Thursday, August 6, 2015

Questions for Election 2016 GOP Debate

The Daily Breeze, a subsidiary of the Los Angeles News Group, submitted a number of questions which they wanted to ask the Republican Presidential candidates.

I wonder why they did not include questions for the Democratic candidates. They perhaps believe that Hillary Clinton is near-certain to lock up the nomination for President in 2016.

How sad indeed it will be for the Marginalized Media when their anointed favorite craters then crashes. Her unfavorables are crowing out her popularity. The more people learn about Clinton, the less they like her. So much for Big Media crowding around and propping up their coronated candidates.

I agreed with a number of questions posed by the Los Angeles New Editorial Board:

• If you could redesign the tax code, how would it be different?

Rand Paul made short work of the tax code in three different ways. More people should talk about getting rid of it entirely. How about a national sales tax, and let's move on from there. The next President should work with Congress to repeal the 16th Amendment.

• Is income inequality a problem for the United States? What would you do about it?

For the record, income inequality has gotten worse under President Obama. When will more people talk about that. I hope to hear every Republican Presidential candidate make Obama's abysmal administration the front and center target for the increase wage gap in this country.

• Is climate change real? If so, is it exacerbated by human activity? What steps would you take, and how much of a price should we be willing to pay, to combat it?

Take a page from the James Inhofe playbook. Yes, climate change is real, because the climate has always been changing. Whatever human activity may be contributing it, it really does not matter. The real debate must focus on keeping our air and water clean, and respecting individual property rights.

• Smart people disagree about the Iran nuclear deal. Does it make the United States safer or endanger us? What’s next if Congress rejects it?

Smart people hate the Iran deal. Politicians with an aggressive lack of wisdom or complete ignorance of human nature support the Iran deal. I cannot believe that this question ever hit the paper.

The Daily Breeze

• What would you do about Russia’s new aggression?

By the way, 2012 candidate Mitt Romney had mentioned that Russia was reasserting itself as the main threat to American interests. The 1980's aren't calling, and we need that foreign policy back.

• What form of immigration reform do you favor? Would you seek to reduce the number of new-arriving undocumented immigrants, and how? Are you for a pathway to citizenship for those already here, and who would qualify? What’s fair for family members here legally, and for industries that depend on undocumented immigrant labor?

"Undocumented" immigrants? No, they are illegal aliens. "Immigrant" applies to residents with legal status only.

• After a series of tragic headlines about race-related violence and alleged police brutality against African-Americans, how high a priority would you place on improving race relations?

• Nobody is happy with how Congress works. What could you do as president to make it more functional? If you’ve been in Congress, how was it better because of you?

This is a good question - and a functional Congress would be principled instead of cronyist.

• Do you accept the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide? Do you accept that many Americans still object to gay marriage? How should those Americans express their opposition?

It's time that more candidates talk about the rising risks associated with same-sex conduct. Unfortunately, political correctness reigns supreme in political discourse. Thankfully, candidates like Dr. Ben Carson are taking on this egregious limitation on free speech.

• What is the role of religion in your decision-making on public policy? What should its role be in government? Is there a “war on religion”?

Thank goodness someone is asking this question. Religious liberty is under attack, and the next President and Congress must do everything they can to uphold their oath of office.


• As well as Republicans have done in congressional and state elections, the party’s candidates have lost the popular vote in five of the past six presidential elections. What does this say about the GOP? Is it out of step with most Americans?

Republicans need to ask themselves this question, rather than waiting for debate moderators to force this question on them during  a Presidential debate.


• Thursday marks 50 years since President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act, one of several landmark pieces of legislation marking golden anniversaries lately. What sort of grand achievement would you like people to be talking about 50 years after your presidency?

Another great question. I would hope that Governor Walker would promote a nationa Right To Work law. Dr. Ben Carson could boast about getting rid of the progressive-regressive income tax structure and ask every resident to pay the same amount, or better yet get rid of the income tax entirely.

Here are the questions I would add to this list;

For the Republican Presidential candidates, I would ask:

How do you plan to reform entitlements in the face of a growing, aging population, in which more people are receiving some government disbursement or subsidy?

Which executive cabinet position would you get rid of first? How?

Ronald Reagan advocated for peace through strength. How will you pursue those goals through your foreign policy.

For the Democratic Presidential candidates:

What was President Obama's greatest foreign policy mistake, and how would you fix it?

Racial tensions have increased under the Obama Administration. How do you plan on easing those tensions?

How many of you are drawing contributions from major donors - Labor Unions, Corporate interests, etc. How do you plan on supporting campaign finance reform?

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