The Vision I Seek.

The Vision I Seek.  As the Republican field for the 2016 presidential nomination grows and the rumble of a Hillary Alternative continues to fester, I am going to take a different approach towards an early endorsement (hah!...FWIW) in the race.  Instead of putting forth a candidate of choice, I am going to put forth what I want to hear from that candidate.

As I have written many times, I believe Barrack Obama is the worst president to have served in my lifetime.  But many of the problems that exist in our country and our government did not begin with him; he just made them a whole lot worse.  The great tragedy with Obama is, and always has been, a matter of lost opportunity.  Government policy and regulation is not a rifle; it is a shotgun.  By the time legislation goes through the messy business of passage, then the messier business of regulation promulgation, and then the even messier business of actual implementation…well, it does not always come out as it was intended.  So I am not going to advocate for specific law or policy.  I want to talk a bit about the principles I would like for this country, and its President, to adhere to.

Fiscal Responsibility:  There is absolutely no doubt that the amount of waste and redundancy in our government is massive; beyond any question massive.  But to talk about how much you can save by “eliminating waste in government” is an overused and empty pledge.  People are tired of hearing it spoken and want to see it demonstrated.  It can be done, but it must start with one program, one agency, one department at a time and then begin to spread incrementally until it is an accepted practice in government.  We HAVE to get this behemoth of a government under control or it will sabotage the future of our children and all those who come after them.  I can accept the judicious use of deficit spending; there is a time and a place for it.  But I have seen Bill Clinton and Newt Gingrich govern in a bipartisan fashion and with the benefit of the Reagan Recovery, this country had a balanced budget for a short time.   With the application of a government that provides both incentives for economic growth and opportunity for all citizens, our economy can astound people and recover in dramatic fashion.  And when that happens, we need to refrain from spending the windfall that is realized.  We need to do what all normal people do when that happens to them; we need to start paying down our debt.

Entitlement Reform: The entitlement programs in our nation, in their current states, are not sustainable.  They will eventually break our country; both fiscally and socially.  There is a large area of agreement between the two parties and professionals about how we can reform Social Security to shore it up.  Let’s get it done.  My children tell me they have no expectation of ever drawing Social Security.  That is a shame for a program that drains such a large percentage of every paycheck they receive.  Medicare and Medicaid must be reformed.  There is every reason to expect that those among us who cannot, through no fault of their own, afford basic and fundamental health care, should receive some support from our government in this area.  We have a moral obligation to care for the least among us.  Medicare and Medicaid hold the potential to accomplish that, as do the plethora of HHS programs.  They can serve as a critical element of the transition away from Obamacare and to a free-market and efficient national health care system.  We MUST get back to providing a “hand up” instead of a “hand out” and we MUST get back to holding every citizen accountable for contributing to the best of their ability before demanding support that is taken from the labor of others.

National Defense: There are very damn few among us who have the capacity, the intelligence, and the resources required to make competent remarks about this nation’s foreign policy.  The plain and simple truth is that we must trust our elected leaders to make the right decisions in this area.  We must have a President who understands his or her limitations, can surround themselves with smart and capable people, and appreciate both the limitations of American power and the preciousness of American blood.  There are certainly times to fight and times to refrain.  I would like to see more cautious restraint from our military, more transparency on why we do what do in foreign policy, and a clear vision on what kind of military we want to finance and how we intend to utilize it to preserve our health and safety.

Immigration Reform.  The history of our nation screams out IMMIGRANT.  We are nothing else if not a melting pot of the good, the bad, and the ugly that the world offered up for entry into this land we call America.  But if are to be a nation of laws, which we must be if we intend to preserve this democracy for future generations, then we must enforce laws as they are written.  We can do so in a compassionate way and we can reform those that need revision, but we must have secure borders, we must have an orderly process for legal immigration, and we must have a common-sense compromise on how to deal with the illegal immigrants that are already in this nation.  We must recognize that no matter how much we might desire such a thing, we cannot adopt all the orphans of the world and treat them the same as we do our natural citizens.  Open doors, reasonable and compassionate policy, and respect for human dignity do not, and should not, immediately translate into governmental benefits and support.  Those are items that must be earned through the established systems that are in place.  Immigration reform is all about “earned opportunity” and that is where the discussion needs to begin.

