# Good presidential debate questions for Romney/Ryan **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [August 13, 2012, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-presidential-debate-questions-for-romney-ryan/631407 "2012-08-13T21:05:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![gamerunknown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6bbea6/32.png) [@gamerunknown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gamerunknown)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2012, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-presidential-debate-questions-for-romney-ryan/631407/21 "2012-08-14T11:44:53Z")
> [@Fear Itself](#): > > "If so, what sacrifices will be made by those earning more than $250,000 per year? The magnanimous job creators will be supplicated before in that they may continue their divine invocations of magicking employment from thin air. Preferably by investing in variance swaps. > [@jtgain](#): > > The only americans that should have to sacrifice are the bureaucrats in washington who take every citizen’s hard earned wages and waste them on inefficient, bloated programs that were designed over 80 years ago. Better yet, if we’re appealing to novelty, we’ll cut departments by seniority. Army, post office and navy (or just the federal government outright). My question would be: Utilitarianism. Mill, Mises and Hazlitt, or Nietzsche and Nozick? ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2012, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-presidential-debate-questions-for-romney-ryan/631407/22 "2012-08-14T21:40:16Z")
Probably unfair but i would want to ask it anyway: Governor Romney, you tout as one of your major accomplishments rescuing the Olypmic games, yet in your own words you said “Without question, we simply could not host Games in Salt Lake if it were not for the enormous spending and services of the federal government” to the tune of 1.6 billion dollars in direct and indirect funding. How do you square this with your current views on the role of government. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2012, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-presidential-debate-questions-for-romney-ryan/631407/23 "2012-08-14T21:47:48Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > “Governor Romney, 3 years ago you advocated for a constitutional amendment that would add a new requirement for candidates running for president. You said they should have to work at least 3 years in business before running for president. Paul Ryan does not meet this requirement. Why do you think he is competent to be president in case of your death or incapacity, since you apparently think he is not qualified to be elected to it?” “Excellent question. From 1992 to 1995, he worked second jobs while developing relationships with politicians then again from 1997-1998 in his family business. If the moderator had done some research or could count, that is 4 years of business experience so yes I do believe Rep. Ryan is qualified to be President.” ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2012, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-presidential-debate-questions-for-romney-ryan/631407/24 "2012-08-14T22:33:14Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > "Governor Romney, you stated that you would have signed into law your running mate’s 2011 budget proposal had you been president and it came to your desk. Under the Ryan plan, which almost completely eeliminates taxes on investment income, you would have paid an effective tax of less than 1% on your gross income for the years you have published tax returns for Friendly Amendment offered: **year** , singular. ---
**Author:** ![sinjin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@sinjin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinjin)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-presidential-debate-questions-for-romney-ryan/631407/25 "2012-08-15T03:11:50Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > “Excellent question. From 1992 to 1995, he worked second jobs while developing relationships with politicians then again from 1997-1998 in his family business. If the moderator had done some research or could count, that is 4 years of business experience so yes I do believe Rep. Ryan is qualified to be President.” > [@](#): > > Betty Ryan reportedly urged her son to accept a congressional position as a staff economist attached to Kasten’s office, which he did after graduating in 1992. In his early years working on Capitol Hill, Ryan supplemented his income by working as a waiter, as a fitness trainer and at various other side jobs. > > A few months after Kasten was defeated by Democrat Russ Feingold in the 1992 election, Ryan became a speechwriter for Empower America (now FreedomWorks), a conservative advocacy group founded by Jack Kemp, Jeane Kirkpatrick, and William Bennett. Ryan later worked as a speechwriter for Kemp, the Republican vice presidential candidate in the 1996 United States presidential election. Kemp became Ryan’s mentor, and Ryan cites him as a “huge influence.” Ryan later worked for U.S. Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas before returned to Wisconsin in 1997, where he worked for a year as a marketing consultant for Ryan Incorporated Central, his relatives’ construction company. Oh yeah working as a waiter and fitness trainer as a side job for a couple of years and working as a “consultant” in the family business for a year is what I call business experience too.:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-presidential-debate-questions-for-romney-ryan/631407/26 "2012-08-15T14:00:12Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > One I would like answered is as follows: > > **“The debt and the deficit appear to be major themes in your campaign. Do you think reducing the federal deficit and the national debt will require more sacrifice from all Americans?”