This is an email that I sent John McCain tonight. I don't know if he will get a chance to view it in time (due to all the correspondence he receives), but I hope so.

Senator McCain,

I want to offer some suggestions that I believe will help you relate to the people, show your Maverick streak, rebutt Barack Obama's attack's from his acceptance speech, contrast yourself positively against your opponent, which all combined will show why you are better qualified to be President.

First of all I believe you should be extremely specific about what you want to do and how you plan to achieve it.

At the RNC you should be completely unique in your approach. You should sit in a comfortable chair on stage and have a chat with the people instead of giving a prepared, practiced and controlled speech. This will show that people that you speak from the heart and not from deliberately created soundbites that you may or may not believe in.

During your conversation you should educate the people in every day language why taxing corporations only hurts the blue-collar workers. Explain that when corporations get taxed, they increase cost of goods and services and hire fewer employees (and in some cases down-size) in order to compensate for loss in profits. Additionally, many businesses will choose pack up and move out of the country, which will cause even further decline in unemployement. While discussing this issue don't use words like "trickle down theory" because those words conjure negative ideas in people's minds. For example that term alone gives me the picture in my mind of greedy businessmen receiving money and holding on to it without sharing it with others.

In both socialized healthcare and education you must show them how they will lose quality. You are a veteran, you know what government healthcare is like for the average person. First of all, if a doctor causes malpractice, it is very difficult if not impossible to sue the government. Secondly, it is so difficult to obtain records. When I was pregnant with my 2nd child, I needed my operation report from my previous c-section in order to show that I have the right type of operation that would allow me to attempt a natural birth with my current pregnancy. I requested my medical records 9 months in advance, but to this day, the military have never found my medical records. It is common knowledge and constantly in the news how VA hospitals are never up to speed with private hospitals.

After talking about the difference between private and public healthcare, share some statistics about the awful socialized system in Canada. Then show them a better privatized system or how we can change the current system for the better.

Discuss socialized education. Explain to them that not even in England and other countries like Sri Lanka where they have socialized education does the government offer free college to everyone. Even in those countries a student must meet very high and strict prerequistes in order to get government paid tuition. Also explain that when everything is free, the standards have to get higher for employers. Right now a B.A. sets graduates apart from non-graduates. Once sheer numbers of students are obtaining degrees, employers will have to make stricter guidelines for those in the upper positions. Also, when college is free, students don't take their education as seriously. Where a person puts their money, also lies their heart.

Jimmy Carter stated that you use your time as a POW as a crutch. Turn that comment into a positive by telling our citizens that in one way your time as a POW was a blessing because you had lots of time to think about what is important in life and what you wanted to do with your future and that is why you are a public servant today. Explain that is why you chose to be a politician so that you could do something positive in the world - to make a positive difference. Explain how you may not have grown up in a humble home financially, but that you learned humility while in captivity and it gave you a strong sensitivity to other's lives.

Finally, in the second half of your talk give the people reason to believe that our world is heading in a positive direction. Assure them that all economies go through little down swings, but by holding onto faith they will ride out the storm together. Explain to them how the media has created a negative mood in this country that contradicts reality. Follow up with statistics and stories to convey your point. Additionally, now is the time to tell them what you want to do, how you want to do it and how it will benefit our US citizens; be very specific and show the common worker as well as the business owner how it will help them in their jobs and businesses.

Share personal experiences, and be vulnerable and emotional. Open yourself up to your family of citizens.

Just as a side note, Barack Obama has caused a huge division in the democratic party. He has said that he is an agent of change that behaves in a way that is above the typical political tactics, yet he has shown himself to be quite the opposite. You can do what he only said he would do. You can unify our party by appointing both Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney, and a woman like Kay Bailey Hutchison or Sarah Palin. Mike Huckabee could be appointed VP, Romney Secretary of Treasury and Kay (or Sarah ) could be appointed to some other equally respectable position that fits her qualifications. You could state, at the time when you appoint your VP, that when you win the presidency, you will appoint them to those positions. That will demonstrate that you are willing to forget the past and work together to unite the party. You might even suggest that you will appoint a democrat to some position (but not as a judiciary because we need someone who will interpret law and not legislate) to show that you are willing to work across party lines.

I humbly make these suggestions because I want to see you and the republican party succeed. I truly believe that the Republican party has a bad reputation because they have compromised too much on core values and the people don't trust them any more. Politicians need to rebuild trust and the party will become strong again.

May you be blessed in your efforts. We pray for you, your campaign and your decisions every day.

Sincerely
Lisa DLC