The Platform of the American People

In http://kapactsrant.blogspot.com/ I provided a transcript of Newt Gingrich's Declaration of Independence from the Republican Party. Here is some more work of Newt's, a fascinating bi-partisan study of just what the majority of the American People want for their country. Here is a copy. Not my work, but very important.


THE PLATFORM OF THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

A Red, White and Blue Revolution
THE PLATFORM
OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ A RED, WHITE, AND BLUE PLATFORM TO REPLACE THE RED VERSUS BLUE PARTISAN SPLIT

(This version of the Platform provides polling data to demonstrate why we
believe this is the platform of the American people.)

Everything in this platform has the support of a majority of Republicans, a majority of Democrats and a majority of independents. Go to Americansolutions.com/Research for the results of the six polls which helped us understand the key concerns of the American people.

This version includes the percent support for each item. They are listed as percent support

first and then percent opposed. The two political parties can find many issues on which to disagree and fight. It would be a healthy change if they could begin by recognizing the values and concerns

of the vast majority of Americans and jointly agree to a core platform which could bring

us together before turning to divisive issues which polarize people into separate camps. We call these unifying issues the “Platform of the American People.” Our hope is that beginning with local conventions up through district, state and the

national conventions both political parties will consider adopting this “Platform of the American People” as the foundation from which they can then pick other topics on which to disagree.

Imagine how much healthier America would be if in January 2009 both parties were com
mitted to adopting a series of issues the American people favored by large majorities.

If you would like to work to get your party to adopt the “Platform of the American People” please go to Americansolutions.com/Platform and sign up and you can find who else in your community has agreed to work on common goals for America.

THE PLATFORM OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
AMERICAN VALUES AND AMERICAN SOLUTIONS

★ There are values which unite a large majority of Americans. (86 to 10) ★ We want to strengthen and revitalize America’s core values. (80 to 9) ★ Our goal should be to provide long-term solutions instead of short-term fixes. (92 to 5) ★ Government clearly has to change the way it operates and bring in ideas and systems

currently employed to increase productivity and effectiveness in the private sector.
(74 to 16)

★ The changes we need in government have to occur in all 513,000 elected offices throughout the country and cannot be achieved by focusing only on Washington. (84 to 12)

ENGLISH AND AMERICAN CIVILIZATION

ENGLISH ★ English should be the official language of government. (87 to 11) ★ All election ballots and other government documents should be printed in English. (74 to 23) ★ New immigrants should be required to learn English. (83 to 17) ★ Government should offer intensive English language instruction to all who need it,

including stipends to help immigrants attend the programs. (83 to 15)
★ Businesses should be able to require employees to speak the English language while on the

job. (80 to 17) AMERICAN CIVILIZATION ★ The United States should only grant citizenship to those who want to embrace American

values and culture. (68 to 29)

★ It is important to have references to God in the Pledge of Allegiance and the Declaration of Independence — that we are endowed by our Creator with the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness — because they make clear that certain rights can’t be taken away by government. (84 to 13)

★ Statements regarding religion and morality made by the Founding Fathers are just as
important today as they were 200 years ago. (86 to 12)

★ We reject the idea that the times change and the language in the Pledge of Allegiance and the Declaration of Independence must change with the times. The language in the Pledge and the Declaration are very important and must be protected. (86 to 12)

★ Public schools should teach more American history. (56 to 35)
IMMIGRATION,THE BORDER, AND ASSIMILATION

The American people favor legal immigration, control of the border, ending illegal immigration with an emphasis on employer responsibility, immediate deportation of felons who are here illegally, a requirement to return home to become legal temporary workers, assimilation of those who sincerely want to become American, and a sophisticated, technologically advanced temporary worker system.

