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  International Edition
Monday, October 29, 2007
If You Were President
As of right now we're leading tonight's program with politics --- the race for the presidency, to be precise. We've got some new information from Iowa and New Hampshire. Plus, who's up, who's down, who needs to do what and when....we'll have insight and analysis from our ace political team. And, as always, we want to bring you into the mix via our blog. Tonight we want to know what you would do if you were in the Oval Office. "If I Were President..." -- use that as a starting point. Just click on the comments button below to share your thoughts online. We'll also read some of your comments during the show. That's all for now. See you at 10pm ET.
Posted By CNN: 7:55 PM ET
  24 Comments
Mine's kind of boring but I'm really into the idea of abolishing the IRS, letting people keep every penny they earn; then raising the sales tax to make up for it, so that people who don't report income such as drug dealers, will pay into the federal revenue system.
Posted By xtina - chicago IL : 8:39 PM ET
If I were President, I'd call together some of my Cabinet members like Secretary of State, Anderson Cooper, Secretary of Health and Human Services, Sanjay Gupta, and Secretary of the Interior, Jeff Corwin and see how we could best undo the damage done by the previous administration.
Posted By Joseph Kowalski, North Huntingdon, PA : 8:40 PM ET
If I were in charge, every child under 18 would have medical insurance; but I'd also make parents on welfare work part of their time in community service or have them doing something to give back...
Posted By ann s, wilmington, nc : 8:41 PM ET
I would give all professional athletes a nice round salary - say $100,000. Then, I'd give all teachers and firefighters/police officers/rescue workers a base salary of $1,000,000.
Posted By Ron K, Bethpage, NY : 8:45 PM ET
If I were President, I will make the following a priority: 1) implement a phased withdrawal of troops from Iraq, 2) establish diplomacy with other countries by sending ambassadors of goodwill and agree to meet with them in person at a later time, 2) sign the Kyoto Treaty to show the US commitment to protecting the environment, 3) balance the budget with help from top financial leaders, 4) tackle the growing crime issue with help from top law enforcement leaders and experts, 5) implement health care initiatives with help from health care experts. All of this, plus more; there's so much to be done. Of course, these things can only be done with the help of experts in the field.
Posted By Lilibeth, Edmonds, Washington : 8:48 PM ET
If I were President of the United States, I would end this war. I would start pulling out troops from Iraq and bring my fellow soldiers home. If I had been President, there would not have been a war in Iraq anyway. I would have put the American mighty army behind the hunt for Osama Bin Laden, found him and his people, and made each one of them account for the deaths of September 11 as well as U.S. Embassy Attacks abroad.

If I were president, I would use our tax dollars to help rebuild our infrastructure. I would start a Presidential initiative called "Make America Stronger." I would hire American construction firms to go and fix our multitudinous infrastructure problems. Those companies would be screened for illegal immegrant workers too. That part may be controversial, but the whole initiative would be Americans rebuilding America.

This would parlay into more of an emphasis on American business and American enterprise. Which I think is crucial right now. We need to relearn what our great grandparents knew, MADE IN THE USA is the BEST!

Lastly, I would fix health care. Our health care system sucks! I would put American dollars into improving American medical schools and pushing more young Americans into the sciences. If a young doctor came out of a medical school that was apart of our program, his or her malpractice insurance would be taken care of by a program I would create. These doctors would be placed in Metropolitan hospitals which service the populace. The populace would in turn come to the hospitals when they are ill, their medical care would be taken care of in part by the tax dollars possibly 60%. They would have to pay the difference. Children under the age of 18 would be free.

Doctor's who graduate from schools that would not be under the federal plan would have to pay for private insurance, and people would have to pay full price for their health-care.
Posted By Sylvie Grace; Atlanta, Georgia : 8:57 PM ET
Kill the terrorists.

Protect the borders.

Punch the hippies.
Posted By Sam A, Dallas, Tx. : 8:58 PM ET
If I were President, I would open the gates to the White House again so that all Americans could enjoy our national treasure.

I would also invite Americans to Town Hall meetings at the White House so I could listen and respond to various needs of the people.

@ xtina,

Put me down for a national sales tax too!
Posted By Renee Bradenton, FL : 9:04 PM ET
It may take an exorcism to clean up the mess left by this disastrous Bush administration, but if I were president I would try to restore dignity to the Oval Office by earning the trust and confidence of the American people.

To that end I would take great care in choosing honest and competent people, not crooked political cronies. I would keep open communication with our allies as well as our enemies.

I would make health care and the environment top priorities and I would not allow big business or foreign countries to dictate U.S. government policy.

Most importantly, I would end the war in Iraq and never send our courageous men and women to fight an unwinnable war for my own political interests.

Jo Ann
Posted By Jo Ann Matese, North Royalton, Ohio : 9:12 PM ET
If I were President every child reaching 18 years would spend two mandatory years serving our country in the Armed Forces before starting college.
Posted By Simon R, Durango, CO : 9:16 PM ET
If I were President I would put the environment at the top of the priority list and cooperate with other countries in the effort to clean up our environment; then I would overhaul the tax systems so the middle class and poor people do not pay proportionally more taxes than people like Warren Buffet; establish national health care insurance; establish a phased withdrawal from Iraq; and concentrate on poverty in this country and on education. The US used to lead the world; it seems now we are a stumbling block. I'd like to see us lead once again in a good way.

Annie Kate
Birmingham AL
Posted By Annie Kate : 9:18 PM ET
I second xtina's plan for people in the "underground" economy to start paying their fair share.

