As you undoubtedly know, it is a constitutional requirement that the President be at least 35 years of age. For me, this means that a 2012 election (with a Jan. 20, 2013 inauguration) puts me in there with three whole days to spare. It's eight years away, true, but given that:

a. Things are bad enough to require eight years of planning to repair
b. I want to get the grass roots a-growin' early

. . . I feel this is a good time to start articulating a platform and generating the memes that will make my campaign a winnah.

This is to be one of the ongoing "half in jest, wholly in earnest" portions of this blog; no, I don't think a run will materialize, but yes, I think I could run this joint a lot better than the people currently in charge.

So, Platform Plank #1:

I will not speak to voters as though they are stupid, and I will not speak to voters as though I am stupid--which is really just another, more roundabout way of speaking to them as though they are stupid.

This is my way of guaranteeing honest government, which has a vague sound and which I'd like to break down to practical elements. So I'll put it this way: implicit in every lie is the belief, or at least the hope, that nobody else will be informed or bright enough to catch it. It is an insult to the listener. A White House that assumes its constituents are intelligent is a White House that won't always be trying to get away with something.

The other part of this is giving honest choices. We all want everything at no cost with no consequences, but none of us is silly enough to believe things work that way. Americans can make choices and prioritize based on an honest presentation of viable options. I will convince Americans that policies are good ideas based on facts, not fear, propaganda, or fantastic promises. Whether America's actions are venal or noble, self-interested or generous, they will be forthright.

(And yes, there's a bit of Spanish-American War/Iraq II subtext here.)