Race Relations.  In this diverse nation of immigrants, find me a race or class of people who have not experienced some form of discrimination.  Our nation’s shameful treatment of the American Indian; our profit of human flesh from the slave trade; Asian detention camps during the War; the anti-Semitic practices that are still prevalent in our culture; there are few who are untouched by some form or another of discrimination.  Obviously, there are degrees and regional concentrations of discrimination, but it is an ugly side of our culture that has always existed to some degree.  It has resulted in disadvantage for some and advantage for some others.  At some point, we must come to terms with the fact that as long as we continue to make significant distinctions of the basis of race, there will be a “cottage industry” of interest groups that thrive on all aspects of those distinctions.  The word “quota” should be removed from our language.  Reverse discrimination is, in principle, no more justifiable than the original discrimination it is intended to remedy.  Until we begin to classify, recognize, record, and relate to individuals as AMERICANS, we will continue to struggle with race in this nation.  Every law, every program, every regulation that draws a distinction on the basis of race perpetuates the existence of discrimination.  Laws must be written to guarantee equal rights for all people, regardless of race; the privilege to life, liberty, dignity, and the pursuit of a good and decent life.   We all had ancestors who were both discriminators and discriminated against.  Do not hold me responsible for the sins of my father; hold me accountable for my life today and how I live it.

Abortion and Gay Rights.  Lord knows I believe in state’s rights and support the principles associated with it.  But there must be some laws that are universal across our country; even if we acknowledge up front that our government is not fully competent to render such impactful judgments.  I fear for the rulings that are headed towards, and coming from, our Supreme Court.  Our Court has become overtly politicized and it is a tragedy; but it is what it is.  Regardless of your convictions, none of us are qualified to sit in moral judgment of another.  An abortion in the first three months is a decision to be made by a mother and father, not the government.  An abortion in the last three months is murder, plain and simple and that unborn child deserves the same governmental protection as that of its parents.  It is the three months in between that must be discussed in a measured and intelligent fashion, with a compromise solution that respects the concerns of both sides and the implicit understanding of our small understanding on this complex issue.  There is no need to change the definition of marriage.  It is the union of a man and a woman and there is no overwhelming majority of opinion to change that understanding.  Should a new understanding of a “marriage arrangement” be discussed and the civil rights of same-sex partners be elevated to a level comparable to traditional marriage?  Yes; clearly that time has arrived.  But gays cannot demand moral acceptance by those opposed and straight personalities do not have the right to demand specific moral behavior as a condition of some civil rights.  Respect and human dignity are not contingent upon semantics; they are contingent upon human goodness.

This Democracy.  It is far too arrogant for me to assume the ability to submit a reasonable improvement to our form of government, but here goes.  For all the cons associated with them, and all of the pros associated with our current system, I support term limits for our Congress and the Executive.  If history has taught us nothing else, it has shown us that the best of us, the most wholesome/ethical/intelligent/non-partisan, can and will be corrupted by the political environment of Washington DC when left in its confines too long.  How long is too long?  That is certainly open to debate, but here are some starting points.  Instead of a President spending 60 to 80 percent of the first term working towards re-election, let’s give them 6 years to get their agenda in place.   You might argue that 6 years is too long for a bad President and we have elections every four years to serve as term limitations.  I would respond to that by pointing out that nearly all Presidents, whether good or bad, are remarkably good at getting re-elected.  Far too much time, money, resource, and political capital is being spent by our nation’s top executive to remain in office.  Let’s go ahead and settle that issue on Election Day and get on with the business of governing.  It is tricky business to consider how long a U.S. Representative should serve, as well as a U.S. Senator.  We need to have a reservoir of experience that the bodies can rely on to help guarantee the continuation of normal operations; but the day of career politicians needs to come to a merciful end.  For the House, I will propose a maximum of 6 elected terms.  12 years in WDC should be more than adequate for our “citizen legislators”.  For that arrogant body of deliberation known as the Senate (the closest thing we have to royalty in this nation), give them a limit of 3 elected terms and send them home or, more likely, another job in government.  18 years is plenty of time to serve with distinction in our most esteemed legislative body.

If by some slim chance you are still with me at this point, please forgive my assumption of status as one who has all the right answers.  I don’t and we will not find a President who does.  But perhaps we can find a man or woman who will have the faith to espouse these fundamental principles, have the ability to put them forth in clear and concise manner, have the courage to fight for them, and have the wisdom to compromise in practice to get them implemented.  If we can…that person has this man’s vote.