I would argue that the media is, as per usual, driving the focus of the Republican Primary to the forefront of this election cycle. Though we’ve heard a lot about the media-driven issues around Donald Trumps’ celebrity rocketing Illegal Immigration, Carly Fiorina’s face, and America’s overall decline amongst the worlds’ powerful Nation States, I believe we are still ignoring a number of highly important topics that have received little to no attention. Many of these issues have been brought up here and there, but have not been dealt with consistently.
Foreign Policy
There are 5 highly important foreign policy topics facing our nation today. 1. The Iranian Caliphate and their pursuit of nuclear power and possibly nuclear arms. 2. The Islamic State Caliphate, and the terror they’ve unleashed across the Near East. 3. Saudi Arabia’s funding of radical Islamic Mosques and religious centers across the globe. 4. Chinese Naval Expansion, US Spying, and Currency Manipulation. 5. The expansion of the Chinese and Russian spheres of influence.
The Economy
I would desperately like to hear our Republican and Democrat candidates go into detail about how they plan to address a stagnant economy and a looming Student Loan bubble which could mirror the Housing Crisis in both cost and scope. Where do our candidates stand on the dramatic increases in federal regulations which have burdened our economy with billions of dollars in added costs? What kind of policies would our candidates consider when addressing the Federal Reserve? I understand that the Federal Reserve is going to continue Quantitative Easing. If so, do our candidates reject or support the continuation of the risky practice?
Domestic Policy
What kind of tax reform and tax structure do our candidates support? Would they consider a Fair or Flat tax? We all know that the tax industry is an immensely powerful lobby in Washington DC, so I would like our candidates to answer the following question: Congressmen and Senators are lobbied by every American Industry due to Congressional control over US tax law. Can we expect any meaningful tax reform while powerful lobbies for H&R Block, GE, and Boeing continue giving money to politicians in Congress? (I for one am not interested in tinkering tax plans. We need real reform, even if its a difficult uphill battle, its a battle worth fighting).
Debt threatens to cripple the American economy for generations. What do our candidates propose doing to end deficit spending and reduce the debt? Will they publicly acknowledge any plans to deal with the tens of trillions of dollars (extremely conservative estimate) in unfunded liabilities associated with our entitlement programs? Which entitlement programs should be reformed? And how?
We expect all Republican candidates to support a strong, well-funded military. However, the waste, fraud, and abuse taking place at the Pentagon within a given year rivals the waste, fraud, and abuse of almost every other federal department over a decade. How, as President, would our candidates address the irresponsible management of finances at the Pentagon?
For about 12 days, the American People focused on the tragic failures of the Veterans Administration. Since then, there has been little to no progress. As the most powerful executive in the world, should we not expect the President of the United States to efficiently and effectively manage the Pentagon and the Veterans Administration?
Bureaucratic overreach has become a disturbing reality in the lives of American citizens and on the daily operations of American Businesses – as President, how would our candidates reign in the federal bureaucracy? I want to hear specifics.
There is so much we have yet to hear from our candidates and so many questions that remain unasked. We cannot depend on the media to ask these questions. I recommend that activists begin writing letters to the editors of their local newspapers, requesting investigative journalism into the positions these candidates hold regarding these important topics. I recommend tweeting questions to your favorite cable news programs (if you are one of those still stomaching their content). I also recommend contacting our candidates campaigns directly (something which I will begin doing this week) asking them were they stand on many of these important issues.
Let’s not allow the media to define the issues of this campaign. We are The People. We decide what the issues of this election are and we need to drive the narrative and the debate through every grassroots method available to us. We’ve got work to do.
