Questions for candidates...

Hello fellowtravelers ( not in the Communist sense but in the "we are all hurtling through space on the same planet" sense)


I have become increasingly fed up, especially as I have gotten older, with the soundbite mentality which has permeated politics and news.

This is especially disconcerting during Presidential elections, when questions are limited to 5 minutes, and God forbid that follow-ups should pursue candidates attempts to skirt/avoid/spin or otherwise obfuscate things.

QUESTION: If we could feed 'em a truth serum, and allow 1 hour for an answer, what would you ask them? (hey, a good solid week of grilling doesn't seem like too much to ask from those who get to hold the reins of power)

My question would be:

"If you could have everything go your way; Congress, Judiciary, State Governments, everything that might limit your ability to carry out your authentic, as opposed to publicly stated, political philosophy, what would America "look" like?

And, as a follow up:

"How would that America choose to interact with the rest of the people sharing this planet?"

Questions can be philosophically-based to a non-specific "generic" candidate, or issue-based to a specific politician.

This doesn't even have to be specific to America, it's just the system I happen to live under.

It also occurs to me that this could easily, um....degenerate....into questions of the type:

"Senator (fill in the blank) what is your favorite position? And, as a follow-up, why do you like it so much?" (and we're not talking "issues" here...

Sometimes there is such a thing as "too much information"...

QUESTION: As a foolw-up of my own, what type of answers do you think you would get?


What think ye?

I'd ask them to confirm a lot of things that I suspect. And I'd make them post it on ATS.

Originally posted by Amethyst
I'd ask them to confirm a lot of things that I suspect. And I'd make them post it on ATS.

PODcast, that way folks could hear their voices

As to specific questions, I think it's too early to even know who the real players will be in 2008, and my congressional knowledge is limited to my district in Illinois, so it probably wouldn't mean much to anyone...Although I really would like to be alone in a room with a drugged Durbin and a tape recorder

So, if I had an hour with an unknown candidate on a truth serum, I would ask:

Why did you choose to become a part of the political party you're with?

Why are you still a part of your political party? [if the last answer didn't answer this question]

If your political party told you that you had to do something against your ideology or lose your nomination for the presidency, would you? [would be more specific if they had stated some deeply held belief already]

Do you report to a greater authority than your party and the American people? [Hopefully this would finally get rid of that NWO myth...or change my mind on the issue ]

Would you misrepresent your understanding of information in order to further your own agenda or your party's?

Would you do the same to prevent your opposition's agenda?

Have you ever committed a felony where you weren't caught?

What personality traits are needed to excel as a president?

Finally, why do you think you'd be a good fit for president?

Looks like your going to get Ban Hammered again