PatrickM in '08!

Having looked at the Republican Candidates and found them wanting, I have decided to go to independent. And since I can't think of another person who would be better than me, I am officially declaring myself as an independent candidate for President of the United States.

For those of you who don't want to go back and read every blog, here's my stand on the issues:

Taxation and spending: These two items go hand-in-hand. For the tax side, there's the FairTax, and all the related items that must accompany it. I will address spending very simply: subsidies and transfers of wealth must be slashed, and eliminated in many cases. Most importantly, the Omnibus Budget Bill bullshit must be fixed. This requires more executive power to slash spending from the budget.

Energy: We need to develop new sources of energy, exploit every resource we have, and build more infrastructure that doesn't require foreign oil. This means nuclear, solar, wind, ethanol, hydrogen, fusion, or whatever is feasible.

Education: Simply put, money won't fix the system. We need to rebuild the government school system to something that is more locally run. Being in a small town, the public schools are not so bad. However, we need to reevaluate how our children learn and give them the opportunity they should rather than homogenizing them in a rigid system.

Realignment of Power: The Federal government has continued to gather power to itself since the Civil War (since the fight was partially over states' rights) and has withdrawn from the republican ideal. The government has become more and more of a parent. On domestic issues, things are best left to more local decisions. This means more power to state and local governments, except where it serves us best to give power to the federal government. And we also need to let the private sector run with things that began with the government. Look at the Internet as an example.

Immigration: Our country is what it is because of immigration, from our colonial days to today. The problem is our ability to control our borders and control illegal immigration. I already have laid out my plan. In addition, many of these things need to be enacted by the states, with the Fed providing cohesion.

Foreign affairs: The guiding principle of any foreign policy is that we follow our national interest first. With that principle, anything is okay, including whatever it takes to win the War on Terror. We must win. And we must take the fight to the enemy, wherever they are. beyond that, we need to stop throwing money at other countries for every damn thing.

Foreign Trade: Like foreign affairs, we must use trade to rule the world. The Soviet Union lost its grip as our products and the accompanying culture infected them. So when the government could no longer hold things together, they fell. This, as much as anything else, is why radical Islamists despise us. Our economy will change their world if they let it. Look at China. They are slowly becoming entwined with us, and their leaders will eventually find they no longer have the control they had.

So there is the basics. I'll try to flesh some of these things out, as well as respond to any questions anyone has on any specific. But these are the basics of my worldview. And if things take off, then I could be the first true Internet candidate. I admit I'm a hell of a long shot, but this is a country of unlimited possibilities. And despite my limited experience and lack of infrastructure for a campaign, I believe I am the best person in the race to the White House. Even if I don't make it, though, it will be an interesting ten months. But to do this, I need volunteers. I will post more as I get feedback.