What ARE the issues in 2004?

What ARE the issues in the 2004 U.S. Presidential campaign? I'd like to make a list of the issues, then for each issue, put what Bush's, Kerry's, and Nader's stances on each issue is. For example:

Gay marriage
-----------------
Should homosexual couples be allowed to legally marry?

Bush (R) -- No, and I'll add an Amendment to the U.S. Constitution if I have to in order to prevent it.

Kerry (D) -- No, but I'm in favor if civil unions, which is almost the same thing.

Nader (I) -- ???

Aren't there two other candidates, from the Libertarian and Constitution parties?

Libertarian Guy (L) -- ???

Constitution Guy (C) -- ???

...Well, you get the idea. But I need your help to compile a list of all the major issues! Our world has become so complex, that there are many issues on many fronts all at the same time, such as:
-The war on terrorism
-Education
-The environment
-Federal & state spending
-The size & scope of government
-U.S. relation with other countries (including UN, NATO, etc.)
...and so on...

DEFENSE:

Military budget deficit
The disappearance of trillions of dollars in the Pentagon budget
Using the National Guard and reserves as a back door draft.
THE DRAFT - legislation currently pending
etc.

TERRORISM:

Patriot Act!
Border Issues
New Department of Homeland Security
New �Office of Intelligence� Director (OID)
New Counter Terrorism Agency of the OID
Foreign (CIA) v. Domestic (FBI) Intelligence Jurisdictions
Airport Security Issues
Port Security Issues
Increasing use of surveillance technologies
Increasing use of Biometrics (face recognition, fingerprint scans, iris scans, RFID etc.)
etc.

ECONOMY:

National Debt
National Deficit
Record Private and Corporate Debt Levels
American Dollar (Petrodollar)
Trade-Deficit
Agricultural Policies (e.g. subsidizations, BSE, Avian Flue, GMO�s, etc.)
Federal Reserve Inflation and Interest Rate Policies and control of Money Supply
Globalization Issues
International Finances
Distribution of Wealth and Income Gaps
etc.

SOCIAL:

Immigration and Refugee Issues
Health Care for all Citizens
Social Security Privatization concerns
Exploding Prison Population
Use of cheap prison labor by private companies
Privatization of the prison system (The STATE puts people in prison!)
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO�s) in our food chain
Pharmaceuticals � Intellectual Property, Advertising, Prices, Cross-Border Shopping, Medical Ethics etc.
Gay Marriage (a non-issue under the constitution in my opinion. That�s why they tried to change it! )
etc.

TAXES:

Corporate Tax Loopholes and Off-Shore Tax Havens
Corporate Tax Burden (too heavy, too light? v. benefits they enjoy)
Empowering The General Accounting Office (GAO) to track spending
Simplification of the Tax Code
Spending Powers
etc.

FOREIGN:

Policy Reform
Relationship with the UN
Treatment of Treaties signed with other nations (e.g. Kyoto, ICJ, FTA, NAFTA etc.)
Disputes with other Nations (e.g. Softwood Lumber and Steel Tarrifs)

ENERGY:

Conservation and efficiency programs
Reducing dependence on foreign oil
Investment and Support Policies for new technologies
Infrastructure maintenance and security
etc.

EDUCATION:

Public/Private System
Taxes and spending power
Voucher System
�Leave No Child Behind� Program
Private sponsors and product placement (e.g. soft drink pushers)
Curriculum Issues
etc.

ENVIRONMENT:

EPA Reform
EPA Enforcement
National Parks System
Pollution Standards
Wildlife Protection (xeno-species, endangered species etc.)
Superfund Sites
etc.

ETHICS:

Corporate Governance
Political Governance
Integrity of the Democratic Process
Independence of Judiciary, Legislative and Executive Branches (and other �Checks and Balances�)
etc.


Hope this helps

I�m sure I missed some

I am anxious to see how this forum will be organized and operate.

Hopefully the issues (which affect us all non-partisanly) will be debated with perhaps the goal of reaching a consensus in addition to outlining each party�s platform and record on the issue in question. I hope there will be a �home� page for each group to outline its policies. I hope that the discussion threads on the issues are non-partisan so as to objectively evaluate those policies. Oh and... and...

Just thinking out loud.

Whatever is in store for us, it should be interesting.

Thundercloud

The Libertarian candidate is Mike Badnarik

And I believe the Constitution Party Candidate is Michael Peroutka

Originally posted by ThunderCloud
What ARE the issues in the 2004 U.S. Presidential campaign? I'd like to make a list of the issues, then for each issue, put what Bush's, Kerry's, and Nader's stances on each issue is. For example:

Gay marriage
-----------------
Should homosexual couples be allowed to legally marry?

I just would like to say...that I don't know many people who would put Gay Marriage up on the block as a current key issue. Sure at the state level when given the opportunity many gay people have come out and participated. But I believe that gay people like most American's are far more concerned right now with America's position in the world from a credibility standpoint, the economy and the growing deficit. These are issues that transcend personal demographics. I feel that the right continues to insist that gay marriage is a key issue. I don't believe gay people and the left feel it is a key issue. It may be a key issue in life...but not in this election.

Gay marriage is a key topic because most gay people don't want Bush or Kerry since they both oppose gay marriages so Kerry is trying to appeal to gay people to get their vote.

Originally posted by WestPoint23
Gay marriage is a key topic because most gay people don't want Bush or Kerry since they both oppose gay marriages so Kerry is trying to appeal to gay people to get their vote.

Heh, gay marriage was just a random example... Besides, as far as seeking gay voters, they're only what, 5% of the U.S. population?

Originally posted by Losonczy
I just would like to say...that I don't know many people who would put Gay Marriage up on the block as a current key issue... I don't believe gay people and the left feel it is a key issue. It may be a key issue in life...but not in this election.

It's not just a "gay issue" for many americans but a civil liberties issue and goes to the heart of the differences between the parties. Should morality be legislated - should the constitution be amended - is privacy a constitutional right?

While the "gay issue" itself may not directly affect a majority of the people, the solution will ultimately have an impact on us all.

Homosexual marriage almost seems like an artificial issue, propagated by the media, to distract people form the real issues. Indeed, it has been made equivicol with civil rights, effectivley overwhelming the true civil rights issues.

Some important issues should be:
The repealing of the (UN)Patriot Act.
Change of forein policy, specifically towards Israel.
The repealing of the 17th amendment.
The illegal concept of the National Intelligence Czar

to name a few.

Originally posted by MindWarrior
Indeed, it has been made equivicol with civil rights, effectivley overwhelming the true civil rights issues...

Yeah, equating homosexual rights with civil rights for blacks is a tough sell... it's not like one day, a guy comes out of the closet and says, "Mom, Dad... I'm black." To which they reply, " How long has this been going on???"

lets not forget the issue of whether or not to reform the electoral college. That at least should be a big issue after the 2000 election.

Originally posted by abeyer
lets not forget the issue of whether or not to reform the electoral college. That at least should be a big issue after the 2000 election.

How would you propose reforming the Electoral College? The only thing I think needs to be done is to make a law that says that, in each state, all the electoral votes automatically go towards the candidate that won the popular vote in that state. (I believe 28 states already have this rule, but not all 50 of them & DC.)