Thursday, September 27, 2012

Ve Vant To Ask You Some Qvestions!

Politico has come up with a list of ten debate questions, five for Obama and five for Romney. Meh. Anyway, I figure I would discuss these and maybe suggest better ones. You should suggest your own in the comments.

For Obama: Politico’s first question is a laugher. They want to know what Obama will say to the “millions of Americans who might have jobs today if you had made the 2009 stimulus package bigger.” They say he promised bold action and he “blinked.” Oh boy. He spent $787 billion. Basically, he spent the equivalent of the Korean economy. The Korean economy supports 30 million jobs. Obama promised 3 million. He got squat. Stimulus spending does not work and spending more wouldn’t have produce any more jobs. But of course, this question would let Obama sound reasonable to moderates for not overspending and he could simultaneously claim the Republicans blocked him (even though they had no power to block him). This is a softball.

Their next question is the standard, we thought you were going to bring us together, but those evil Republicans wouldn’t work with you, so did you overestimate your ability to work with those monsters? That’s a worthless softball too. But then things get more interesting.

The third question is why Obama hasn’t done more to protect people from losing their homes. This is a good question, though it would be better to ask him what he plans to do. The answer is that there’s nothing he really can do unless he wants to buy out mortgages or nationalize the lenders, so it would be interesting to see his answer.

The fourth question asks “how can you promise to protect entitlements when you’ve put them on the table.” This was during the debt ceiling negotiations. There’s no good answer here, though his campaign commercials are delusionally claiming that he strengthened entitlements by stripping them of money. It would be interesting to see how he spins out of this one.

Finally, they ask why he hasn’t shown “leadership on gun control.” The answer is he knows he’d lose the election if he suggested that, but it would be interesting to see him stuck between his gun-hating supporters and the public.

Other questions I would ask would be:
1. How did the DOE clean energy loans program become such a disaster and will you prosecute Solyndra and the others who took loans obviously planning to go out of business? Also, what will you do to protect the rest of the money that was lent?

2. Why can’t we simply return spending to 2008 levels to cut the deficit?

3. What tangible benefits has your Middle East policy produced?

4. What do you plan to do to create jobs?

5. You said you would keep lobbyists out of your government, but your government is full of them. Why did you appoint these people?
For Romney: The first question for Romney strikes me as odd. They want Romney to pinky-swear that he won’t eliminate the mortgage-interest deduction. I don’t recall anyone outside of this blog talking about that? I think this is an attempt to put words in his mouth and make him deny something he never said, so they can call him a flip-flopper while simultaneously scaring people. That’s dirty pool.

Then they ask how he can keep “popular, expensive parts of [ObamaCare] but get rid of the underpinnings that pay for them?” Well, the two things Romney has promised to keep don’t cost the government a penny, so this question is misleading. Imagine that.

The third question is rotten too: “why is it fair that you pay a lower tax rate than many low-income and middle-class Americans?” Uh... that’s not true. Someone actually looked this up today and discovered that Romney’s tax rate was higher than 97% of all taxpayers. But it doesn’t sound so bad to say, “is it fair that you pay a lower rate than 3% of Americans?”

Then they try to revive the tax return issue by asking why Romney demanded more years of taxes from Paul Ryan than he released himself. Yawn.

Finally, they ask him to name three things he disagrees with in Ryan’s budget. This is just an attempt to make him and Ryan appear to be at odds, which they aren’t. Anyway, there’s no right answer here. I would evade this by saying that “you can’t look at a budget that way because it’s all part of a mosaic... now f-off twerp.”

Other questions I would ask would be:
1. What do you plan to do to create jobs?

2. Would you support an across the board spending cut in the Federal government? At what percent? And what other cuts would you make?

3. Obama has been blasting you on Bain Capital, can you tell us how many businesses Bain closed, how many jobs were lost, did they make any money on those closures, how much did they lose on those closures, what companies are alive today because of Bain, and how many jobs do they provide today?

4. What role will Paul Ryan play in your administration?

5. You once said John Roberts was the type of justice you wanted to appoint. Has your opinion changed in light of the ObamaCare ruling, and if so, what justice is most like the type of person you’d like to appoint now?
What would you ask?

FYI: First debate Next Wednesday, October 3.

57 comments:

AndrewPrice said...

Poll Update:

This is an interesting trick. Have you heard about the “jaw dropping numbers” showing Obama surging ahead with a huge lead in Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania? This is supposed to show a dramatic change in the race. So clearly, Romney screwed up.

Only, according to his poll (CBS/Quinnipiac – never reliable), the number haven’t moved at all since August 1 in Ohio or Pennsylvania and Obama has only gained 3% in Florida. So this is a false report that this means something.

