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The Ideal Democratic Candidate

I was reviewing the comments to my earlier post, the Final Word on the Pile-On, and was struck by how many people are opposed to one candidate or another because they aren't sufficiently left or progressive.

Which reminded me of what I wrote last month about my ideal candidate, following which I noted that no candidate is going to match my positions on issues or even focus on those I care most about.

That would require a candidate who vows as President to impose a moratorium on executions, close Guantanamo, try accused terrorists under the Code of Military Justice or in federal courts, insist Congress abolish mandatory minimum sentences, put a lockbox on my social security benefits and provide mandatory health care, including affordable and compassionate nursing home care, for the elderly.

And of course, a candidate who as President would end the war in Iraq and promise not to get us into other wars preemptively or under false pretenses.

There just is no such candidate who has a chance of winning in this presidential election.

More...

So instead of focusing on individual issues, I'm focusing on the candidates' overall values, their capacity to lead, their experience and yes, their likeability and electability.

But, I'm wondering, what position on issues would your ideal candidate have? And who, among the current crop of candidates, do you think honestly shares them?

Update: Thanks to a commenter below, I see I forgot to add "end the war on drugs and repeal the Patriot Act." The next time I print my list, it will include these.

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  • Display: Sort:
    My Ideal candidate would support/enact (5.00 / 1) (#9)
    by tnthorpe on Thu Nov 01, 2007 at 09:46:43 PM EST
    1. National Health Care
    2. Demilitarisation
    3. End GWOT in favor of coordinated international police action
    4. Free public education from kindergarten to grad school
    5. Clean energy policy-no nuclear subsidies, carbon tax,
    6. Responsible environmental stewardship
    7. Depoliticize the gov't bureaucracy (where to start there?)
    8. Consumer protection from predatory lenders
    9. End NAFTA--make trade fair
    10. Lead on immigration law reform
    11. Address the giant wealth and earnings gap
    12. Leave Iraq, shutdown GITMO, stop illegal surveillance, etc.
    13. Focus on the nation's physical infrastructure and the cities

    My baker's dozen. Oh, and please can the next president, whoever he or she may be, respect and honor the Constitution?


    Kudos to Jeralyn (5.00 / 1) (#12)
    by Jgarza on Thu Nov 01, 2007 at 11:05:58 PM EST
    Who doesn't like to talk about what their ideal candidate would have, and it's even fun to read other peoples. OK here are mine.

    1.funding for extensive commuter and urban rail in and around America's 25 largest cities.

    1. Funding for high speed passenger and freight rail in Americas busiest transportation corridors.

    2. Commitment to decreasing tuition costs

    4.legalize gay marriage.

    5. end the death penalty, and commitment to rights of the accused and prisoners.

    6.funding for criminal rehabilitation.

    1. immigration policy based on first family reunification, then merit and need.

    2. extensive sex ed for all American students

    10.funding equality for all public schools

    11.A general commitment to the environment that includes bold steps tax incentives for using renewable energy and living a less wasteful life style(ie tax credits for living in MF v. SF housing)

    ohh and part two (5.00 / 1) (#13)
    by Jgarza on Thu Nov 01, 2007 at 11:15:32 PM EST
    Who most closest to my ideal candidate?
    I rank Obama fist because he seems most likely to try something that isn't the status quo.
    Second is Hill.  I think she would be innovative, but back down from things if they didn't poll test, even if in the end she would be proved right.
    I don't trust Edwards, he is too fake, plus none of his ideas are new or innovative, he is like a labor party candidate of the 80's.
    The rest so far haven't proved that they have even the remotest chance so i have not seriously considered them.

    Parent
    my ideal candate (5.00 / 1) (#14)
    by Lucidnebula on Thu Nov 01, 2007 at 11:35:26 PM EST
    Jeralyn's list is pretty good, but how about the cruel War on Drugs? a Dem who has compassion should end the War on Drugs.
    My ideal candidate's platform:

    1. Universal health care
    2. Balanced budget, cut pork barrel
    3. Decrease abortion through incentives
    4. End the War on Drugs
    5. Restore the Constitution, repeal Bush's PATRIOT Act and FISA nonsense
    6. Recognize the rights of transgender
    7. Sanction China and other egregious human rights violators


    very good (5.00 / 1) (#16)
    by Jeralyn on Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 12:08:23 AM EST
    I think I'm going to add end the war on drugs and repeal the Patriot Act to my list. I can't believe I left them off. Thank you.

