Platform (3 pages)

A COMPASSIONATE, MODERATE PRESIDENCY

AN ALTERNATIVE TO BUSINESS AS USUAL IN THE PRESIDENCY

Christopher Ebbe (7-23)

Are you tired and discouraged at what you have been getting in our Presidents?  Does the seemingly eternal conflict between two aggressive and unforgiving political parties that currently rule our country disappoint, disgust, and/or even frighten you?  There is an alternative, if you are willing to use your vote in another direction.

I am offering myself as a non-partisan (Independent) candidate for President in the 2024 election.  I am 79 and have had many years to observe the failures in our political system as it has become ever more antagonistic.  I am convinced that to change course we need a major “attitude adjustment,” consisting mainly of (1) viewing ourselves as all equal citizens with potential for cooperating usefully and (2) rejecting the angry split between conservatives and liberals as presented by our two major parties and coming together to find the best possible compromises for our problems and adopting those compromises (always with room for future improvement as conditions change).  I value elements of both conservative and liberal views, and I refuse to choose one party or the other.  There is no future for our democracy if our goal is for one side or the other to “win” and dominate the country, because all citizens deserve to be represented equally in the country’s decisions and actions.  We have to live and work together.  As some will perceive my goals and plans as left of center, I plan to have a vice-presidential candidate of a conservative orientation as well as a Conservative and a Liberal for each cabinet position.  I will also suggest to the House of Representatives that they sit intermingled rather than separating Republicans and Democrats on two sides of the aisle.

I will focus on these issues in an effort to start a new direction in our politics.

• restoring equality among citizens

We are so divided along economic and class lines that the value of the individual citizen has been degraded.  We are all equal as citizens, and we are all of equal value to the nation.  The primacy of citizen voices for politics has to be restored.  I will develop programs for constant, organized feedback from citizens to government, including annual referenda on such things as how much should be spent on healthcare, and I will give you weekly, specific feedback on how your government is progressing.

• bringing truth to politics

There is such a thing as truth, even in this post-modern, post-facts environment, and it is our duty as citizens to seek to understand our situation and issues as well as we can, so that we can elect the right people.  Otherwise, we will be completely at the mercy of those who seek personal power.  I will always tell you the truth about what is going on, including who in government is keeping us from making necessary progress.

• diminishing the power of the two major political parties

Having two behemoth parties has suppressed political discussion, since the parties channel all discussion of their members into only two final positions.  This eliminates much of our potential creativity in solving problems, and voting by party gives us a skewed picture of what the people’s representatives actually think.  Congress needs our individual input, and Congresspersons should vote what individually they actually believe rather than how the party tells them to vote. 

• establishing compromise as the norm in our democracy

Democracy is ideally a system of gathering the equally valuable input from all

citizens and then fashioning the best solutions possible at the moment for each

and every problem.  Democracy should not be about who can “win” and force

everyone else to do as they direct; it must be about making the best

compromises possible on every issue.  The current emphasis on winning make us

enemies unnecessarily.  I will work for effective and acceptable compromises for

all of our problems (which will mean that some citizens will have to give up their

crusades to force their moral beliefs and attitudes on everyone else!).

• reforming our tax system and attitudes

Taxes should be based on how much Congress appropriates each year, because that should be the amount of taxes collected in the following year.  This will cure the deficit problem, eliminate government borrowing, and show you exactly what your representatives have voted for.  Taxes are to pay for what we together decide to do as a country, and if citizens don’t like the amount of their taxes, then paying the next year for the previous year’s appropriation will lead immediately to electing new persons to Congress.  Taxes are not something to be avoided, and we should not idolize those who do best at avoiding paying their share.

• making elections about who can do the job best

The job of President is too important to be a popularity contest.  We should always elect the person who is best qualified to actually do the job.  (See my analysis of the job of President and the skills required, below and at www.livewiselydeeply.com under government/politics and then presidential choice.)