Secondly, GOP enthusiasm is 10-13% higher and Romney wins amoung independents, yet somehow the poll shows Romney losing by around 10% in each of these states. How this possible? For one thing, their sample of women favor Obama by 25%. That’s impossible. Further, here’s the partisan split: D+14% in Florda, D+10% Ohio, D+6% Penn.

K said...

Question for Romney:
1.If you can't even broker the bi-partisan commission on Presidential debates to put in at least one conservative moderator, how do you expect to pass any type of conservative legislative agenda if you are elected?

Question for Obama:
1.Your administration has not gotten a single budget passed in the last 3 years. Doesn't this imply that you have no policy at all for reducing the budget deficit and declaim your office's responsibility for the country's financial security?

Patriot said...

K......exactly the areas I would push.

Romney, even when asked a softball question like "Do you think the media is pro Obama?" gives a milquetoast answer of some are some aren't. When handed an opportunity like that, you DO NOT drop the ball.

Obama, the list is too long to even begin putting down here.

I beat my head against the wall when I heard who the questioners were for the debates. Might as well have Pelosi, Harry Reid and Charlie Rangel asking the questions

DUQ said...

Polling information like that makes me angry. Thanks for the info though, Andrew!

ScyFyterry said...

What a load! So they best they can come up with a "fair" article are some softballs to Obama and some factually inaccurate smears at Romney. Typical. At least they would have hit him with some of his liberal hypocrisy. I'd love to see him squirm as he tried to dance between his base the public.

ScyFyterry said...

Oh, in terms of what to ask them. I want to know why Obamacare didn't include any cost saving measures?

And from Romney, I guess I don't really have anything to ask.

AndrewPrice said...

K, Excellent question. Both dig right to fairly important questions and I wonder how they would respond? I know they would both dance, but it would still be interesting.

AndrewPrice said...

Patriot, Thanks! I think these would be good questions... though my Romney questions are obviously a bit more softball-ish.

I really don't understand why the Republicans keep willingly letting leftist media types be the moderators? How can they not learn from every other prior debate? I don't get it.

I agree about dropping the ball, unfortunately, all the Republicans keep doing that. They need to learn to speak the truth but do so in a way which doesn't sound petty. For example, "Of course, the media is packed with Democratic supporters. Many contribute to Democrats, many are married to Democrats, many have been pushing the Democratic agenda under the guise of reporting supposedly unbiased news for years. Are they all biased? No, certainly not, but it's the reality and we deal with it."

AndrewPrice said...

DUQ, It's getting to be very, very frustrating. This one in particular irked me (hence I did the addendum) because they are presenting is as "Obama NOW surging!" When the reality is that their data hasn't changed in six weeks, so this is not new, and their data in incredibly biased. A fair reading is that Romney actually leads in Florida and Ohio at the moment.

AndrewPrice said...

Terry, I was surprised that some of their questions were actually pretty decent. But yes, their Obama questions tended to be softballs and the Romney questions tended to be factually incorrect smears.

I like that question! Why no cost saving measures! That's a huge problem with ObamaCare, it didn't reform anything, it just added to the mess.

Tennessee Jed said...

the first debate may be critical, and I get mad as hell about why a guy like Bob Schiefer gets in and CNN woman without protest. It is silly, but I could believe someone will leak the questions to B.O.

AndrewPrice said...

Jed, I don't know if this is true or not, but I've heard that both sides now gets the questions in advance. In fact, I understand they already negotiated the questions. If so, that kind of makes a mockery of this process.

That said, I can't believe the people they have chosen either. Why not just pick Pelosi and Reid?

DUQ said...

Andrew, It really has become shameful how openly they are spinning to help Obama suddenly.

AndrewPrice said...

DUQ, It's gotten amazing shameless. In my opinion they have even crossed the line a lot these days and are now saying things that are simply false, not just spin.

Kelly said...

Will you be covering the debate?

AndrewPrice said...

Kelly, I plan to. It's next Wednesday so maybe we'll flip the articles around and do the film article in the morning and then a debate thread later in the day?

ScyFyterry said...

They talked about the questions in advance?

AndrewPrice said...

Terry, I'm not 100% sure on that point, but I read (somewhere two weekends ago) that both sides were vetting the specific questions and negotiating what could be asked. Those questions would then be given to the moderators.

If that's true, then these debates are a lot more about entertainment and joint marketing than being a real debate.

T-Rav said...

Question for Obama: Is getting serviced by Politico and other "objective" news outlets as pleasurable as it used to be?

Question for Romney: How specifically would your foreign policy be an improvement over Obama's? Don't just say "I will stand up for America," how exactly would you approach Egypt, Pakistan, the PA, etc.?

T-Rav said...

