2007 Soap Box Archives

A Campaign Speech I Would Love To Hear

Good evening ladies and gentlemen, my name is John Doe and I am running for President.

In a day when elections are many times decided only on perception and not on the real beliefs of the candidates I would like to inject something into this campaign that it is woefully short of, straight talk. I will speak in a manner that everyone can understand and state exactly how I truly feel about what I feel to be the pressing issues of the day.

I will not pander nor abandon my principles to be elected, my honesty and integrity are more precious than that, and if I cannot be elected with you the people knowing my true intent then so be it. I don't believe the American people should be fooled into thinking a candidate is something that he or she isn't. Therefore you will hear nothing but the truth come out of my mouth.

Abortion: I believe that abortion, except in special cases involving the life of the mother, is murder, pure and simple. This thing about a fetus being a blob of flesh is simply a lie. From conception a fetus is a living being and should be afforded the rights of one.

The right of law-abiding citizens to own firearms: I believe we have a constitutionally guaranteed right to own and use firearms for protection and sport. However guns are dangerous in the hands of criminals and we should never allow that to happen. But the real answer is keeping the criminals off the street. Blaming a gun for a crime is tantamount to blaming a pen for a misspelled word. Guns don't kill people, people kill people.

Capitol punishment: I believe in capitol punishment, not as a deterrant, but as a punishment. It is designed to take one dangerous person out of society and it works every time.

Child abuse: I believe that child abuse is the most heinous crime and that those who commit it should be mandatory incarcerated for a period of time fitting the severity of the crime. If the murder of a child is involved I believe the death penalty should be applied. I believe in significant mandatory prison sentences for a first offense and life sentences for any offense thereafter.

Education: it is a proven fact that education in this country lags behind most of the rest of the free world in math and sciences and this is absolutely unacceptable. We have a bad habit in this nation of throwing money at a problem and leaving it to solve it.

There has heretofore been too much pandering to the teacher¹s unions trying to buy votes.

Well let's face it, what is more important, the well being of our children and the future of our nation or the teacher's unions? Unfortunately it has come to that.

Therefore I will propose and fervently fight for a school voucher program. It is a proven fact that students in private schools are for the most part far ahead of the average public school student and the cost is basically the same, or less.

This would solve two problems. First of all it would put schooling on a competitive basis and would end sectarian disagreements. Christian parents could send their children to Christian schools, Jewish students could go to Jewish schools and so forth.

That way you could truthfully say, no child left behind.

The war on terror: What this country has to realize is that a terrorist is a terrorist, whether he or she crashes an airplane full of innocent people into a skyscraper or boards a bus in Tel Aviv wearing a suicide vest.

Any terrorist is an enemy of western society and will be treated as such by my administration. We will seek out our enemies and destroy them wherever they are.

Term limits: Our governmental system was not designed for career politicians. It was meant to keep the flow of ordinary citizens in office, citizens fresh off the streets and back roads of America who know firsthand what is going on now, not thirty years ago.

I believe that eight years is long enough for a Congressman, Senator or President to stay in power and will seek to pass legislation to make it happen.

Campaign finance reform: It is altogether possible for a party to win an election in America simply by having more money to spend than the other party. The only true campaign reform legislation would require that a ceiling would be put on the amount of money each party could spend in a national election. In other words, level the playing field. Buying an election in this country is not acceptable.

The war in Iraq: This has been a point of contention for years and one of the most divisive issues facing us today.

It's time that the war stop being a political football with members of Congress stop sticking a wet finger in the air and providing or withholding their support according to what they perceive will make them look good on the evening news.

We are dealing with the lives of America's finest young men and women and the very future of the United States of America.

If Congress truly feels that it's to America's advantage to pull our troops out of Iraq, let them stand up as a body and say so. They have the power to stop the war, so let's see if they've got the guts.

But remember my fellow Americans, he who stops the war, owns the war and all the results and ramifications thereafter.

Pray for our troops.

What do you think?

God Bless America

Charlie Daniels
May 11, 2007