urban elitist analysts (Krauthammer, Kristol, Barnes) on Fox News. If I see a person is being pushed on me by The Machine, that person is automatically off my list.
4. someone who doesn't have personal debt. If you can't pay your own bills and/or taxes, do you really think you should get the keys to the White House so you can mismanage our money?
5. Education - we're churning out idiots, underachievers and non-competitive nincompoops and those are just the ones that actually graduate high school with their inflated grades. They are the entitlement receivers of the future. The education system needs radical change and I don't mean a politically radical curriculum or dumping more money into them. I'd like to see the entire public school system scrapped. Business needs to step up and take over. I want to see a candidate who has stood up to the teachers union and doesn't take a dime from them in political contributions out muscle them. If you can't stand up to the teachers union don't look for my vote.
6. Illegal immigration and the entitlements that go with it has to stop. Someone who has no plan to get the job done can take a hike on Election Day. Stop sucking up to the Hispanic vote and do the right thing for the taxpaying citizens (including American citizen hispanics). I'd like to put that moat and water filled with gators around Washington, DC.
7. The federal government has no business being in the marriage business, the healthcare business, telling you or your kids what you can eat, nudging you to buy certain cars, getting between you and your doctor, telling you when you can and can't use electricity, etc.. A politician who thinks the Federal government has no business in your business is not crazy despite how the Elitist Republican Machine and Democrats try to label them.
8. If you can't articulate Paul Ryan's plan on Medicare, don't waste my time or fill up my mailbox looking for campaign contributions. It tells me you have no b*lls and are only concerned with getting elected.
9. You better promise to start drilling on Day 1 of your presidency. Ten years ago, 20 years ago, we heard the same lame "You won't see an impact for 10 years" excuse that we're hearing now. If it was done 10 years ago, it wouldn't be an issue now.
10. The candidate needs to articulate to the American public the connection between high fuel prices and the pass down cost of food and other products. I don't understand the inability of Republicans to make the public understand this...and many Americans don't. While we are at it, where is the candidate playing the Obama tape about "under my plan of cap and trade, electricity costs will necessarily skyrocket" along side of video and audio of Obama pushing electric cars? Or where is the side by side video/audio of Obama giving money to Petrobras to do the same drilling he wouldn't allow in the Gulf. Where is the side by side video of the people that supported Obamacare next to the same people that received Obamacare waivers? Where is the Republican candidate that can make these connections for people? I'm not seeing it.
11. The candidate should have a foreign policy not a "make it up as we go along" one. The Vice President should be very strong in this area since my president of choice would be a governor or businessman. Also, I don't want to be Switzerland. A strong show of military might doesn't mean you have to use it willy nilly. You just need to be the biggest kid on the block to command respect.
Personally, I'd also like to see the UN get the heave-ho and fire everyone in the State Department and start over but I don't expect that to be a platform of a candidate.
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