enough about Bush, what can the NEXT president do?

After reading news articles and threads here and on other forums, I've come to the conclusion that there is waaaaaaay too much discussion about this presidency over issues that have happened in the past (was 9/11 an intelligence breakdown? should we have gone to Iraq? was the Katrina aftermath handled properly?). I see very little on what the NEXT president can do to either "right the ship" or "further cement our country's place in the world" (depending on which animal you currently ride). Politics obviously come into play, so that is why I posted this here instead of at ATS.

Here's what I think NEEDS to be done by the next presidency:

1) close the gap between the haves and the have nots
2) cut or at least slow the bleeding of the national deficit
3) get the US dollar back to supercurrency-strength worldwide

Unfortunately, I do believe that the largest challenge is to get our financial situation as a country turned around. If we keep up down our current road we will easily go bankrupt in my generation (some claim that we already are). I truly believe that a large (if not most) of our power comes from our perceived wealth as a nation.

Other things I'd LIKE to see:

1) increase NASA's budget - the future is up there
2) increase the quality of education in this country
3) tackle environmental issues/eliminate our need for oil

Granted those things won't all be done but I think they are all important in their own right. To me the warring is almost a secondary thought ... unless you believe that Iraq/Afghanistan were really about oil, we had nothing to gain as far as my points above are concerned.

Anyone have some intelligent thoughts on this matter? Or are we all just living in the past?

I think people need to look at how little real power the President of the US really has. I don't care if there is a Second Coming and Jesus Christ is elected in 2008, he's not going to be able to do a damn thing because of Congress. There is so much political infighting between the Republicans and Democrats that the only thing Congress really does is to get their members re-elected and see how much Pork (money) they can skim out of the budget for their home districts.

If people would step back and look at the big picture, they would stop griping about Bush and descend upon Capitol Hill with pitchforks and torches. It is real convient how Congress abandon Bush over Iraq. They started whining about how they were decieved by the White House. If it is that easy for Congress to be decieved then maybe they are a bit too gullible to hold their jobs and should get out and let some smarter people in. Let's call it what it is, Congress stradled the fence on Iraq and when they saw which way public opinion went they jumped on that side like they were rocket propelled, leaving the White House holding the bag. The term I'd like to use to describe this would be against ATS rules.

Fiverz has some good suggestions, it's just that the President can't impliment any of them himself. All of them have to go through Congress, a process that none of them would probably survive. If you want to fix what's wrong with the US you have to start with Congress. Until Congress is fixed everything else is just window dressing.

Originally posted by JIMC5499
the President can't impliment any of them himself. All of them have to go through Congress, a process that none of them would probably survive. If you want to fix what's wrong with the US you have to start with Congress. Until Congress is fixed everything else is just window dressing.

I agree to a point ... but then why do people blame those other things on Bush? You can't have it both ways ... either he has the power to do both good and evil or he doesn't.

I think the president and his immediate cabinet has more influence and power than we all think. Congress IS somewhat of a bottleneck, but I'm sure there are plenty of agenda items that get passed through without so much as a blink of the eye. If people can claim such things about the government as the WTC was a demo and Bin Laden is really alive and in U.S. custody, I would think passing a couple of bills could be done with much greater ease.

In fact I'll do some research on recent bills tomorrow and post back.

I'm with you, JIMC5499

And let's not forget that every member of the senate has aspirations to the Presidency, so even there the agendas get in the way of any progress.

So now, I introduce to you my 2008 dream ticket:

McCain - Lieberman 2008
Pissing off both sides of the fence!

If both sides are unhappy, then it must be good for us.

Originally posted by Fiverz

I agree to a point ... but then why do people blame those other things on Bush? You can't have it both ways ... either he has the power to do both good and evil or he doesn't.

He's a figure head. Almost everyone knows who the President is, while alot of people can't name their Congressman or Senator. He is also the defacto leader of his political party and the prime target of the opposing party.

Prosecute!


I'd like to see someone in there that made corrupt politicians and business leaders tremble
with fear.

Someone who respects and upholds the Constitution.

The Education President

And a masterful Peacemaker

I agree with you Fiverz. All of those things should be taken care of. Personally, I think the next president should focus a lot more on taking care of home. How the rest of the world sees us and thinks of us doesn't matter one tiny little bit if our country is falling to ruins. Our government is too concerned with making sure other countries are behaving themselves. It is not our place to police the world, and I hope the next president understands that.

We need to be focusing on our own economy, getting ourselves (as a nation) out of debt, educating our children and ourselves, and improving the lives of Americans. I think if we really want to show other countries how they should be living, then we should improve how our own country is ran first.

And yes, congress needs an overhaul too. They're too busy trying to decide if it's a crime to burn the flag and if two people of the same sex should be able to get married to focus on anything of real importance.

It appears that none of you have had the time to read this post to see what the next president could do.

Originally posted by makeitso
It appears that none of you have had the time to read this post to see what the next president could do.

I did, but I was looking to foster a serious discussion.

Originally posted by Jenna
And yes, congress needs an overhaul too. They're too busy trying to decide if it's a crime to burn the flag and if two people of the same sex should be able to get married to focus on anything of real importance.

Yea I agree. After the few comments here, I guess I should have titled the thread "what can our GOVERNMENT do under the next president."

I do feel those things are important issues btw, don't get me wrong. But allowing/disallowing gay marriage and rights over our flag will NOT keep this country on top of the world's economy. Everything this nation has fought for in the past to have the standing in the world that we do/did (again depending on your P.O.V.) can be flushed down the toilet if we don't make some changes. Doesn't matter if its left-wing or right-wing, they need to be made.

So for those that say the president can't do anything about these issues, then how do we go about overhauling Congress? Not trying to start an argument, I'm just curious as to other peoples' ideas on these matters.

[edit on 3-8-2006 by Fiverz]

Originally posted by Fiverz
So for those that say the president can't do anything about these issues, then how do we go about overhauling Congress? Not trying to start an argument, I'm just curious as to other peoples' ideas on these matters.

That Fiverz is the Sixty-four Million Dollar question. Figure it out and you have my vote for President. My idea (stolen from Tom Clancy) involves a joint session of Congress and a Boeing 747. We can blame it on AlQeida.

Originally posted by JIMC5499
That Fiverz is the Sixty-four Million Dollar question. Figure it out and you have my vote for President. My idea (stolen from Tom Clancy) involves a joint session of Congress and a Boeing 747. We can blame it on AlQeida.

Haha I got a chuckle out of that.

I have no idea ... there is so much red tape there to even START the ideas for change that it probably never will be done. Maybe something radical like an abolition of the two-party system or something to do with the house vs. the senate.

It's pretty amazing though that no political candidates really WANT to cause change. Sure they want a bill here and a lobby there, but no one talks about overhauling the political system itself. That would be a huge feather in the cap of some president (and also simultaneously the bane of his existence ).