    Parent
    Blinders (none / 0) (#1)
    by RedHead on Thu Nov 01, 2007 at 07:25:34 PM EST


    I was reviewing the comments to my earlier post, the Final Word on the Pile-On, and was struck by how many people are opposed to one candidate or another because they aren't sufficiently left or progressive.

    BTD hammers Obama for not being sufficiently correct on various issues.

    Jeralyn, you have to expect a blacklash, sooner or later, when metaphorically, you poke someone in the eye.

    Word to the wise: if Senator Clinton falls behind, she will knee cap the frontrunner.  When that happens, I hope you're equally outraged.  

    ps don't tase me, bro.

    I don't think that is completely correct (5.00 / 1) (#8)
    by Molly Bloom on Thu Nov 01, 2007 at 09:13:55 PM EST
    I think BTD hammers Obama for not being aggressive enough or partisan enough. I tend to agree with both judgments. I am less impressed with Obama now than I was in 2004. That said I will cheerfully vote for Obama should pull off a miracle here.

    JM's bottom line is correct. Any of the Democratic contenders would be better than any of the GOP. Furthermore what you/we really want is to elect more Democrats and progressives to congress as well as president. The conservative movement needs to be completely repudiated. See John Dean's Broken Government for a complete explanation as to why.

    What we want is a 1932 style mandate  and while gerrymandering prevents similar numbers, a blowout is possible. The further we push Congress back to the center in 08,  the more likely we can push it to the left of center in the future.  It would also make triangulation less likely regardless who is president.

    We need to be in it for the long haul. That is the one lesson we should learn from the conservative movement.

    Parent

    My bad for leaving that out. (none / 0) (#10)
    by RedHead on Thu Nov 01, 2007 at 10:31:12 PM EST
    You're right.

    BTD hammers Obama on temperament and politics in addition to policy.  

    Personally, I find the candidates uninspiring.

    That said, this is a Clinton blog.  And that is so cool.  Really.  But that's what it is, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.  More power to this blog and to the Clinton campaign.

    But don't pretend to be otherwise and wag a sanctimonious finger, with self-serving indignation, if not outrage, "tisk, tisking" other members.  

    Don't get on some phony high-horse and invoke principles, ideals, and propriety when it's a simple case of "you can dish it out, but you can't take it."  

    Don't believe me?  Think the moderators are above the petty emotion, mud slinging, and stand from the high ground when they attack?

    Then ask yourself this, who would the moderators have reacted if Obama voted for Kyl-Lieberman?  He's been rightfully hit hard for wimping out on the vote, in addition for being opportunistic.   Yet by that standard Clinton should have been nailed for a the more flagrant act, voting for the resolution.  Any other candidate would have been pounded into the ground.

    And that is fine.  Just don't pretend the response and position is solely based on principle, completely devoid of politics, because that's phony.

    If the unlikely occurs and Obama surges, will the moderators come to his defense when the pack  piles-on the new frontrunner?  

    Parent

    Can you say Agenda?? (none / 0) (#17)
    by AscotMan on Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 03:44:12 AM EST
    Then ask yourself this, who would the moderators have reacted if Obama voted for Kyl-Lieberman?  He's been rightfully hit hard for wimping out on the vote, in addition for being opportunistic.   Yet by that standard Clinton should have been nailed for a the more flagrant act, voting for the resolution.  Any other candidate would have been pounded into the ground.

    What a post?! I fervently hope someone attempts to rebut this. Way to go, RedHead!


    Parent

    Democrats must be brain-dead (none / 0) (#2)
    by RedHead on Thu Nov 01, 2007 at 07:29:48 PM EST
    Yes, a Halloween reference.

    They must be brain-dead to allow Pumpkin-head to moderate any debate, after he gleefully played Rick Lazlo's hatchet man in the 2000 NY Senate debate.

    It was a stupid decision (none / 0) (#3)
    by DA in LA on Thu Nov 01, 2007 at 07:34:42 PM EST
    But if anything that kind of behavior causes me to support a candidate.  In this case, I was upset with Clinton's lack of answers on a variety of questions.

    Her answer on Iran was particularly upsetting.  She's going to "get a bunch of people together to come up with a plan."  

    Come on.  That's the kind of stuff that comes right out of Bush's mouth.  And considering her vote for the Lieberman bill, she has some explaining to do.

    Parent

    Clinton and Telecos Immunity (none / 0) (#4)
    by RedHead on Thu Nov 01, 2007 at 07:44:05 PM EST
    Has Clinton taken a position on filibustering the immunity bill ??

    Parent
    Yes, (none / 0) (#5)
    by DA in LA on Thu Nov 01, 2007 at 07:59:36 PM EST
    She will support the filibuster.  Only took two days of polling to arrive at that one.

