Tips for Presidential Candidates

The pundits are saying that the independent voters will determine the outcome of the next U.S. Presidential election. I tend to agree with them. Although I am registered as a Republican, I have always voted based on the issues and on my conscience, not on party affiliation; I consider myself an independent.

So, Hillary and Rudy, Barak and Mitt, John McC and John E, (and all the rest), please listen to the voice of an independent:

1. Don't tell me how terrible things are in our nation. Tell me instead which of the good things you intend to preserve and enhance. You can tell me if something can be improved, if something is broken and needs fixing, or if something is missing and needs to be added, but be prepared to offer a specific remedy.
2. Stop proposing policies that favor the multimillionares who fund your campaigns to the detriment of the other 99% of our population. Make your proposals and your actions truly serve the common good.
3. Ignore the rantings of the blind dummies at the far right and the far left ends of the political spectrum. They probably account for about 5% of the total vote. There are many more voters toward the middle of the spectrum. They are the intelligent, thoughtful and curious ones who are examining all possible solutions to the problems and who are looking for intelligent problem solvers. They are also the ones who will see the benefits of your proposed solutions and embrace them regardless of the party of origin.
4. Make sure you address the important issues. Some candidates don't even have illegal immigration on their issues list. There are other missing issues as well. If you can't see what the important issues are, you aren't presidential material.
5. Don't change your position with every new poll that is published. If you truly believe you are right, hold fast to your position. On the other hand, if one or more polls indicate that 75% or more of the electorate disagree with you, then you should seriously reexamine your position, because they may have seen something you missed. If you are certain you are right, then you had better explain the facts that got you there.
6. Don't patronize me or try to dazzle me with promises of pie in the sky, two cars in every garage, or a chicken in every pot. These offers have already been made and renigued upon. Instead, be specific about the improvements or additions you want to make, and make them realistic in the sense that Congress will be able to implement them.
7. Don't offer me "comprehensive" reforms. These have failed every time they were implemented or attempted (e.g. health care, immigration, congressional ethics, campaign financing). Comprehensive reforms are so long and complicated that they are guaranteed to have one or more elements that will alienate voters of one persuasion or the other. As a result, few voters will support them. Most of our present policies are pretty darn good. They have specific faults that need correcting, or they are not always properly enforced. So identify the specific faults, and propose specific corrective and enforcement actions.
8. Don't be afraid that I will not vote for you if I disagree on an issue--that's exactly what elections are all about. You can't please all of the people all of the time. If you make more good suggestions than bad, and more good solutions than the other guy, you will get my vote.
9. Quit using ad hominum attacks. They have been around as long as politicians have. And they are weak and antagonistic substitutes for substantive positive positions on meaningful issues. Besides, you have just as many failings as the other guy does.

That is a recipe for winning the votes of independents. I suspect and fear that you will not follow it. No presidential candidate since Theodore Roosevelt has come very close to following it. Some of you have already begun your "avoid the issues and torpedo the opposition" campaign strategy. Change now, or lose my vote for sure (and those of most other independents as well).