"My first act as president will be to turn on the lights"

[Stinky The Clown]

Might this be a candidate for a presidential campaign uberslogan?

Imagine everything that flows from such a statement ... and such an action. Just imagine ..... it will set your heart to singing with joy.

Just turn on the lights and shine them brightly into every cobwebby space in government.

Would this resonate with voters?

How could/would such a promise be attacked?

[blm]

1. I'M WITH YOU. The Anti-corruption, Open government citizens will respond

postively to that message.

[quiet.american]

2. Terrific!! n/t

[welshTerrier2]

3. let daylight shine into all the dark corners of government

the need to inform citizens about the actions of their government is critically important ... a minor nit-pick: the phrase "turning on the lights" may lack a necessary environmental sensitivity ... we should send a message about conserving energy ...

and so, i offer a substitute: "let daylight shine into all the dark corners of government"

[Stinky The Clown]

7. See my reply to MADem, below

[stellanoir]

4. Stinky's got my vote.

Now if someone could only count it.

[blm]

5. heheh...there is THAT little problem.

.

[MADem]

6. First thing I think of is dwindling energy resources, frankly

We need to turn more lights off. Shining a SPOTLIGHT might work, but just turning on lights reminds me of the parental "Turn out the goddamn lights...YOU wanna pay the electric bill????"

Dig up the garden, root out the lies, maybe...I dunno.

[Stinky The Clown]

8. Its funny .... you and welshterrier picked on the same issue

The use of the reference to turning on lights.

I'm not arguing, but don't you think that might be a bit *too* nit picky? There is specific speech and then there are euphemisms and colloqualisms. I should think 'turning on the lights' in the context proposed is a pure and simple colloqualism and would be seen as such.

I certainly respect your view and am not taking issue. But I just don't think many people would be as sensitive to this turn of phrase as you.

[welshTerrier2]

10. self-labeled as such ...

i have no problem calling it "too nit picky" ...

being an INTP, i am constitutionally unable to not look at every detail ... that many are just noise goes without saying ...

still, it's good that someone raises everything for consideration ... not all are gems worth keeping ...

[MADem]

20. Honestly, no. It's just the first thing, the very first thing, that came

to my mind. I'm guessing that anyone who has seen energy bills go up, up, up might think the same thing...

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

9. They are furtive and secretive because they have need to be

and it doesn't have anything to do with "National Security" either! It has a lot more to do with how people become enormously wealthy as public servants or as the recipients of government contracts.

[orleans]

11. i really like that but those fucking repukes will counter with some

snide shit like: "the lights are on but nobody's home"

here's my suggestion for a dem slogan: WAKE UP AMERICA! BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE

"My first act as president will be to restore democracy to America"

[Stinky The Clown]

15. I'm not sure there is *any* effective counter to turning on the lights

Why would anyone oppose turning on the lights? The only reason NOT to turn them on is to hide shit. Who would vote to allow his rep to hide shit? Seriously, NO one would support the continuation of lies and decption and secrecy.

No .... someone could *try* to counter this with snide remarks ..... but they'd lose.

[janx]

12. Dean used this imagery in the 2004 primaries, and the other

Dems were extremely pissed off. :rofl: He talked about shining a light on Congress and watching cockroaches scurry.

I'm a writer of short fiction, and I loved the analogy, but apparently Dean's fellow Dems did not--ESPECIALLY the ones in Congress. :rofl:

Dean has always been refreshing in that way though. He has also been a threat to some D.C. Dems in the same way. But those people should be kept on notice, as they say. The people who elect them to be in D.C. in the first place are the PEOPLE, after all...

God bless Howard Dean! Look for more cleaning up of government in the future. Our federal government has been very crappy and corrupt for too long.

[Stinky The Clown]

16. You're right ........

..... such a campaign meme would separate the one using it from some Dems, too. I can think of worse consequences!

To be clear, there is, obviously, a need for secrecy in some areas. Like some intelligence, defense and diplomacy issues. But secrecy involving the day-to-day workings of government is just plain wrong.

Turning on the lights is a theme that will hit a chord with voters and simply can't be opposed for any *good* reasons. The voters know it.

[Auntie Bush]

13. And watch them run like a bunch of cockroaches!

That scene would make a great cartoon. Calling Mopal!

[peacetheonlyway]

14. it's perfect....

sunshine laws referenced without even trying,

energy crisis referenced but with a twist (turning on a new form of energy)

light being the universal symbol of love and spiritual healing

it's all good.

when are you running for prez Husb2Sparkly? should I break out my button machine?

[Stinky The Clown]

17. You don't want me as president!

Trust me on that! I'm cantankerous, crusty, curmudgeonly, sarcastic, cycnical, caustic, snarky ........

Besides, I have a job ...... Husb2Sparkly!

[Name removed]

18. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Stinky The Clown]

19. Damn ... I wish there was a way to know what got said!

You mods do a great job. But it sure would be fun to know what gets said and then deleted so fast it doesn't even get a read, let alone an opportunity to reply. :evilgrin:

[gristy]

21. Yes, I like it. I envision a video

One could start with this scary very underlit (almost black) scene of awful things happening like the War in Iraq, rendition, Cheney's energy meetings, bribes being paid - the depravity of the whole thing conveyed by a combination of sharp audio and ghostly, dark images on the screen. After a bit of that, the light clicks on and we are looking at a kitchen floor filled with rats and they try to make a break for it.

How should it end?