** > [@jtgain](#): > > Answer to the OP’s question: > > "I do not think that Americans have to sacrifice more. They all, rich and poor alike, sacrifice too much in the face of a bloated federal government and failed leadership from this administration. The only Americans that should have to sacrifice are the bureaucrats in Washington who take every citizen’s hard earned wages and waste them on inefficient, bloated programs that were designed over 80 years ago. > > We have a new vision. A vision of hope and choice. A vision where Americans, instead of sacrificing, can use the money they earned by the sweat of their brows, and use it to provide for their families how they see fit. Not how a government bureaucrat would see fit, but how YOU see fit…" > > At least that’s how I would answer it. That’s as much as to say that Romney would/should give the answer that he would cut the deficit/debt by slashing federal spending to the bone – only, that’s not his **platform** – is it? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-presidential-debate-questions-for-romney-ryan/631407/27 "2012-08-15T14:38:24Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > "Governor Romney, 3 years ago you advocated for a constitutional amendment that would add a new requirement for candidates running for president. You said they should have to work at least 3 years in business before running for president. He offered that as a serious policy proposal? A constitutional amendment? Really?? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-presidential-debate-questions-for-romney-ryan/631407/28 "2012-08-15T14:44:46Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > He offered that as a serious policy proposal? A constitutional amendment? Really?? He agreed with someone else’s sentiment. Not exactly what’s usually called ‘advocating’. But it’s still valid to bring up. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-presidential-debate-questions-for-romney-ryan/631407/29 "2012-08-15T14:56:11Z")
> [@sinjin](#): > > Oh yeah working as a waiter and fitness trainer as a side job for a couple of years and working as a “consultant” in the family business for a year is what I call business experience too.:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes: So let me get this right Mr. Moderator. You are claiming that the millions of Americans that work on Main St. as servers and trainers and other jobs the provide service to Americans are not participating in business? They are not instramental in the functioning of their company and involve in day-to-day processes within the company? And helping run a small business using your economics degree is not business experience either according to you. Tell Mr. Moderator what your definition of business experience is because apparently it is whatever Rep. Ryan did NOT do. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-presidential-debate-questions-for-romney-ryan/631407/30 "2012-08-15T14:58:02Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > He offered that as a serious policy proposal? A constitutional amendment? Really?? How can I judge whether it was serious or just another piece of bullshit for a business audience? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-presidential-debate-questions-for-romney-ryan/631407/31 "2012-08-15T15:10:04Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > He offered that as a serious policy proposal? A constitutional amendment? Really?? > [@TriPolar](#): > > He agreed with someone else’s sentiment. Not exactly what’s usually called ‘advocating’. But it’s still valid to bring up. Tripolar is correct, and I am wrong – I repeated the story based on incorrect news reports. [Here is the video of what he said.](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/wp/2012/08/13/mitt-romneys-constitutional-amendment-would-bar-paul-ryan-from-the-presidency/) He agreed with the idea, but he didn’t propose it, nor did he make anything like a pledge to introduce such an amendment if elected. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-presidential-debate-questions-for-romney-ryan/631407/32 "2012-08-15T15:12:48Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > How can I judge whether it was serious or just another piece of bullshit for a business audience? Well, you could link to an objective news source and let us decide. After some googling, it looks like he did muse on the subject and, at the very least, express an opinion that an additional requirement for prez should be some business experience (he actually did say 3 years). Whether he was really serious about the amendment (I’d chalk it up to campaign hyperbole), he certainly endorsed the concept. So, yeah, perfectly fair question to ask how Ryan fits that bill. And you’ll get some bullshit answer about the odd jobs he had. I expect Obama would have no trouble finding similar jobs in his own background. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-presidential-debate-questions-for-romney-ryan/631407/33 "2012-08-15T15:14:53Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > So let me get this right Mr. Moderator. You are claiming that the millions of Americans that work on Main St. as servers and trainers and other jobs the provide service to Americans are not participating in business? That was not the question, right? > [@](#): > > They are not instramental in the functioning of their company and involve in day-to-day processes within the company? And that was not the question either, right? Just because the debate isn’t going the way you would like doesn’t mean you get to just make up topics you feel more comfortable with. