Couple of questions--there are no wrong answers. Just your own feelings and opinions.

[No Elephants]

1. What are your greatest political (for want of a better word) concerns about the next four years?

Mine are

1. National security. This includes terrorism and parts of foreign policy, like profliferation of nuclear weapons anywhere, but most immediately in Iran. (I put this first because dying would pretty much end political concerns.)

2. The environment. (Again, lack of clean air and clean water, leading to lack of food, would pretty also lead to being dead, either in my generation or that of my descendants.)


3. At least a survival level of food, medical care, shelter, etc. for all humans, whether or not in the United States. (Obviously, this is something that I believe should be a goal of ours, not something that exists.)

4. Human rights. Under this, I would put treatment of prisoners, including prisoners accused of terrorist acts, equal protection of the laws, etc.

5. Public education *and I do not include charter schools as public education.

6. Clean and open government. Note that I consider those two separate things, so full disclosure alone would not resolve all my problems with lobbying, gerrymandering, revolving doors, etc. It would be a start, though.

[Enthusiast]

1. Mine are

1. Strengthening and preserving "entitlements".

2. Reduce the U.S. military footprint around the world.

3. Take steps to make the media less biased. If that required a new fairness doctrine that is fine with me. Break up the media/telecom giants.

4. I would remove the influence of money from the election process. I would make all elections for national office publicly funded. I would enact a law that forbids all candidates and elected legislators from receiving any and all gifts and money for any reason except for salary.

5. I would also focus on reducing the size and mission of the U.S. military.

6. I would restore a military draft for wars that are actually worthy of fighting. No draft, no war.

7. I would stop funding education aside from public schools.

8. I would do away with all faith based funding of any kind.

9. I would stimulate the economy through infrastructure projects that are badly needed anyway.

10. I would restore Glass-Steagal.

11. I would investigate and prosecute the individuals responsible for the mortgage-derivatives crisis.

12. I would investigate events leading up to 9/11 and the Iraq War in a serious way.

13. I would start to take renewable energy and global climate change seriously.

14. Increase taxes on high income earners.

15. Increase inheritance taxes.

16. Tax capital gains at the same rate as regular income.

17. I would place a tariff on goods coming from countries that did not honor basic worker health and safety standards and environmental standards. This would be closely monitored. I would extend these tariffs to nations that subsidize industry. I would also place a tariff on nations that didn't allow collective bargaining and worker representation.