[Sephardi]

I'd declare Martial Law and go ahead with steamrollering my policies through. They would include fully withdrawing from Iraq and Afghanistan, gun licencing, developing a free and high quality nationalised medical care system, rebuilding American manufacturing industry and giving independence to Guam, Puerto Rico and American Samoa.

This.

Declare Martial Law.
Develop a high quality and free nationalized education system.
Develop a high quality and free nationalized healthcare system.
Bring the US back to its protectionist, pro tariff, export based manufacturing industry.
Create a real militia, give militia training to men and some women as part of education reform, and withdraw all troops from oversees in any country.
Deny the Palestinians statehood or any chance of statehood.
Cut of all foreign aid.
Tax reform.
Using propaganda and other films, bring back masculinity, and ban transgendered classifying it as a disease.
Put military troops in the US - Mexico border.

[EastCoastAmerican]

1. I'd whip the Democratic Party into shape. I'd tell Pelosi, Reid, the head of the Democratic National Committee, and other liberal leaders to shout from the rooftops how bailing out the auto industry helped save hundreds of thousands of jobs during Obama's years. Give out official statements, send them to friendly news media, make people realize that Democratic policies helped create jobs. The Republicans are fooling people into believing that this never happened, and the Democrats aren't speaking up about it. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/aug/5/obama-auto-industry-bailout-saved-1-million-jobs/

2. We got bin Laden; Al Qaeda's weaker than ever. We pull out of Afghanistan and Iraq. Emphasize the expensive nature of the wars and how many Republican figureheads don't want us to leave (Rick Perry wants us to have a continued presence, Tim Pawlenty believed the Iraq War to be a resounding success, Santorum won't leave until "every single terrorist in the Middle East is dealt with"). We can't go around the world "nation-building:" the principles of freedom and democracy cannot be forcefully imposed on a nation without the people's consent. John Huntsman: "Only Afghanistan can save Afghanistan."

3. Dig up enough dirt on Republican politicians and corporate-friendly Democrats. Get a team of expert economists and lawyers to create a bill to close tax loopholes for overseas accounts that the mega-rich use to avoid paying taxes.

4. Pitch the idea to the Democratic leaders and the White House Press: General Electric paid $0 in taxes last year, and Amazon DESTROYED jobs in states that tried to make them pay any amount of sales tax; I'd use these two companies as specific examples and strongly encourage them to tell the American public this in the media. "Why are the ultra-rich not paying their fair share? Why should the average Joe in Middle America pay a higher percentage on his income tax? Why should companies like Amazon ruin your life so that they make a profit that's only slight to them because they're already living like kings?"

5. Get Americans pissed off at the wealthy corporations that get away with this stuff, and the politicians will fall in line when I propose a bill to close the tax loopholes. This where the "dirt" on the Republicans comes in. Oh, and if the Republicans don't cave in, I release the dirt and tell the Democrats to start referring to them as the "Rich People's Party" the same way Republicans refer to Democrats as "Socialists."

We'd spend less on military ventures, freeing up a lot of money that can be spent on job creation. Government-funded hospitals, roads, and jobs will survive thanks to the increased amount of money and resources the government got from closing the tax loopholes. This won't be enough to save our economy, but it's a step in the right direction.

[CounterChaos]

1. I'd whip the Democratic Party into shape. I'd tell Pelosi, Reid, the head of the Democratic National Committee, and other liberal leaders to shout from the rooftops how bailing out the auto industry helped save hundreds of thousands of jobs during Obama's years. Give out official statements, send them to friendly news media, make people realize that Democratic policies helped create jobs. The Republicans are fooling people into believing that this never happened, and the Democrats aren't speaking up about it. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/aug/5/obama-auto-industry-bailout-saved-1-million-jobs/

2. We got bin Laden; Al Qaeda's weaker than ever. We pull out of Afghanistan and Iraq. Emphasize the expensive nature of the wars and how many Republican figureheads don't want us to leave (Rick Perry wants us to have a continued presence, Tim Pawlenty believed the Iraq War to be a resounding success, Santorum won't leave until "every single terrorist in the Middle East is dealt with"). We can't go around the world "nation-building:" the principles of freedom and democracy cannot be forcefully imposed on a nation without the people's consent. John Huntsman: "Only Afghanistan can save Afghanistan."

3. Dig up enough dirt on Republican politicians and corporate-friendly Democrats. Get a team of expert economists and lawyers to create a bill to close tax loopholes for overseas accounts that the mega-rich use to avoid paying taxes.

4. Pitch the idea to the Democratic leaders and the White House Press: General Electric paid $0 in taxes last year, and Amazon DESTROYED jobs in states that tried to make them pay any amount of sales tax; I'd use these two companies as specific examples and strongly encourage them to tell the American public this in the media. "Why are the ultra-rich not paying their fair share? Why should the average Joe in Middle America pay a higher percentage on his income tax? Why should companies like Amazon ruin your life so that they make a profit that's only slight to them because they're already living like kings?"

5. Get Americans pissed off at the wealthy corporations that get away with this stuff, and the politicians will fall in line when I propose a bill to close the tax loopholes. This where the "dirt" on the Republicans comes in. Oh, and if the Republicans don't cave in, I release the dirt and tell the Democrats to start referring to them as the "Rich People's Party" the same way Republicans refer to Democrats as "Socialists."

We'd spend less on military ventures, freeing up a lot of money that can be spent on job creation. Government-funded hospitals, roads, and jobs will survive thanks to the increased amount of money and resources the government got from closing the tax loopholes. This won't be enough to save our economy, but it's a step in the right direction.

I have a better idea - why don't we just adapt some socialist policies and nationalize strategic industries?

[bobgnote]

I'd pull out of Cuba, Israel, Afghanistan, and Bahrain, at least, make friends with China, let Iran be, and I'd push very hard for legal pot and for CO2-neutral biomass research, while blowing off the oil companies, all I could.

Then I'd push, to re-green the planet, so our food chains don't collapse, from the already deadly carbonic acid exchange and sundry pollution, evident from petroleum and nuclear media.

[KlassWar]

Again - Considering that it's very very tough to get things through congress right now, what are your first 5 steps?

Congress is hopelessly deadlocked, right? (And the Dems hold the Senate) This is actually a sweet position to be in: I'd just bully them.

Using the incapacity and obstructionism of Congress as a PR excuse, I'd just ignore Congress and basically run the country by Executive Order.

My first five decisions as President would be:
-> Get rid of the Karzai government: Find a secularist modernizer who's at least somewhat popular and relatively competent and put him in office. I don't care if he's pro-American, pro-Russian, pro-European, pro-Indian or pro-Chinese. The goal ain't hegemony, it's containing the fundies. GTFO there gradually and maintain aid and military backing.
-> Use pardons en masse as de-facto nullification of Federal laws I want repealed- fait accompli tactics might actually force Congress to repeal'em. Target the War On Drugs for elimination this way.
-> Immediately end the embargo on Cuba and all forms of harassment against socialist countries. Get the Department of State to back left-wing movements rather than right-wing movements across the world.
-> Form a list of laws we won't defend in court to officially put the White House Seal Of Approval on SCOTUS nuking bad laws. Challenges to those laws would then go unanswered.
-> Use executive orders to their fullest extent in order to enact pro-worker Federal regulations. Nationalize and collectivize whenever I've got the power to do so.


Needless to say, I'd be vetoing like crazy. I'd call it the Sanchez Doctrine: "This Administration can and will veto every reactionary law that makes its way outta Congress"