I'd also make any politician convicted of a felony clean the toilets in public buildings in every American city !
Posted By Jim K, Mesa, Az. : 9:21 PM ET
If I were President...I would tax the heck out of everyone who insists on driving huge honking SUV's that guzzle gas like water, making us eternally dependent on the Middle East for access to oil...especially those who drive Hummers. Then I would give tax breaks to everyone who participates in recycling programs and those who "green up" their homes. I would, of course, confer with Al Gore on these issues. Then I would do away with the referral systems in healthcare (the few remaining) and force HMO's to employee people with measurable IQ's to work in their provider and customer service departments, allowing physicians to return to the practice of actually practicing medicine. I would tax liquor and cigarettes and use the money to fund healthcare programs to provide coverage for children, the elderly and anyone else who can't pay for their own insurance. And lastly...I would commission that guy who made the 200 lb chocolate Jesus to make me a 300 lb organic milk chocolate Buddha.
Posted By Debbie, Denham Springs, LA : 9:24 PM ET
If I were President, I would think very carefully before making major decisions that would affect the majority of the country. I would close the loopholes that allow major companies to not pay taxes and I would send "goodwill" ambassadors to other countries to try to heal some of the bad feelings they have toward us.
Good question!!
Posted By Pamina, New Rochelle, NY : 9:29 PM ET
I'd delegate everything while kicking back and enjoying the ride! Some of my cabinet would be-

John McCain - Sec. of Defense

Mitt Romney - Sec. of Treasury

Bill Richardson -Sec. of Education

Al Gore - Sec. of Interior

Ron Paul - Sec. of Agriculture (legalize pot!)

Sec. of Homeland Sec. - Rudy Guiliani

Sec. of State - Hillary Clinton


VP would be someone from Comedy Central, so we could just laugh it up, while the above-mentioned does all the work
Posted By Steve - Peoria, IL : 9:31 PM ET
If I were the pres. I'd make top priority the availability of healthcare. Especially to those with existing conditions, disablilities, the terminally ill, who are US citizens and long time residents of a state and or generations of families residing within a state, veterans, the disabled and their families to be top priority for healthcare. Crack the whip on illegal immigration without hesitation. Reevaluate trade and it's policies. Just look very seriously at taking care of the USA first...
Posted By Anonymous : 9:31 PM ET
Wow, I think if I were president I would work on getting along with Congress. Countless hours and millions of dollars are wasted each year with all of the bickering. Maybe world powers would listen if we presented a united front. I would also like to balance the budget. This life of wasteful spending has to stop!
Posted By Kathy Chicago,Il : 9:34 PM ET
I'd take the constitution out of cold storage and dust it off and put it back where it belongs, in the heart of our legal system.

Then I'd get us the hell out of Iraq, and get some REAL international partners to help stabilize the region.

Those same partners would have to ante up some troops to protect the displaced in Darfur.

And while I was at it, I'd rename the Department of Fatherland Security to something a little less jingoistic.

Then I'd have lunch.
Posted By Arachnae, Sterling VA : 9:40 PM ET
If I where president I would have the people of the USA through out all memebers of congress and I would rewrite the Constitution so it would include everyone.I would also bring in our troops from all the countries that they are in and would apologize to all the countries for all the bad men before me.I would kick out the big corparations and I would make guns only for our military.I would restructure our medical practices,I would make the F.D.A do research on the drugs that are being put out here and I will also stop children vaccinations.I would tell people the truth about what has happened over the many years we have been sufering.I would give Mexicans back there land and stop calling them illegal aliens because we are really the illegal aliens.I would make our school system better equiped to teach our children.I would stop all this cloning and birth control and abortions.I would stop the genitical engineering of our food and the import of our food.majority of our food would be home grown.Unhealthy eating will be not be tollerated and I would give everyone a home the best education and health care and every one will only have to work 5-6 hours a day so they can spend most of there time with there family.Thats what I would do if I where President of the USA.
Posted By JOSHUA : 7:39 PM ET
If I were president, I'd legalize marijuana.
Posted By Julian : 10:16 PM ET
First of all, I would never declare that the people have given me capitol enough to do with what I want. I would never say that I ignore opinion polls of what the people want. I would never speak the words "I am the Decider."

If I were President, I would make possible everything the people want, since after all, this is supposed to be a democracy where the citizens govern and decide what is best for themselves.
Posted By Anonymous : 10:17 PM ET
First, I would arrest and jail George Bush, Dick Cheney, and Karl Rove on Homeland Security terrorist charges for unnecessarily endangering the entire country. Then, I would roll back the tax cuts and windfall profits for the oil industry. Tax the rich and serve the poor. That's my presidential platform.
Posted By Mark Frazier, Nacogdoches, Texas. : 10:21 PM ET
I would pull out of Iraq tomorrow. President Bush spent 500 Billion dollars. Five Hundred Billion Dollars. We could have figured out how to be non reliant on oil with that money. We could have improved our country in so many different ways like solar technology, better technology to fight fires, high speed magnetic trains, battle cancer, battle aids or help the damn 9 trillion dollar national debt. But no, instead we are going to help people who just want to kill each other and us for GOD!
Posted By Anonymous : 10:22 PM ET
If I were elected President, I would start a policy of isolationism. I think our country is becoming weaker by trying to influence the rest of the world. Currently, we are spreading ourselves too thin and there are consequences: dangerous products from countries with too little regulation, loss of American due to outsourcing hurts our economy by reducing the spending power of the large working class, and most concerning, creating enemies by engaging in military operations in conflicts that are none of our business. America needs to turn its focus back home--until we can be strong and independent on our own, we will be vulnerable to outside dangers from a variety of sources. We need to fix and perfect our system of democracy and strengthen our independence. If we truely want to help other countries, we need to start by creating a shining example of what good government should be.
Posted By Carrie : 10:24 PM ET
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