Reaching Across the Aisle

Question: What aspect of the Democratic party platform do you most disagree with?

Transcript: Well I disagree that the Democratic party should be a party of litmus test. And in the past we were. In the past we said the litmus tests are you can’t be against gun control; that you had to be pro-choice. Now I’m pro-choice, but I’m also somebody that respects the Second Amendment. And . . . and the Democratic party used to have other litmus tests that tended to favor a party dominated in the Northeast and the far west. And in between – the Iowas, the New Mexicos, the Southwest, the Floridas, the Ohios – they were kinda left out. And so right now I believe the Democratic party is in a good, healthy state. But one of the main points I’ve been making to candidates that are running in the Democratic primary is let’s have full debates on the issues – on policy differences – not on personal attacks, not on tearing each other down. And I believe the Democratic electorate likes that because there is such an overwhelming view that we need to win the next election.

Question: What aspect then of the Republican party platform do you most agree with?

Transcript: Well I disagree with almost everything. I mean the fact that they are so wedded to the past. On the war, they each wanna trumpet how great the surge is working. They’re intolerant on immigration. They don’t wanna change the healthcare system in this country.

I guess what I like about the Republican party, I like the people that represented it in the past. I am a great admirer of Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt who were, at the time, conservationists. And I believe that if you’re gonna be an environmental president, you have to build bipartisan support. And Teddy Roosevelt was able to do that. Lincoln, you know, he was the man that ended slavery. He was a Republican. So I believe that it’s important that we develop bipartisan solutions. What I would do as President is I’ll have a bipartisan candidate – Republicans, Independents, and Democrats. I won’t overdo all the Republicans, but . . . That’s supposed to be funny. But what I’m saying is I think we need a new way of governing that signals to the American people that we need to bring everybody together.

Recorded on: 11/20/07