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penfield"Politics I supposed to be the second-oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first."
- Ronald Reagan (actor, politician, conservative diety)
The Chesapeake/Potomac/Beltway Primary takes place tomorrow, Tuesday, February 12. As a registered independent, I am allowed to vote in either the Democratic or Republican primary (but not both). Regular readers of this space know whom I am supporting, but I will concede that it is still a pretty close race in my head.
If I had the opportunity, just to be sure I was supporting the right person, I'd ask all the remaining candidates the following questions:
1. Please describe the circumstances under which you would be willing to deploy the U.S. Armed Forces for war. Would you require a U.N. or NATO resolution? Would national security have to be directly threatened, or would it be enough that someone or some nation is committing genocide, invading foreign territory or threatening allies? Is America compelled to protect its economic interests as well as its political interests?
2. One hallmark of the Bush Administration has been the slow and steady expansion of executive power. Would your administration seek to cede some of this power back to the legislative and judicial branches, or would your administration work within these new limits to advance your own platform?
3. If the 2001 tax cuts are allowed to expire in 2010, many middle-income citizens will realize a significant increase in their income taxes. Are you prepared to tell the American people that they will have to tighten their belts in the coming years, or do you plan on renewing or rivisiting this tax relief?
4. What qualities or philosophies do you consider most when selecting judges to the federal bench? Are there any key issues or issue areas about which you feel strongly enough to use as a litmus test for prospective judges?
5. The No Child Left Behind Act has been a qualified success in terms of raising national competency scores, particularly with respect to minorities and impoverished communities. However, it would also seem that the strict regulation and testing of elementary and secondary school curricula have had the unintended consequences of limiting teachers' and students' creativity, disregarding complex issues, minimizing critical thought and homogenizing the educational experience. Furthermore, the emphasis on testing appears designed to evaluate the teachers rather than to educate the students. How much of No Child Left Behind should be scrapped, how much should be preserved, and what would you change?
6. The U.S. working population is aging rapidly, and senior citizens are living longer than ever before. Given: (a) the dramatic workplace-to-retirement shift that will take place over the next 20 years, (b) the foreseeable insolvency of the Social Security funds and Medicare, (c) the negative savings rate of U.S. families (woefully low compared to other industrialized nations and U.S. history) and (d) the globally competitive economy in which employee benefit plan sponsors exist, how would you coordinate the nation's immigration policy, tax policy and labor policy to improve the retirement security of not just the aging baby boomers but also today's younger workers for whom government entitlement plans may not be available?
7. In your campaign, you have railed against the influence of lobbyists and "special interests" in Washington, but lobbyists and "special interests" can take many forms -- from gun enthusiasts, pharmaceutical industrialists and energy companies to labor unions, AARP and the American Cancer Society. When you talk about limiting the power of lobbyists, do you mean any and all lobbyists, or just "corporate" lobbyists, or those who use financial power and contributions to communicate their message, or just those who disagree with your platform? Do you envision individuals' congressional representatives as the sole conduit for their views, or would there be another venue for organizations with common interests and purposes?
7b. Are all corporations inherently evil? If so, please explain why.
8. Do you favor full congressional representation for the District of Columbia? What kind of a priority does this issue have on your domestic agenda?
9. Would you be willing to appoint members of the opposition party to positions in your cabinet? Please mention a member of the opposition whose opinion and judgment you value on a certain topic.
10. After whose presidency would you wish to model your own? Please be specific about why.
- Ronald Reagan (actor, politician, conservative diety)
The Chesapeake/Potomac/Beltway Primary takes place tomorrow, Tuesday, February 12. As a registered independent, I am allowed to vote in either the Democratic or Republican primary (but not both). Regular readers of this space know whom I am supporting, but I will concede that it is still a pretty close race in my head.
If I had the opportunity, just to be sure I was supporting the right person, I'd ask all the remaining candidates the following questions:
1. Please describe the circumstances under which you would be willing to deploy the U.S. Armed Forces for war. Would you require a U.N. or NATO resolution? Would national security have to be directly threatened, or would it be enough that someone or some nation is committing genocide, invading foreign territory or threatening allies? Is America compelled to protect its economic interests as well as its political interests?
2. One hallmark of the Bush Administration has been the slow and steady expansion of executive power. Would your administration seek to cede some of this power back to the legislative and judicial branches, or would your administration work within these new limits to advance your own platform?
3. If the 2001 tax cuts are allowed to expire in 2010, many middle-income citizens will realize a significant increase in their income taxes. Are you prepared to tell the American people that they will have to tighten their belts in the coming years, or do you plan on renewing or rivisiting this tax relief?
4. What qualities or philosophies do you consider most when selecting judges to the federal bench? Are there any key issues or issue areas about which you feel strongly enough to use as a litmus test for prospective judges?
5. The No Child Left Behind Act has been a qualified success in terms of raising national competency scores, particularly with respect to minorities and impoverished communities. However, it would also seem that the strict regulation and testing of elementary and secondary school curricula have had the unintended consequences of limiting teachers' and students' creativity, disregarding complex issues, minimizing critical thought and homogenizing the educational experience. Furthermore, the emphasis on testing appears designed to evaluate the teachers rather than to educate the students. How much of No Child Left Behind should be scrapped, how much should be preserved, and what would you change?
6. The U.S. working population is aging rapidly, and senior citizens are living longer than ever before. Given: (a) the dramatic workplace-to-retirement shift that will take place over the next 20 years, (b) the foreseeable insolvency of the Social Security funds and Medicare, (c) the negative savings rate of U.S. families (woefully low compared to other industrialized nations and U.S. history) and (d) the globally competitive economy in which employee benefit plan sponsors exist, how would you coordinate the nation's immigration policy, tax policy and labor policy to improve the retirement security of not just the aging baby boomers but also today's younger workers for whom government entitlement plans may not be available?
7. In your campaign, you have railed against the influence of lobbyists and "special interests" in Washington, but lobbyists and "special interests" can take many forms -- from gun enthusiasts, pharmaceutical industrialists and energy companies to labor unions, AARP and the American Cancer Society. When you talk about limiting the power of lobbyists, do you mean any and all lobbyists, or just "corporate" lobbyists, or those who use financial power and contributions to communicate their message, or just those who disagree with your platform? Do you envision individuals' congressional representatives as the sole conduit for their views, or would there be another venue for organizations with common interests and purposes?
7b. Are all corporations inherently evil? If so, please explain why.
8. Do you favor full congressional representation for the District of Columbia? What kind of a priority does this issue have on your domestic agenda?
9. Would you be willing to appoint members of the opposition party to positions in your cabinet? Please mention a member of the opposition whose opinion and judgment you value on a certain topic.
10. After whose presidency would you wish to model your own? Please be specific about why.
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Good list
Date: 2008-02-11 05:34 pm (UTC)I would like a candidate to explain what those words mean to him or her and why each and every President since Roosevelt (the last to deign to ask Congress to declare war, though all of them have used force in what normal people and politicians alike have called "war") hasn't been impeached for a failure to preserve, protect, and defend this particular clause of the Constitution.
But that's just me.
Re: Good list
Date: 2008-02-11 08:41 pm (UTC)Here are some other questions put forward by the NYT
Date: 2008-02-27 02:52 pm (UTC)Re: Here are some other questions put forward by the NYT
Date: 2008-02-27 03:18 pm (UTC)Good Questions, but...
Date: 2008-02-11 11:13 pm (UTC)Re: Good Questions, but...
Date: 2008-02-12 04:58 pm (UTC)If I recall correctly, you said in college that you would feel a civic and patriotic duty to have intercourse with the president, if asked. So the question becomes, who would you rather?