SPECIFICALLY:
★ The American people want to increase the number of visas for highly-educated
immigrants or those with special skills, the so-called H1B and H2B visas. (63 to 29)
★ The American people believe border control is a security issue. Terrorists are trying to

enter the United States illegally. (86 to 12) ★ Illegal immigrants who commit felonies should be deported. (88 to 10) ★ There should be a worker visa program making it easier for people to work legally in the

United States. (83 to 16)

★ Allowing illegal immigrants to remain in this country undermines respect for the law. Therefore to join a worker visa program workers must apply from their own country. They could not apply from the United States and must return home first. (69 to 27)

★ When applying for a temporary worker visa each worker should take an oath to obey
American law and be deported if they commit a crime while in the United States. (93 to 8)
★ In a worker visa program each worker will receive a tamper-proof identification card that
will allow the government to track him or her. (89 to 11)
★ Each worker will go to immigration centers in their home country that will help them find
jobs in the United States so they apply for a visa with a job in hand. (84 to 14)

★ A real time verification system should be established to verify immigration status and it should be outsourced to companies like American Express, Visa, or MasterCard so businesses can immediately identify whether or not someone has forged papers. (73 to 20)

★ No company should market services such as credit cards or bank accounts specifically to
people who are in the United States illegally. (78 to 18)
★ There should be heavy monetary fines against employers and businesses who knowingly
hire illegal immigrants. (78 to 20)
★ The Internal Revenue Service should conduct audits of companies who hire illegal
immigrants to determine if those companies have paid the taxes they owe. (83 to 15)
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

★ There will be incredible possibilities to meet our country’s challenges in a variety of fields because in the next 25 years there will be 4 to 7 times the amount of new science and technology in the world as in the last 25 years. (88 to7)

★ Therefore we should dramatically increase our investment in math and science education.
(91 to 8)
★ We must rely on innovation and new technology if we are going to compete successfully
with India and China. (88 to 8)
PRIZES
★ Prizes should be given to companies and individuals that invent creative ways to solve
problems.
★ We support giving large financial prizes to companies and individuals who invent an
affordable car that gets 100 miles to the gallon. (77 to 15)
★ We support giving a large financial prize to the first company or individual who invents new
ways to successfully cut pollution. (79 to 18)
★ We support giving a large financial prize to the first company or individual who invents a
new, safer way to dispose of nuclear waste products. (79 to 16)
ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT

★ We have an obligation to be good stewards of God’s creation for future generations. (95 to 3) ★ We can have a healthy economy and a healthy environment. (73 to 18) ★ We can solve our environmental problems faster and cheaper with innovation and new

technology than with more litigation and more government regulation. (79 to 15)
★ Entrepreneurs are more likely to solve America’s energy and environmental problems than
bureaucrats. (72 to 18)
★ If we use technology and innovation and incentives we do not need to raise taxes to clean
up our environment. (68 to 29)
★ We support giving tax credits to companies that cut carbon emissions as an incentive to
cut pollution. (76 to 21)
★ We want to encourage businesses to voluntarily cut pollution and give them financial
incentives to do this but, if necessary, we will require them to do so. (66 to 25)
★ We should give tax credits to homeowners and builders who incorporate alternative

energy systems in their homes, like solar, wind, and geothermal energy. (90 to 8) ★ We support offering tax credits for people who turn in older, high-polluting cars. (68 to 27) ★ Climate change and global warming are probably happening. (82 to 13) ★ We support building more nuclear power plants to cut carbon emissions and reduce our

dependence on foreign oil. (65 to 28)
★ We should hold city governments to the same standards for cleaning waste water as are
applied to private industry. (91 to 5)
★ We are prepared to use public funds to preserve green space and parks to protect natural
areas from development but especially with public and private partnerships. (81 to 15)
★ We favor property tax credits to private landowners who agree not to develop their land
and agree not to sell it to developers (65 to 30)
★ Our current dependence on foreign oil threatens our national security by making us
vulnerable to dangerous dictatorships. (78 to 18)
★ Our current dependence on foreign oil threatens our economic prosperity by making us
vulnerable to dangerous dictatorships. (78 to 19)
★ We should build more oil refineries in America to lower the cost of gas and reduce our
dependence on foreign oil. (77 to 19)
★ With appropriate safeguards to protect the environment, we should drill for oil off
America’s coasts to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. (73 to 23).
TAXES AND JOBS

★ The federal income tax system is unfair. (69 to 27) ★ The death tax should be abolished. (65 to 32) We favor tax incentives for companies who keep their headquarters in the United States. ★

(70 to 26)

