I’ve got a big piece in the magazine this week. The basic idea is that 2008 is too important an election to allow the presidential candidates to just slide by on the same old rhetorical dodges, that we should judge them on their ability to be courageous on some crucial issues.
Then I lay out the issues that I consider most important, and some specific solutions.
My issues are:
–foreign and national security policy
–universal health insurance
–global warming
–education reform
–national service
There are plenty of things here to render last week’s guest blogger, Mr. Armey, apoplectic. It’s socialism, I tell you, socialism! But there are also some ideas that will challenge liberals. I favor a resumption of the military draft with a national service option, for example.
I haven’t suggested things like “End the War in Iraq Now” because I don’t know where the situation in Iraq will be in 2008. I’ve tried to lay down broader foreign policy principles that will prevent future Iraqs from happening.
Here’s your assignment: Tell me what your top five priorities are. Try to be specific. I’ll try to post some of the more creative ones tomorrow. It’s fine for you to criticize my priorities, of course. I suspect some of you will do that. But I’m interested in us, jointly, coming up with an agenda of issues for me to hound the candidates about this year.
I’d also like to take an informal poll: How many are you are optimistic that this election can be about big issues like health insurance or global warming? A one-word answer will suffice: Optimistic. Pessimistic…And yes, yes, the willingness of we slugs in the msm to actually care about substance will be crucial to whether this becomes a serious election or not. I suspect the public is way ahead of both the press and politicians on this. They’re ready. I want you to help me figure out how to proceed from here.
A quick correction: I should have said in the piece that I favor liquified coal only if an acceptable carbon sequestration process is found.