• encouraging civil discourse on political issues among citizens

It is not difficult to understand how to have useful, civil discussions about

difficult issues, though it may be difficult to actually implement the steps

required (basically seeking to understand others’ views and share your own,

without seeking to convert the other person).  I will exemplify this approach in

my interactions with Congress and with all citizens.

• jobs for all and wages for a decent life

Our economy has a large proportion of jobs that do not pay enough to live on.  To address this, we should get more people working (by public support if not by our businesses), and all jobs should pay enough to have a “decent life” (through shared support by our taxes and our businesses).

• encouraging better emotional health for citizens

The principles of good emotional health are not difficult to understand (basically, seeking to be happy through having adequate self-worth and an adequate sense of security, while valuing and not harming others).  I will promote programs that support citizens’ self-worth and security, and I will help society to help especially those who could end up in mass shootings of their fellow citizens!

• updating our immigration laws

We must revise our definition of asylum, determine a fair way to triage those who are likely to fit our definition at the border using beefed up hearing and detention facilities (and many more hearing judges), deport those not likely to qualify for asylum, and continue accepting non-asylum/non-refugee immigrants

as we do now, to maintain the workforce that we need.

Are you tired of being deceived by politicians who seem unable to be honest and take responsibility when appropriate?  I believe in always being honest and responsible and treating others fairly, regardless of whether we agree on policy.  I will truly be President for all Americans, before and after being elected, and I will take the needs and feelings of all Americans into account in seeking the best possible compromises.

Instead of trying to help this or that party “win,” it would be better for the country if we sought to elect the person who is best qualified for the job, based on his/her knowledge, skills, and abilities.  Here are the essential elements of the job of President.

• after carefully considering various alternatives, identifies what seems to be the best solution to a problem or the best policy to follow
• proposes the above solutions/policies to the public and to Congress, with supportive reasons and data
• organizes support for his/her positions among legislators and the public
• compromises on solutions/policies when doing so is demanded by the exigency of the situation and the impact on the public
• hires and appoints a multitude of government officials and administrative advisers
• considers all citizens and their needs, not just those he/she likes or identifies with, and seeks solutions that are in an overall sense best for the country
• acts as commander-in-chief of the country’s armed forces; inspires the troops; makes military decisions with the advice of generals; seeks Congressional approval or support for what he/she views as needed military actions
• determines foreign policy, considering the needs of the U.S., the values of the U.S., and the impacts on other countries, with an emphasis on cooperation and mutual benefit whenever possible
• interacts with leaders of foreign nations and groups in order to build relationships and obtain cooperation
• informs citizens about problems, solutions, and policies
• inspires citizens to be “good citizens” and participate in community and government
• lives by values that inspire citizens (setting an ethical example and modeling adaptive ways of relating to other citizens)
• maintains objectivity by not being motivated to become President for personal aggrandizement, power, or pride but rather to serve the country and its people
• engages in symbolic actions that engender a feeling of togetherness on the part of all citizens (christening submarines, kissing babies, opening shopping centers, hosting Easter egg rolls, inspecting sites of disasters, etc.)

The most qualified President is the one who can do the greatest number of these things well, with legislative, military, and foreign policy functions weighted more heavily.  Voters are cautioned against choosing whom to vote for on the basis of only a few criteria.  The President’s job is multi-faceted, and a candidate with whom you disagree on the issue most important to you may do you more good on ten other issues, so it may be in your best interest to vote for that candidate in this election.

Please compare me with the other candidates in terms of these qualifications, and if you see me as the best qualified, then vote for me (as write-in if necessary)!  To learn more about me and what I believe, see my resume on www.ebbeforpresident.com,  a very detailed platform on a wide range of issues in my book A Compassionate, Moderate Political Platform for 2024, available on-line, my book on “how to live” (Live Wisely, Deeply, and Compassionately, available on-line), and a number of my essays on our society’s issues and problems at www.livewiselydeeply.com.  After September, 2023, look for periodic videos and postings on the website www.ebbeforpresident.com and for (sorry to do this) tweets!