President Forever 2008 + Primaries: Policy Planks

[Mint]

Abortion: Left
Balanced Budget: Center-Left
Business Tax: Center
Education: Far-Left
Energy: Center-Left
Environment: Center-Left
Gun Control: Center
Health Care: Left
Homeland Security: Left
Immigration: Center-Left (really none of these apply though, a guest worker program is just cheap corporate labor which I would oppose. This sounds like Bush's plan. My position is basically keep the current laws, no guest worker program, and completely ignore the illegals unless they are breaking other laws)
Iran: Center-Left
Iraq: Left
Outsourcing: Center-Left
Personal Tax: Center-Left
Same-Sex Marriage: Far-Left (More moderate than the Left position in my view)
Social Security: Center (and Lief is correct)
Unions: Center-Left
War on Terror: Left

A lot of those are kind of stupid, since they involve more your personal opinions than actual policy, and the far left/far right positions typically only involve rhetoric, not policy.

Yeah, I also noticed the social security thing. The 'right' stance on Iraq actually sounds more moderate to me than the 'center right' too. Also not a fan of any of the Iran options, really I'd just let the Euros/Israelis deal with it and pretty much maintain the status quo.

[Mint]

Abortion: Center-Left
Balanced Budget: Right
Business Tax: Right
Education: Center-Right
Energy: Right
Environment: Right
Gun Control: Right
Health Care: Center-Right
Homeland Security: Center-Left
Immigration: Center-Right
Iran: Center-Left
Iraq: Center-Left
Outsourcing: Right
Personal Tax: Left
Same-Sex Marriage: Center-Left
Social Security: Right
Unions: Right
War on Terror: Center

     1 L, 5 CL, 1 C, 3 CR, 8 R

Do you also favor a compulsory health insurance system with some subsidies for the poor?

[Mint]

Abortion: Center-Left
Balanced Budget: Right
Business Tax: Right
Education: Center-Right
Energy: Right
Environment: Right
Gun Control: Right
Health Care: Center-Right
Homeland Security: Center-Left
Immigration: Center-Right
Iran: Center-Left
Iraq: Center-Left
Outsourcing: Right
Personal Tax: Left
Same-Sex Marriage: Center-Left
Social Security: Right
Unions: Right
War on Terror: Center

     1 L, 5 CL, 1 C, 3 CR, 8 R

Do you also favor a compulsory health insurance system with some subsidies for the poor?

     Compulsory? That sounds too much like single-payer, which I unconditionally oppose.

As in everyone is required to purchase insurance with some bare bones subsidies for the extremely poor (think medicaid).

[Mint]

Abortion: Center-Left
Balanced Budget: Right
Business Tax: Right
Education: Center-Right
Energy: Right
Environment: Right
Gun Control: Right
Health Care: Center-Right
Homeland Security: Center-Left
Immigration: Center-Right
Iran: Center-Left
Iraq: Center-Left
Outsourcing: Right
Personal Tax: Left
Same-Sex Marriage: Center-Left
Social Security: Right
Unions: Right
War on Terror: Center

     1 L, 5 CL, 1 C, 3 CR, 8 R

Do you also favor a compulsory health insurance system with some subsidies for the poor?

     Compulsory? That sounds too much like single-payer, which I unconditionally oppose.

As in everyone is required to purchase insurance with some bare bones subsidies for the extremely poor (think medicaid).

     If people are allowed to purchase private insurance, I am fairly indifferent towards it. I would not stop it, but I would rather spend time to pursue free market solutions, such as supporting the importation of prescription drugs from Canada.

I'd agree with that approach as well as deregulating insurance so people can buy across state lines.

[Mint]

Revised a bit

Abortion: Center Left.
Balanced Budget: Right.
Business Tax: Right
Education: Right
Energy: Right
Environment:Center Right
Gun Control: Right
Health Care: Center Right
Homeland Security: Center
Immigration: Right
Iran: Center
Iraq: Right
Outsourcing: Right
Personal Tax: Right
Same-Sex Marriage: Left
Social Security: Right
Unions: Right
War on Terror: Center Right

1 Left, 1 Center Left, 2 Center, 3 Center Right, 11 Right

[Mint]

Wow I had some bad ideas.

Abortion: R (Only allow abortion in cases where the mother's life is at risk. Ban partial-birth abortion.)
Balanced Budget: FR (We need to eliminate all debt as quickly as possible. Outlaw deficit spending with a Balanced Budget Amendment.)
Business Tax: FR (Significantly decrease business taxation.)
Education: FR (School vouchers for anyone. Get the federal government out of education completely!)
Energy: R (Coal and oil are our main concerns right now. End dependence on foreign energy. Let private funds research other energy.)
Environment: CR (The environment is important. Find market based solutions to environmental problems.)
Gun Control: R (Gun ownership is constitutionally protected. Protect sportsmen's rights and the Second Amendment.)
Health Care: R (Very limited role for government in health care. Tax credits for personal Health Savings Accounts.)
Homeland Security: L (If we were more respectful to other nations they would respect us in return.  Reduce security measures and funding.)
Immigration: R (Tighten border security with stricter immigration enforcement provisions. Deport illegal immigrants.)
Iran: L (Deal with Iran through the United Nations.)
Iraq: L Withdraw all American troops at once. This was an illegal war of aggression.
Personal Tax: R (Taxes should be flatter and lower. Across-the-board tax cuts.)
Same-Sex Marriage: L (Same-sex marriage is a constitutional right.)
Social Security: FR (Let workers privately invest all retirement payments.)
Unions: C (Labor demands must be balanced with business concerns.)
War on Terror: CL (Focus on better foreign policy and cut off terrorist funding, use military force if we must.)

As fezzy said these aren't great choices (especially Iran, I think we should leave that to europe pretty much), but it's an improvement over earlier installments..

[Mint]

Abortion: Right
Balanced Budget: Far-Right
Business tax: Center-Right
Education: Right
Energy: Center-Left
Environment: Center-Right
Gun control: Right
Health care: Left
Homeland security: Far-Left
Immigration: Far-Right
Iran: Far-Left
Iraq: Left
Outsourcing: Far-Left
Personal tax: Right (I'm sympathetic to a flat tax, but really anything that simplifies the tax system so the rich and connected don't rip us off I'm open to)
Same-sex marriage: Left
Social Security: Center
Unions: Center-Right
War on terror: Far-Left