What I want to see in this election cycle (all of them really)
By lilwonders
@lilwonders456 (8214)
United States
May 7, 2011 6:55pm CST
Everyone has a pipe dream and I am no exception. Mine is how this election and it's debates should be handled. Here is what I think should happen
Debates usually take an hour 1/2 to 2 hours. So instead of giving the candidates 2 to 3 minutes to answer each question take the whole time allowed for the debate, split it up equally between all the candidates and let them use that time to explain to the public what they feel the issues are and exactly how they will fix it. Allowed just a couple of minutes to answer a question means all you reallly get is a sound bite. Nothing of substance. Do you really want to pick the next president on sound bites (or any elected official)?
I would LOVE to see the candidates use that time to prepare a powerpoint presentation complete with S.M.A.R.T goals and an action plan. You know...show us they are taking it seriously. That way I know
1. If the candidate really does know the problems facing this country and fully undestands them.
2. If their specific plan is good, reasonable and do-able. Someone who understands the problem but does not have a solid plan on how to fix it does not do us any good.
3. Holds them accountable by putting a timeline on each one. Don't get it done...don't look to get re-elected...if you don't get recalled.
As for the election...I want to see the candidate focus on how they will do the job and NOT spend it trashing the other guys. The whole "vote for me because I suck less than they do" thing is immature and frankly childish. Plus it means YOU STILL SUCK and your an immature idiot to boot. We need professionals in our offices...not brats.
Why is this a pipe dream you might ask.....because most politicans hate to give specifics. They do not want to be held accountable for anything once elected. They want to give speeches and have gatherings that are basically pep rallies. But guess what..we are the boss not them....so if we demand it...they will have to do it if they want the job.
so does this sound good to you or do you perfer the usual way elections are run? Do you like the "smear" campaigns or do you like a "clean" campaign?
2 people like this
4 responses
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
8 May 11
You can wish in one hand and poop in the other and see which fills first. Politicians are like that...they seldom answer the question with a straight forward firm, none shifting answer. We need some business men in the white house, not a bunch of ancient, "been there 30years", reprobates who haven't done an honest days work in the 50+ years they been alive. I think terms should be shorter for them... some have been in office for 30 years or more...and look at the country! Obviously they are not doing their jobs...why they continue to get re-elected is beyond me, but it ain't going to change until literally "New Bloods" get in there.
1 person likes this
@lilwonders456 (8214)
• United States
8 May 11
The only reason they get away with it is because we let them.
1 person likes this
@lilwonders456 (8214)
• United States
8 May 11
Oh and add to that...I want the news organizations that run the debates to ask "real" questions. I was completely ticked off when I heard Fox news ask Gary Johnson about what kind of reality show he would have if he had one. I mean come on...that was a BS question. It was insulting to Johnson and to the whole american public. THey should have only asked serious questions and not treated the debate as a joke. Not that fox news had a lot of creditbility before....be they lost even more of by throwing out non issue questions like that.
Shame on you Fox News.
1 person likes this
@bobmnu (8157)
• United States
8 May 11
It sounds good but i would suggest that they have a true debate. Have one topic that they both give opening statements with their position. Then each side gets to rebut their opponents plan. Then have each side select several experts to ask question of the other person.
Instead of trying to cover many things they would be focused on Health Care, The Economy, National Security etc.
1 person likes this
@lilwonders456 (8214)
• United States
12 May 11
That is a great idea. Have "theme" debates. Each debate only covers one topic. That way we get more information and less sound bits.
1 person likes this
@Rollo1 (16679)
• Boston, Massachusetts
8 May 11
I do think that longer response times can give the candidates more time to fully explain their positions. It can also give them more time for obfuscation and BS. That is going to depend on the candidate.
I think what you want, and what everyone wants, is more substance and less of the catch-phrases that sound good but mean nothing. "Hope and Change" sounds good, resonates with everyone but ultimately is not a plan, it's just wishful thinking.
The candidate who will beat Obama will be the one with the clearest vision, the most specific plan and the one who is able to articulate that fully to anyone at anytime without notes or teleprompters. The only way to know if they believe what they are saying is if they are able to say it spontaneously. I think we are all tired of the candidate who says what he believes is the most politically convenient thing to say. We need some candidates who are honest enough and gutsy enough to speak the truth.
@Rollo1 (16679)
• Boston, Massachusetts
12 May 11
I think there's been a huge shift in the attitude of the electorate. With this last election they have come to see the dangers of falling for vague but pretty ideas and persuasive language. They have come to recognize that the first step to fixing a problem is to identify it. That might mean pointing out some ugly truths. However, they'll have to follow up that diagnosis with a persuasive and effective treatment plan to cure the problem. We don't want salves or bandaids. We want to eradicate those problems because we don't want them to return in full force a few years down the road. The traditional trend in politics has been for politicians to try easy fixes that make things seem better for enough people for the politician to get elected again. Now, after years of these policies, the chickens have come home to roost. I hope that the American people are fed up enough to listen to real solutions.
@lilwonders456 (8214)
• United States
12 May 11
I think you are right. But if you listen to the politicans they say politicans that tell the ugly truth instead of a pretty lie...don't get voted for. Does that mean most of Americans want to be lied to? I know I will take an ugly truth over a pretty lie any day.
2 people like this
@retfar (11)
• United States
11 May 11
I an not surprised that no one answered your post in 3 days, people just don't care! People who work for or get free money from the government will vote for a candidate who promises to continue giving you free money or not cut your governments job. Forty million get food stamps ,that's a lot of votes.
Obama promised faster social security disability claims people who have legit claims are still waiting but they voted for him.
As far as debates go the sponsors get to decide who debates and what the questions are. many candidates don't get invited to debates why probably they don't have the money. There use to be when candidates had to be given equal time by the media now the media dictates who gets on the news and who won't! A political debate should be like what law students have to do win an argument not time is up the next question is....
Now one has to be invited to the big town meetings when candidate come to town don't try to sneek in you could go to jail!
Fifteen months of trash politics to go threw 90-180 days is enough to get one point across for people to vote for you.
As for incumbents what did they do it's nearly impossible to find out there full records. We only get what the media wants us to see and hear.
The old saying is that good guy's finish last, how true in politics.
@lilwonders456 (8214)
• United States
12 May 11
yeah it does seem that the nice guys finish last. I hope that changes.
As for the media..I think people are waking up to their BS. In the internet age people can find out more information on their own and research the candidates on their own without having to rely on the news organizations to hand feed them "their" verson of the truth.
1 person likes this