Note: Due to a night class which it would be unadvisable to skip, I will not be here Wednesday evening until close to 9. As for the sockpuppets, we're still in the midst of contract negotiations, so I may have to throw in some replacement ones. Don't worry, I don't see this screwing up easily.

AndrewPrice said...

T-Rav, Excellent questions. I particularly like the first one. "Oh, I uh... uh... yes."

Seriously, how funny would it be too if they had to answer truthfully and you asked that in a nonsexual way? Could you imagine him suddenly talking about how great it is knowing that he's got so many media outlets protecting his back?

AndrewPrice said...

T-Rav, Replacement sockpuppets is fine. I'm sure they're up to the task and would never blow a call. ;)

I'm not sure what time the debate starts, but I suspect I'll be here if there's demand for it, so join us when you can! :)

Individualist said...

1) What changes would you make to the economic policy of this country to bring more business back to the US.

2) With our Debt now exceeding our GDP and the reporting agenices having downgraded our debt quality twice this year with the last one being one month ago in reponse to announcements of inflationary QE3 quantitative easing what is your plan if anything to lower the deficit and help shore up our monetary situation before it gets worse.

3) What limitations if any do you suppose can be put on US Regulations especially those that pick and choose the winners in the market place? How can those limitations be set up so that they become a permanant part of the culture of Washington.

4) Are you willing to go to use Zero Balance budgeting eliminating the pressure on governing bureaucrats to pad their budgets to keep the increases from the prior year? Are you willing to place some form of budgetary review that will make our bureacracies more effiscient to streamline budgetary policy.

5) Are you willing to admit that our government has become bloated and now overregulates to an extent that is counterproductive to society? Please explain why? What if any fucntions of the US government are you willing to state are not necessary and how will you eliminate them.

6) Do you agree that Government owning private industry (the Hallmark of Benito Musolini's Fascist ideology) will lead to dangerously corrupting and unchecked power for the Executive branch if not mitigated and what will you do to see that the government is divorced from the Management of business interests so that the governemtn is thruely independent in evaluating any legal improprieties or the publishing of financial statement information. Please explain Why?

7) Are you willing to allow an independent 501-C3 organization to be created made up of volunteers from the FASB, state Bar Associations, people apoointed by the State Comptroller's office and other nuetral interested parties divorced from the Federal government which will have as its sole fucntion the auditing of the Financial Statements of the US government. Will you further agree that a budget must be submitted to this inforamtion to track all appropriations even if it is stop gap and not yet fully approve4d before any money is spent.

8) What are you going to do in order to pressure congress to come up with timely annual budgets including if necessary refusing to allow the executive agrencies to operate if nothing is done.

These are for both candidates. I have no different requirements for one guy or the other.

Plus after the debate I want their answer in writing citing sources for every fact they mention or a retraction if they find they were in error.

Sockpuppets For A Better America, Local 1 said...

Union! Union! Union!

BevfromNYC said...

My Question:


For Obama - Please define "terrorism".

AndrewPrice said...

Bev, You know the answer, "I'm not sure what you mean?"

AndrewPrice said...

Sockpuppets, No union for you!

T-Rav said...

Andrew, it's a pipe dream of mine and nothing more, but I would really love to see Romney just go after Stephanopoulos or Williams or whoever's doing the moderating. Call them out for not covering any of Obama's dirty laundry, even once. Of course, when you agree to having biased liberal hacks handle all the debates, I don't guess you can complain too much when they do exactly what you knew they would.

T-Rav said...

Hey, did I say you sockpuppets could talk to the public? If you're not careful, I'll get some scabs to come in and take over for you--and I mean actual scabs.

AndrewPrice said...

Interesting list of questions Indi. I wonder what the answers would be?

AndrewPrice said...

T-Rav, The problem is that I think that would be one of those "Howard Dean" moments that would play well with a small group of people and basically ruin him with the public.

Yeah, keep those sockpuppets under control or I'll call in the NFL to handle them!

ScyFyterry said...

Down with sockpuppet unions!

Patriot said...

For Obama:
1. What have you said to Majority Leader Reid on why the Senate has not approved a budget since you've been President?

2. Please cite a couple examples where you have brought the country together

3. Please give America your understanding of the bipartisanship shown when passing the Affordable Care Act

4. How much is our current deficit and how much has it decreased on your watch, as promised when you ran in 2008?

5. Please define the term "The Rich" that you constantly refer to. At what point does someone have enough money?

For Romney:

1. Why do you want to take contraception away from women?

2. Do you think at some point someone has made enough money?

3. Do you, like the President, favor government funding of abortion?

4. What is your understanding of the demographics of the women who are provided abortions through Planned Parenthood?

5. Based on your past experience with under performing companies, did you agree with the "bailout" of General Motors?


I have tried to put these questions in the manner that the liberal questioners would phrase them. No, I seriously doubt that these questions would be put to the candidates.

