If you could vote for a president of the United States who would be excellent in solving one issue, yet only average in every other area, what one issue would you want him/her to solve?
Assume the president isn’t magic, so the solution has to be something entirely feasible even if difficult. The only answer not allowed is “the economy” because it’s too broad. But you can pick tax policy if you wish.
Here’s a starter list, but you don’t have to pick from it if you have a better idea:
Healthcare
Crime
Homeland security
Energy policy
Taxes
Education
Balancing the budget
Environment
After you pick your answer, scroll down for mine.
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I’d have to go with energy policy. My reasoning is that coming up with green and economical alternative sources of energy would virtually solve all the other problems, either directly or by boosting the economy.
Imagine a president who brought experts together and mapped out a plan to make the country energy independent by a year certain. It would require a combination of a dozen or more industries and thousands of technologies that all do their little part. I can imagine massive investment in developing improved biofuels, building Sterling generators in the desert, nuclear plants, windmills, clean coal, harnessing the ocean waves, maybe using Tesla’s wireless power grid http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=703, and so on. I’m thinking of a war-time-like effort that brings the entire country together on this mission.
The direct benefits of a great energy policy would be a long-term solution to global warming (as developing nations copied our breakthroughs), and freedom from Middle East oil, and wars. That would be reason enough to make it a top priority. But the indirect benefits, through the impact on the economy, could be just as important.
Imagine mobilizing the entire country toward energy independence. The effort would increase jobs, including everything from harvesting sugar cane to assembling windmills. And it would stimulate technical advances that would have ripple effects for generations. Best yet, when energy becomes less expensive, it boosts profits of every company, increases personal wealth, and makes it easier to fund healthcare, education and anything else. And America would become the leader in alternative energy, exporting our products and services to developing countries.
Hypothetically, if voters were rational, a candidate for president could run on that single issue and get elected, so long as he or she was presumed to be average on the other issues.
Realistically, our candidates for president will jabber about the miracle of corn, pose for pictures in front of solar panels, and call it good.