I am sick to death of well-coiffed cable TV news anchors asking vapid questions designed to generate heat, not light. I am sick to death of presidential wannabees filibustering questions they choose to avoid by delivering slogans, not answers.
And I am sick to death of the faux choice presented to voters: Change versus Experience. Could someone out there please tell me exactly what that's supposed to mean?
True, there were some questions "" and a bunch of soundbite answers -- about a few of the great issues that will face the next president: Like energy policy, health care, free trade, and the Iraq "surge."
But these meticulously choreographed-for-TV tableaus should be remembered for what wasn't covered at all.
Here, in no particular rank order, are a baker's dozen questions the moderators managed to ignore:
1. What steps will you take to restore constitutional checks and balances between the three co-equal branches of our government?
2. Do you think these three branches are actually co-equal? Or do you believe in the "unitary executive" theory that gives the president far more sweeping powers? For example, do you believe the president should be allowed to use "signing statements" to nullify parts of laws passed by congress? Do you think the Office of the Vice President is part of the Executive Branch of government?
3. Do you agree with President Bush that Guantanamo Bay should be closed? What would you do with the people imprisoned there? Do you think Combat Status Review Tribunals and Military Commissions offer detainees the chance of a fair hearing? What about habeas corpus?
4. The Bush Administration has run one of the most secretive governments in American history. What steps will you take to restore more transparency to the Executive Branch?
5. How would you remove partisan politics from the Department of Justice? And make other federal agencies more efficient?
6. Do you think waterboarding is torture? And are there circumstances under which it should be allowed?
7. The United States has diplomatic relations with "" and provides huge amounts of aid to "" some of the world's most repressive governments. Do you think it's time to rethink our Cuba policy?
8. Do you think some presidential action is needed to reach out more effectively to the American Muslim community, to keep its members from becoming radicalized into home-grown terrorists?
9. Do you think the US should press India, Israel and Pakistan to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty? What further steps would you take to ensure the security of nuclear stockpiles?
10. What would you do to accelerate an agreement between the Israelis and the Palestinians for the establishment of two separate states? Would you press Israel to reexamine its policies regarding West Bank settlements?
11. China and India represent a third of the world's population "" and an ever-increasing amount of the world's greenhouse gas emissions? What incentives can you offer these countries to cap these emissions according to a mandatory timetable, absent a pledge from the US to do likewise?
William Fisher has managed economic development programs in the Middle East and elsewhere for the US State Department and the US Agency for International Development. He served in the international affairs area in the Kennedy Administration and now writes on subjects ranging from human rights to foreign affairs for a number of newspapers ond online journals.
Excellent questions. I also wonder why they aren’t being asked the tough questions.Could it be because all of the sponsors of the debates are owned by 6 media conglomerates and they don’t want the American people to know the truth?
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Michael Chavers (38 articles, 0 quicklinks, 11 diaries, 160 comments)
on Tuesday, January 8, 2008 at 1:32:31 PM
You've got that right! What would happen if the masses actually became aware of the truth? Why, a mass rebellion would occur. Can't have that, now can they.
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Barbara Peterson (46 articles, 77 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 408 comments)
on Tuesday, January 8, 2008 at 2:00:36 PM
What will replace this divisive partisan rivalry for the throne?
When are we going to face the fact that partisan politics not only divides and polarizes us, it turns otherwise good people into disingenuous if not deceptive misleading demagogues who compete for power over each other.
The big question is how to create a truly democratic system that produces truly democratic leadership, and I've found only one person who actually has a solution.
Most others want their partisan political party to win power over others through a "democratic" process of elections, and others simply want to seize power by force of arms and create totalitarian rule by rigid theocracy or tyrannical fascism. But they are all misguided, and they merely perpetuate the problems and the divisions.
There is a better way. A way that will establish government that is truly of, by and for the people. A way that will unite us and enable us to use the common wealth for the common good.
The millions losing their home?the high rents young people can't afford? Our decaying infrastructures, the hospitals closing? The many still suffering from Katrina? The increasing homeless? The pollution in our water? The preservatives in our foods? The gazillion taxes we pay (more than half or 55% go to taxes, in the 50's we paid 4-6% of our income in taxes, seems we did pretty good then) The soup kitchens going under?The drought conditions in the SE? Campaign finance reform?And why two years campaigning? What a circus. 1 billion projected to be raised and who benefits? Those in the media whose salaries are over 10 million a year, the TV spots and a diversion from looking at the deviousness and evil in Washington? Hope the candidates that are nominated pick strong VP's because everyone now looks like death warmed over! Absurd that these people have to go through this grueling torture. In England they campiagn three months. They are sane, realistic about their elections. In such increasingly troubled times, unemployment rising, thousands being laid off (Avon recently 2800?) it is uncouth, gauche, disgusting, shameful, horrid that 1 billion is spent for a few to toot their horns for TWO years!!! How can they do an effective job in Congress? And nothing spoken about how the media has spurned, vetoes, blackballed other sound contenders. Democracy? Wake up folks. Ron Paul is right , a different type of fascism now exits. I feel like the Indian in the commercial who weeps over the pollution. I weep for our country. The real issues not debated.
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Joyce (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 16 comments)
on Tuesday, January 8, 2008 at 7:05:33 PM
LETS MAKE IT SIMPLE, THIS ELECTION AS MOST ELECTIONS IS A FIXED GAME AND THE MEDIA DECEPTION AND MISINFORMATION LETS THE AMERICAN VOTER "(THINK)" THEY CAN PLAY. IS THERE ANYBODY THAT THINKS WE THE PEOPLE PICK THE NEXT PREIDENT, ANYBODY, I SMELL SMOKE, SOMEBODY IS THINKING.
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RICHARD SHADE (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 459 comments)
on Wednesday, January 9, 2008 at 4:31:42 AM
Join me in spreading the word about the message that provides solutions, not only to our political-economic problems, but to the religious conflict as well.
Go watch the movie, "The Debaters." That should cure you. I haven't seen it yet, but will when it comes on TV. I had Melvin Tolson's son as a French teacher at The University of Oklahoma. Awesome teacher; lousy student. I couldn't learn French, unless I spent 5 years in France with a French Family who could not speak English. Denzel Washington stars in it, but his name will not be on any plackard. He is sick of seeing his name as first on pictures. It will be the last name. Tolson convinced me, that, like basketball, there are some things "God" didn't "gift" me with. Hee, hee!
"After 2 years of French II with no success, take French 3 and 23, then take your D's, and switch your Liberal Arts major to a tri-major, History, Politics, and Sociology." (Eladicious, 12/15//1964)
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Dale Hill (55 articles, 0 quicklinks, 97 diaries, 340 comments)
on Friday, January 11, 2008 at 3:26:08 AM