AndrewPrice said...

Terry, That's the spirit! LOL!

AndrewPrice said...

Patriot, LOL! I did indeed notice a slightly liberal bent! :)

Some of those are really good questions though. I like the one about asking at what point someone has made enough money. I think Obama would flip out.

Ed said...

Sorry I haven't been around much, but life has kept me busy.

Nice article, as always. I think the MSM has gotten to the point where they are so biased they can no longer come up with fair questions. It's interesting too that the few good questions I see for Obama in the article are aimed at his failures as a liberal. I like your questions a lot.

Ed said...

Patriot, I like your questions for Obama a lot!

Ed said...

Individualist, I like your No. 5.

AndrewPrice said...

Ed, No problem. Thanks! I think you're right that when someone is so openly biased for so long, that it becomes impossible for them to see their own bias anymore. That's why something I learned as a lawyer was to always step back.

Unknown said...

For Obama: "Why are you such an arrogant, useless #*$%!^& ?"

NightcrawlerER said...

I like your questions for Obama a good deal. My big question for Romney would be, whas is your plan to turn the economy around?

T-Rav said...

Now, now, LawHawk, the questioners have to sound impartial. How about "Why do so many people see you as an arrogant, useless #*$%!^& ?"

AndrewPrice said...

Lawhawk, LOL! Somehow, I can't see him admitting your assumptions... even though they are accurate.

AndrewPrice said...

Nightcrawler, I'd like to know Romney's plan as well, but I don't think he has an grand sweeping plan.

AndrewPrice said...

T-Rav, More like, the question would be, "why can't more people accept your brilliance and amazing leadership?" Oh, wait, that would have been in 2009. Today, it would probably be, "why weren't you more liberal!!!"

Unknown said...

T-Rav and Andrew: I learned how to ask direct questions at Berkeley during the filthy speech movement. Cal wasn't entirely useless. LOL

NightcrawlerER said...

Andrew, I don't think he does either, but if he even has a simple plan of less regulation and more taxes, then I'm happy.

T-Rav said...

Or maybe, "Mr. President, why did you draw the line at outright expropriation of property and assets? Do you think the millions of starving homeless children agree with that decision?"

AndrewPrice said...

Nice! Bravo T-Rav! Bravo.

In fact, it makes me mad just thinking about those poor starving children who could have been saved if only Obama had taken everything from everyone else! booo hooo hooo.

AndrewPrice said...

Lawhawk, Right now there are a bunch of journalists scratching their heads wondering why you would ever want to ask a direct question?

AndrewPrice said...

Nightcrawler, I agree.

Joel Farnham said...

For Romney,

1. Explain the difference between equal outcomes and equal opportunities.
2. Explain what regulations are most harmful to American Businesses.
3. Explain why there is a separation of government powers.
4. Explain what each branch can not do.
5. How many czars are you going to appoint?

For Obama,

1. Why is Valarie Jarret roaming around the White House?
2. Do you agree with Michelle that the average American child is too fat and must be starved?
3. Which demographic loses the most when minimum wages are increased?
4. Explain why Capitalism is bad for Socialism?
5. How many czars have you appointed?

AndrewPrice said...

Interesting questions Joel, they largely get to the fundamental civics principles. I would be more interested in asking the Romney questions to Obama.... talk about puzzled looks!

Joel Farnham said...

Andrew,

I just want to make sure that Romney understands the basics. The pundits can contrast the next day on what Obama has failed to understand.

The answer to number 3 for Obama is a dirty little secret that Walter Williams expounds upon every chance he gets. When minimum wages go up, the black youth lose the most. I was wondering if Obama knew that.

AndrewPrice said...

Joel, Oh, I know about the minimum wage! It hurts the poor and minority poor the most. But they never realize they've been hurt because the jobs just don't come into existence, so it's rare that they can make the connection that they would have had a job but for the rate hike.

But of course, Obama would never admit the answer to your question. He would just say that the people who are hurt are companies who want labor but aren't willing "to pay a living wage." I can't imagine him admitting that any actual person would be hurt by that.

Joel Farnham said...

Andrew,

Of course he won't answer it. He wouldn't know the answer. He would have to be up on economics to know the answer and what Obama can write on the head of a pin is the extent of his knowledge.

What would be delicious is Walter Williams would be happy to explain to Obama who loses and that is more powerful optic to behold.

AndrewPrice said...

Joel, Do you know how awesome it would be to see Walter Williams debate Obama? He would destroy Obama and Obama wouldn't even know it!

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