Really? You can’t supply one unfairly specific question for each candidate? But if I understand you, you seem to suggest that there ARE questions that would be too unfairly specific. If that’s so, are you saying that you can’t supply examples or just that’s too much trouble for you to phrase them just now? Or am I misrepresenting your position?
I mean, I could rattle some unfairly specific questions, but I think you’d agree that these are not questions that are likely to be asked. For Palin: “Which recipient of Foriegn Aid has used the money the way you think foriegn aid money should be used?” Me, I’d have to throw my hands up in the air, and go “Fuck, I don’t know anything about this subject. Sorry,” and I suspect that 's the best answer Palin could give too. That would be a bit of a Gotcha question for Palin (though I think Biden might be able to cough up a country or two, and how they’ve dealt with foriegn aid, I don’t know.)
Is there an equivalent of a Gotcha question for Biden? Should Ifill be barred from asking him, “Senator, you dropped out of the Presidential race in 1988 after plagiarizing a British politician in a campaign speech–could you tell us why we should or shouldn’t hold that against you twenty years later?”? Why or why not?
Seriously (and not just for Oakminster) what would be too unfair to spring on Palin, and what would be the equivalent for Biden? I’m thinking the McCain camp is spinning in advance the unfairness of questioons Palin will be asked, and I’d really like to know in advance what you think those unfair questions could be.
The author of the piece, Andrew Halcro (a former Republican member of the Alaska State House, and later an independent opponent of Palin for Governor), basically says that Palin never had deep knowledge of issues or grasp of facts and figures, but always managed to perservere through folksy, populist appeal and generic, filler answers. It’s a worrisome article in some respects because Halcro believes that other morons respond to her and recognize her as their queen (a phenomenon we’ve already seen), but I also don’t think she’s really had her bullshit answers scrutinized before the way it’s happening now.
So far this seems like the only legit question in this thread for this national debate (not that the other ones aren’t pretty darn funny!). I agree that the religion question is interesting, but I think that this debate will center almost exclusively on two issues (just as the Pres debate did): The economy and national security.
My guess is that they will spend considerable time dissecting those issues at great length, which may bring up a reference to Russia. However, I would guess it would be phrased more in “policy” terms rather than a gotcha question. For example, a reference to the current mess in Georgia and Russia’s actions would reference the whole Couric thing without being overt – in fact, it might give Palin an out if she can answer a specific question on the current state of affairs rather than just regurgitating GOP talking points. (Frankly I think she’s much better at the former than the latter.)
Same with the economy. Talking specifically about what people are worrying about – the bailout/rescue, what her position is, where she believes things are heading, what the govt’s role should be, what it means for the future, etc. – and, as eleanorigby said, how a McCain/Palin administration lwill ead in this time of crisis.
Frankly, I don’t think Ifill will try to play “gotcha”. It’s not really her style, and she (like Lehrer) were chosen for a reason: to moderate a fair debate, get the candidates talking and guide things rather than lead them.
Name one issue where you agree with the Bush Administration. Name one where you disagree.
Is the presidency too powerful, not powerful enough, or just right? (Or any other Goldilocks question.)
Should the American people expect to make sacrifices during your administration? Why or why not?
Dick Cheney is widely regarded as a very powerful VP. Do you foresee yourself as a powerful VP?
Name one specific place where the budget should be cut. Name one specific place where the budget should be extended.
Security and liberty often seem to be at odds, especially since 911. Name an instance where you think too much liberty was sacrificed for security. Name an instance where you think too much security was sacrificed for liberty.
If this is going to be little more than a running joke on Governor Palin, I’ll have to decide whether it ought to be moved to the BBQ Pit, MPSIMS, or The Game Room. While I think the OP was posted in good faith, I don’t see this getting a lot of traction in the “debate” realm at this point.
Actually, I thought my serious questions were good ones–I just am not familiar with the debate format, and they’d be better as interview questions. If they have to be questions that can be posed to both candidates, how about:
What influences can you point to that have shaped your political world view today?
tomndebb is correct and I say this not out of any political motive at all but just out of common sense. How many times can you make the same joke amounting to “Sarah Palin is stupid, ha ha” and have it be funny? It’s getting very tiresome.
Thanks. I do think an “unfair” question is any question that, based on previous news stories, is a landmine for one candidate over another. But I also think that lots of people misidentify “gotcha” questions based on their own biases.
It’s much harder to think of gotchas against Biden because there is so much water under that bridge. Questions about credit card lobbying would be one potential biased question.
One thing, though, if a moderator set up the debate so that each candidate had to answer one candidate-specific question, I think that would be okay. So, if Palin had to defend “Bridge to Nowhere” and Biden had to defend credit card lobbyists, for example.
Or maybe she just understands debate strategy better than he did. Rattling of stats and figures doesn’t always win people over to your side. Trust me, as an engineer, I know. Palin may very well have known all the relevant facts and figures but chose a different debate strategy. Evidently, it paid off.
But Biden will probably have the same problem. He’ll get carried away and start rattling details that nobody really cares about, and people will tune out of his reply.
As far as fair and unfair. If you can ask the same question to Biden, then its a fair question. If its specific to Palin, it isn’t.
I think it would be fine if they both had to answer specific answers about pork-barrel or lobbyist spending. You can certainly tell that Biden hasn’t gotten rich in all his years in the Senate. Palin, otoh, along with her First Dude, is well on her way to racking up a comfy little nest egg, Stevens style.