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-presidential-debate-questions-for-romney-ryan/631407/34 "2012-08-15T16:13:13Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > That’s as much as to say that Romney would/should give the answer that he would cut the deficit/debt by slashing federal spending to the bone – only, that’s not his **platform** – is it? That’s the beauty of these general, roundhouse debate answers. Romney (in my hypo answer) did not say what, where, how much, and who he would cut from the federal government. He did not say he would slash spending to the bone. He didn’t say anything at all, really. Nothing that you can pin down in a negative ad, and the moderator didn’t get a meat and potatoes answer to his $250k question. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-presidential-debate-questions-for-romney-ryan/631407/35 "2012-08-15T16:35:07Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > That was not the question, right?And that was not the question either, right? > > Just because the debate isn’t going the way you would like doesn’t mean you get to just make up topics you feel more comfortable with. Obviously you’ve never seen a presidential debate 😛 The original question implied Ryan never worked three years in business. When I said he did, sinjin implied that was not the right “working in business” so my response is to get a definition of what it means to work in business. ---
**Author:** ![bubba\_jr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@bubba\_jr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bubba_jr)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2012, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-presidential-debate-questions-for-romney-ryan/631407/36 "2012-08-17T02:59:49Z")
Mr Romney… You do realize your head is twice the size of your VP’s head. Why is that? Is it the hair plugs? And did you use the same hair plug guy that Perry did? You both have similarly shaped heads and the exact same hair style, one more gray than the other. Mr Ryan… You do realize that your head is half the size of Romney’s. Why is that? and do you realize that you just look silly when standing next to each other. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2012, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-presidential-debate-questions-for-romney-ryan/631407/37 "2012-08-17T11:05:04Z")
> [@bubba\_jr](#): > > Mr Ryan… You do realize that your head is half the size of Romney’s. Why is that? and do > you realize that you just look silly when standing next to each other. Hey, it works for Mick and Keith. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![sinjin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@sinjin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinjin)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2012, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-presidential-debate-questions-for-romney-ryan/631407/38 "2012-08-17T14:42:55Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Obviously you’ve never seen a presidential debate 😛 > The original question implied Ryan never worked three years in business. When I said he did, sinjin implied that was not the right “working in business” so my response is to get a definition of what it means to work in business. Working FOR a business as a part time waiter or fitness trainer is not the same as working IN business. I’ll give him a year’s worth of business experience for his consulting for the family company. If ever having held any kind of a job at all qualifies one as working IN business than I would dare say that everyone could put that they had decades of experience IN business on their resumes. Heck I worked as a carhop, gas jockey and busgirl for 3 years in high school alone, I’m a business woman!! ---
**Author:** ![sinjin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@sinjin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinjin)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2012, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-presidential-debate-questions-for-romney-ryan/631407/39 "2012-08-17T14:49:25Z")
Oh wait, I forgot the 5 years I worked as a papergirl! I was in the news business too! ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2012, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-presidential-debate-questions-for-romney-ryan/631407/40 "2012-08-17T16:11:05Z")
Congressman Ryan, you sponsored a Personhood bill that not only would ban all abortions, it would make many forms of contraception illegal. This concept was so radical that even Mississipi rejected it. If a policy is so far off the political mainstream to be rejected by Mississipians, what does that say about your political alignment? Governor Romney, in high school you organized a posse to hold down a fellow student and cut his hair because you thought he was gay. You claim not to remember it, yet many who took part in this act of bullying are haunted by it to this day. Do you not remember it because you bullied so many people, or because you simply don’t care about the feelings of others? And as a follow up, do you think a bully has the right temperment to be president? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-presidential-debate-questions-for-romney-ryan/631407.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-presidential-debate-questions-for-romney-ryan/631407.md?page=3)