Taxpayers should be given the option of a single income tax rate of 17%. Taxpayers would ★ still have the option of filing their taxes in the current system if they choose to do so. (61 to 32)

The option of a single rate system should give taxpayers the convenience of filing their taxes★
with just a single sheet of paper. (82 to 15)

We favor the option of a single corporate tax rate of 17% that would lower taxes for some ★ businesses that pay up to 38% while also closing loopholes that some corporations use to pay less in taxes. (74 to 22) ★ The United States has one of the highest corporate tax rates in the industrialized world making it difficult for U.S. corporations to compete internationally which gives incentives for companies to move overseas. This plan will make America a more attractive place for businesses that provide good paying jobs. (68 to 14)

SOCIAL SECURITY AND RETIREMENT
★ It is important for the President and Congress to address the issue of Social Security in the
next few years. (96 to 2)
★ The current Social Security systems is broken and, if it isn’t reformed, future generations will
no longer have it as a safety net for retirement. (80 to 19)

We favor a Social Security proposal in which Personal Social Security Savings Accounts ★ would be optional, with workers given the choice of continuing to depend on the current system with current benefits. (64 to 31) ★ We favor a Social Security proposal in which, when a worker retires, he or she would use the money in the account to buy an annuity, which is a type of financial benefit that will give monthly payments for the rest of the worker’s life. The annuity will pay at least the same amount as traditional Social Security would. (67 to 27) ★ We favor this Social Security proposal because in the current system, workers cannot pass onto their family members the money they paid into Social Security. This would not be the case in this new plan. (59 to 23) ★ We favor a Social Security proposal in which any money in the account left after the purchase of an annuity would be the property of the worker and the extra money can be left to family members at death. (80 to 17)

FREEDOM OF RELIGION
★ References to the Creator in the Declaration of Independence are very important. (87 to 9)
Keeping the reference to “One Nation Under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance is very★
important. (88 to 11)

★ We reject the Ninth Federal Circuit Court declaring the Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional because the Court believes the Pledge’s reference to “God” violate the separation of Church and State. (82 to 15) ★ The phrase “Under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance is perfectly in line with the United States Constitution. We reject that this phrase violates the separation of Church and state. (82 to 15)

★ Separation between Church and State does not mean there can be no references to God in
government sanctioned activities or public buildings. (81 to 16)
★ The best way to ensure religious freedom is to protect ALL religious references and
symbols; including those on public buildings, lands, or documents. (83 to 16)

★ It is important to acknowledge today that the references to God in the Declaration of Independence — that we are endowed by our Creator with the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. (93 to 6)

★ Children should be allowed a moment of silence to pray for themselves in public school if

they desire. (94 to 5) ★ We reject banning all prayer in public schools. (82 to 16) ★ We support the right of high schools students saying thanks to God in a graduation

speech. (79 to 20)
★ We approve of a Christmas tree or a Menorah being placed on public property during the
holiday season. (90 to 7)
★ We favor a law to protect city, county, and state lands that have crosses or other religious
symbols from being removed. (68 to 28)

★ Many of the problems our country faces are because America is no longer as religious and moral as it once was and are not a result of changes in the economy, war, public education and other issues. (65 to 30) ★ The Founding Fathers understood that religion and morality were important to creating and building this country and talked about it regularly. This was understood throughout American history and is central to America’s success today. We reject those who say that just because America has a 200 year history of religion in government doesn’t make it right. We reject that this violates the U.S. Constitution and discriminates against those who are of other faiths or are not religious. (79 to 17)

★ Statements regarding religion and morality made by the Founding Fathers are just as
important today as they were 200 years ago. (86 to 12)
DEFENDING AMERICA

★ We must help defend America and her allies. (85 to 10) ★ We must defeat America’s enemies. (75 to 16) ★ We have to be prepared to survive an attack by a nuclear, biological, or chemical weapon. (83 to 17) ★ Al Qaeda poses a very serious threat for the United States. (93 to 5) ★ It will not be possible to negotiate with terrorist groups like Al Qaeda. (79 to 19) ★ America should take the threat of terror by fanatical religious groups more seriously. (83 to 13) ★ Iran poses a serious threat to the United States. (85 to 14) ★ Hezbollah and Hamas pose a serious threat to the United States. (67 to 17) ★ There should be a death penalty for someone caught and convicted of carrying out a

terrorist attack in the United States. (79 to 18)
★ Congress should make it a crime to advocate acts of terrorism or violent conduct or the
killing of innocent people in the United States. (83 to 12)

