Hey DU! Let's lead these candidates to the REAL ISSUES!!

[NoSheep]

What if we stop getting pulled into the same crap we see them pulled into in the press? The top thread on the greatest page suggests we are all fed up with diversions from the real issues that are affecting us. Why don't we come TOGETHER here and define an agenda that they should address that is truly important?? Let's make a list of everything they are being distracted from.

I'll start:

What are Edwards, Obama and Clinton planning to do to stop dumping billions into the pockets of contractors in Iraq?

What are they planning to do about giving workers a living wage?

What are they doing to insure fair elections?

What are they planning to do about oil companies raking in profits while we are not only paying over $3 per gallon but subsidizing their interests with our tax dollars in Iraq??

What are they doing to address the affects of climate change?

What are they doing to support alternative energy initiatives?

Aren't all these more intelligent issues to discuss rather that this he-said she-said crap?

[asdjrocky]

1. Okay, I'm picking the living wage-

John has come out in favor of raising the min wage, to a living wage for some time now. Here's a bit of the plan:

Make Work Pay: Edwards will increase the reward for working by raising the minimum wage to at least $9.50 an hour by 2012 and then indexing it, tripling the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for adults without children and cutting the EITC marriage penalty. In 2001, a $1 increase in the minimum wage alone would have lifted an estimated 900,000 people out of poverty.

We need to work, to lift ourselves out of poverty, so here's a little more:

Create One Million Stepping Stone Jobs: Every American should have the chance to work their way out of poverty, but some willing workers cannot find jobs because of where they live, a lack of experience or skills, or other obstacles, like a criminal record. Edwards will create a million short-term jobs to help individuals move into permanent work.

On rural America, and how we can help poverty there:

Create Opportunity in Rural America: Nearly 90 percent of America's poorest counties are rural. Edwards will invest more in rural community colleges, link training to actual business needs, and support rural small business centers.

There's more, but this is the stuff I have right now. This is from John Edwards 80 page plan. I'd love to talk more about what you think.

[NoSheep]

3. That sounds excellent! It's positive and informative and where my point is concerned, doesn't

say anything bad about any of the other candidates.

I especially like the idea of helping those in rural communities train to actual business needs. That's what you do when you CARE about people. That's what you do when you understand the obstacles many people are facing.

Why can't this be the stuff of every effort here? Everyone is just trying to support their candidate. We should rise above all the bickering and post their stances on these issues and add our own ideas for getting this country back on track to being a country by and for the people. ALL the people.

[NoSheep]

5. Just want to say thanks. YOU have the right idea! I don't understand where

all the anger and hatred is coming from. Seems a lot of folks are as hateful (and stupid and defeating their own purposes) as the gop.

[asdjrocky]

9. Sorry, had to go do a couple of hours of phone banking-

I am right here, and I'm inviting any other candidate supporters to join us in issue discussions.

[asdjrocky]

10. We'll keep this kicked, and we'll talk about issues.

[angrycarpenter]

2. Talking about the issues is boring

What todays voters want is drama and spiteful remarks. C and B create drama while E and K talk about issues and get ignored. Like it or not negative campaigns get news coverage. Issues go on the back page.

[NoSheep]

4. Then I'd say there are many here on DU that are no better than the lowest common denomenator.

There was a time when people discussed the ills of the country and what we could do about it as a party. I often saw it as a think tank for Democrats. I've learned so much here in the past. Now... it is just so much about the basest crap there is.

I'd hope we could do better. Your point is well taken.

[bellasgrams]

7. If the Hillary haters would actually listen to her you would find

she discusses many of these points plus many others. She goes into great detail. She has alot of great ideas on how to change things for the better of the people, but many have their mines made up, because they are so poisoned by untruths from several years ago.

[angrycarpenter]

8. It is not the candidates fault so much as

the people who work for them and support them. They must be pressuring their candidates Get tougher, meaner, harder. After all if the candidate in question wins they will have a job for a least 4 more years. That's better than most of us can say.

[asdjrocky]

11. I would love to see, and read some of her ideas.

Feel free to post them here if you would like, that's what this threads for.

[NoSheep]

13. Then this is the thread for her supporters to reveal exactly what she has to say on the real issues.

Feel free to raise an issue, and tell us what your candidate has to say about it. No venom...just the facts. We really need this here.

[NoSheep]

6. Just as I thought.

:(

[NoSheep]

12. Today, maybe we can discuss what the candidates are saying about this "treaty" with Iraq

I keep hearing about in the news. Seems bushco wants to set something in stone without congressional approval that would keep us there indefinitely. no surprise there. Naturally, something like this could eventually be overturned I hear, but typically, new administrations try to honor such agreements. Also I understand that bushco isn't calling it a "treaty" because that would involve a vote from congress. Has anyone heard any of the candidates comment on it?