1. China - Is China a threat to the U.S.?

At this time I do not believe that China is a military threat to the United States. Although China has a very large army they do not have the capability of taking any large scale military fight directly to us and there have been no indications of any intention to do that on their part. China should be more recognized as a potential economic threat in that they have a huge, hard working population and graduate more engineers and other “development type” of professionals each year than we do by a very wide margin.

2. Darfur - Should the US send any American forces, with or without the UN, to the Darfur region of Sudan to stop the genocide?

As much as I would like to say yes, I find that I must say no. Without the consent and backing of the UN or the government of the Sudan it would not make sense for us to go to Darfur. My reason for this is as follows. A small force would be able to accomplish little in a country as vast as the Sudan and the Darfur region. A large force without an invitation or the backing of the UN would be seen as an invasion and soon degenerate into another Iraq type of situation.

We should be something about atrocities like Darfur and the Congo because we are the country with the best ability at this time to do so, but we must work first to get backing and agreement from the UN or at least a consortium of countries. This is why it is so important that the next President spend a lot of time on repairing our standing with the rest of the world community.

3. Draft – Should the U.S. institute a military draft?

No, it is not necessary at this time. The only time I believe a draft would be necessary would be in the case of a large scale, world war type of conflict.

4. Economy - Should the US include mandatory regulations for labor rights in free trade agreements?

If we are giving up things to allow these agreements to take place then we have the right to ask that they be included. In order to make free trade agreements fair, however, we must try and ensure that everyone is playing by the same rules, which means including labor rights provisions where necessary. In the real world, though, getting these provisions included is often much easier than actually having the foreign governments enforce those same provisions.

5. Election Reform - Should there be restrictions on campaign contributions?

There are lots of restrictions on campaign contributions already. The gaping hole in the system is when it comes to contributions to political parties and political action committees. A person can only contribute $2,300 to my Presidential (or anyone’s presidential campaign); however, they can contribute unlimited amounts to the political party, a PAC or some other special interest group whose true purpose is to support a candidate. Surely no one believes that someone who makes a huge contribution to the party of a candidate doesn’t hope to influence that candidate or some legislation. Contributions to political parties and PAC’s should be limited to the same amount as those to the Presidential candidates. I also believe that there should be an annual overall individual and corporate limit on total contributions to political entities regardless of how many “different” ones a person or company wishes to contribute to.

6. Environment - Should the federal government mandate an increase in fuel efficiency standards for automobiles?

Yes, but it should be a phased and constant improvement guideline. I believe an increase of 1 to 2 miles per gallon per year is not only achievable, but is also very fair to the industry. In the long run that also makes a very big difference. If everyone knows what the requirement is going to be and it is firm, it will be met. The problems with the standards just signed into law are twofold. First, it calls for a large increase by a date several years in the future so immediate benefits will be minimal. Second, when the deadline starts getting closer the auto manufacturers will start to whine that it can’t be met and, if past history is any indication, get an extension on implementing the improved fuel efficiency standards.

7. Family Values - Should an affair outside of marriage disqualify a candidate for public office?

Since a political candidate basically runs on the premise that we should trust that person to follow through on what they promise to do if elected, I believe that an affair should usually disqualify a candidate for most public offices. If they cannot be trusted in their personal life, what makes you believe they can be trusted with promises made to people they don’t even know.

8. Health Care - Should Americans be allowed to purchase their prescription drugs from other countries?

An American should be allowed to purchase their prescription drugs from other countries. If someone wishes to take the chance that the drugs they are purchasing may not be as pure or even the same as the drugs they would purchase in this country it is their right as an adult to take that risk.

9. Immigration - Should the U.S. build a physical barrier, such as a fence, along the U.S.-Mexico border?

Although the effectiveness of the fence is open to debate, the fact that Congress and the President agreed that it should be built and signed laws to that effect, means it should be constructed. Promises to the electorate should always be kept, especially those that are made to get oneself elected or reelected. However, the only true way to stop the current onslaught of illegal aliens into this country is to take away the incentive for them to come here. To do that, we need to rigorously enforce the laws we have in place to make the hiring of illegal aliens too costly and dangerous for employers. If there are no jobs available for illegal aliens then there will be little incentive for them to continue coming here in the huge numbers we have seen in recent years.

10. Israeli-Palestinian Conflict - Should the U.S. allow Hamas to join future Israeli-Palestinian negotiations?

The only group that should be allowed into any Israeli-Palestinian negotiations on behalf of the Palestinians should be the recognized governing body of the Palestinian areas.

11. Taxes - Should the 2024 Bush tax cuts be made permanent?

Yes, I believe the current levels of taxation are fair and equitable. However, I believe the tax code is far too complicated and twisted towards numerous special interests and should, therefore, be moved more towards a flat tax system of taxation.

12. War on Terror - Should the military detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba be closed?

Yes and I will go further to say that it should never have been opened. Criminals and prisoners of war should, almost exclusively, be kept in the country from which they belong or where they were captured.