★ The Department of Homeland Security and other government agencies should develop programs to teach Americans what they can do as individuals to help in the fight against terror. (82 to 13)

★ Terrorist websites at home and abroad should be closed down using computer warfare.
(77 to 16)

“
Our hope is that beginning with local conventions up through district, state and the national conventions both political parties will consider adopting this “Platform of the American People” as the foundation from which they can then pick other topics on which to disagree.

Imagine how much healthier America would be if in January 2009 both parties were committed to adopting a series of issues the American people favored by large majorities.

”

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Worst Case

By the time this is up, Stupid Tuesday, er, ahh, umm, Super Tuesday, that
is, will be history, and we'll probably know that John McCain has locked up
the Republican nomination, and Hillary will have taken most of the popular
vote, while Barack Hussein Obama (hey... that's the man's name, okay?) gets
most of the delegates. Well, it's a pretty damn stupid process, and really,
the only thing positive to be said about it all is that so far, nobody has
gotten killed. Yet. Part of what makes it stupid and futile and pretty
frustrating (to me anyway) is people with hom I tend to agree on most issues
shouting that we need to vote our principles instead of playing games, but
then allowing some admirable principles to risk losing the country. I'm not
a conservative talk show host, but I am a thinker. And I know that if I
support or berate someone based on race gender or religion, I am part of the
problem. I also know that if I am faced with the reality of either voting
for someone I don't like or someone for someone I don't like sharing the
planet with, I better rethink my principles. I'll be honest. I'm a
conservative. I'd be pretty happy if Mike Huckabee wins. But the fact is,
lots of people aren't. He did too good too early, scared the liberals, and
they put out a hit on him. The press took the job and assassinated him. I
thought the same about Romney, but apparently Republicans aren't allowed to
be religious. Especially Mormon. So really, the only Republican who'll be
allowed to even run is McCain. And he is a huge moderate. He works both
sides of the aisle. And really, someone so far to the right as to get
unqualified support from Rush Limbaugh or Glenn Beck (both whom I respect
and agree with quite often) is not not not going to get elected. Not because
the people won't support him(given fair and full information), but because
the mainsteam drive by media will do anything to avoid giving that fair and
full information. The game is fixed, friends. They hated Bush going in the
first time. They went nuts when he went in again. If you think they are
going to sit still for a third absolute, uncompromising right wing
republican to go in, you are sadly mistaken. You really need to think beyond
the self-righteous chair and think about what is going to happen in
November. I really dislike each and every one of the clowns running for
president. If I had my choice, I'd be voting to dig Reagan out of the
ground, shoot some electricity into him, and put him back in office. But I'm
not going to get that. So I have to decide two things. Who, among the two
clowns I hate the least, has the best chance of beating the two clowns I
hate the most? Not my first choice, but I'd rather vote for someone who has
even one principle I believe in than someone who either shows no love or
respect for the flag, or someone who doesn't trust me write what I want on
the internet or to spend the money I earn. Principles are great and
important, but when your opponent is thinking two moves ahead, you'd better
be prepared to do the same. The other side is thinking not only about
winning the primary, but about winning the general election. And if you
don't start to think like that, you'll lose. Vote for who you like the most
in the primary, but take a shot of reality when it comes to the general
election. Because at that point its put up or shut up. That's when
compromise becomes something you need to think about.

Really, one of the things that has really poisoned politics in this country,
amongst republocrats, talk show hosts, and even thinkers, is a 'my party
right or wrong' way of thinking. Sort of like the "Are you still beating
your wife?" gag of old. You're damned if you do and damned if you don't.
Logic or reason has no place because it might show another point of view.
Conservative talk show hosts like Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh are doing
things like that, refusing to consider working with the other side while
continually evoking the Reagan name. But Reagan didn't care about party. He
cared about his ideas. And he worked with whoever agreed, and sometimes even
compromised for the greater good.