    Parent
    Is this true? (none / 0) (#7)
    by RedHead on Thu Nov 01, 2007 at 08:49:32 PM EST
    A link would be GREATLY appreciated.


    Parent
    a start at my lists... (none / 0) (#6)
    by selise on Thu Nov 01, 2007 at 08:02:56 PM EST
    But, I'm wondering, what position on issues would your ideal candidate have?

    my biggest issues are on the basics - a sort of "rules of the road." i want my candidate to be committed to:

    1. the principle of self government by the people (and not some elite subset of the people)

    2. open and transparent goverment.

    3. telling the truth to the american people.

    4. the principle of universality - whatever the rules (or laws) are going to be, we agree they apply equally to all. so, for example, if we decide it's ok for us to use preventive attacks and wars, then we're ok if others are going to do the same - even if we're that target. or if we think extraordinary rendition is ok, then we're ok with another country doing that to usa citizens (even elected officials).

    5. the universality of human rights.

    well, that's a start. all the other stuff - from torture to universal health care flow from these (and probably a few i've left off)

    And who, among the current crop of candidates, do you think honestly shares them?

    probably none of them do.

    it appears that some of you, including (none / 0) (#11)
    by cpinva on Thu Nov 01, 2007 at 10:31:21 PM EST
    jeralyn, are remiss on basic facts:

    1.

    put a lockbox on my social security benefits

    do you even have the remotest clue what you're even talking about? i thought not. while it makes a great sound bite, it's meaningless. this originally came up with al gore, and even he didn't have a clue. he was smart enough to realize that, and it never came out of his mouth again.

    SS benefits survive strictly at the whim of congress, there are no guarantees, period. the excess funds collected, over the current payouts, go into the trust fund, for future payouts. would you like them to just sit there, gathering dust, or be invested, earning interest? congress decided to invest them in the safest of them, gov't bonds. those bonds represent debt by the gov't, always have, always will, regardless of who buys them.

    2.

    Her answer on Iran was particularly upsetting.  She's going to "get a bunch of people together to come up with a plan."  

    no, that's the intelligent answer, from someone who recoginizes that you kind of need all the facts, before coming up with a workable solution.

    bush would rather just bomb them, after attempting to convince us that they are about to launch nukes on brownsville, tx. ok, maybe that's a bad choice, who'd miss it?

    in any event, that's what presidents are supposed to do, it's why they have a cabinet and all those expert advisors.

    sen. clinton obviously doesn't have all the answers, nor do any of the others. however, she seems to have a much better grasp of what's actually important, then either the rest of the democratic, or any of the current republican candidates.

    not sure if i should count fred thompson at all, it's not even clear that he's actually alive.


    I'm going to go ahead and disagree (none / 0) (#15)
    by DA in LA on Thu Nov 01, 2007 at 11:43:56 PM EST
    It is broad and not an answer at all.  

    Parent
    I've voted (none / 0) (#18)
    by Deconstructionist on Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 06:28:57 AM EST
     for the "lesser evil" in every Presidential election I've ever voted and probably 90+% of all races. Off the top of my head I can think of only a handful of people I've voted for in local races I actually admired and respected. for the most part I have voted for people with varying degrees of serious flaws simply because they had fewer or less severe flaws than their opponents.

      Our system and our society are such that not many "good" people even run for office. Of those that do, a significant number can't win mainly because of the qualities I find appealing are not appealing to those with them money and entrenched power.

       Unlike most people here though, I am not ideologically driven and judge candidates  first and foremost as human beings not as a repository of positions on issues. I'd vote for a person who is honest, ethical, sincere, intelligent, informed and open-minded who disagrees with me on important issues before I'd vote for a slimeball or hack who says what I want said. Obviously, my ideal candidate would be honest, etc. and agree with me, but I think one of the biggest problems we have is that so many people are willing to vote for dishonest, unethical, people simply because they pander to their prejudices.

      I don't have a solution as it is clear pandering, dishonest and unethical people dominate politics.

    A wish list.... (none / 0) (#19)
    by kdog on Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 09:06:58 AM EST
    End all drug, gambling, and prostitution prohibitions.

    Balance budget by shrinking government.  

    End all foreign occupations by US forces.

    Extensive review of all existing federal law leading to massive repeals of ineffective/unnecessary laws.

    Abolish the income tax.

    And people wonder why (none / 0) (#20)
    by scribe on Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 03:29:24 PM EST
    Goldwater Girl gets such a rousingly bad reception here.  Watch the video to see why.