# Your dinner with Obama--what would you ask him? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 25, 2008, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-dinner-with-obama-what-would-you-ask-him/442714 "2008-03-25T20:40:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2008, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-dinner-with-obama-what-would-you-ask-him/442714/1 "2008-03-25T20:40:02Z")
So, if you contribute to Obama’s campaign between now and next Monday, you may be one of four lucky people who will [sit down and have a private dinner with him.](https://donate.barackobama.com/page/contribute/dinner1?source=invite_DWB2) If you were given this opportunity, what would you ask him? ---
**Author:** ![42fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/b487fb/32.png) [@42fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/42fish)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2008, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-dinner-with-obama-what-would-you-ask-him/442714/2 "2008-03-25T20:56:54Z")
[QUOTE=ArchiveGuy] So, if you contribute to Obama’s campaign between now and next Monday, you may be one of four lucky people who will [sit down and have a private dinner with him.](https://donate.barackobama.com/page/contribute/dinner1?source=invite_DWB2) If you were given this opportunity, what would you ask him? [/QUOTE] You gonna finish that? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2008, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-dinner-with-obama-what-would-you-ask-him/442714/3 "2008-03-25T20:57:13Z")
If the ICC asks for Bush and Cheney, will you give them up? Please? ETA: Never mind. What **42fish** said. ---
**Author:** ![monica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@monica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monica)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2008, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-dinner-with-obama-what-would-you-ask-him/442714/4 "2008-03-25T20:59:56Z")
“So, I’m graduating next Spring, and I’m going to need a job- after you’re elected president, will you please hire me?” ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2008, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-dinner-with-obama-what-would-you-ask-him/442714/5 "2008-03-25T21:00:34Z")
I’m excited that you’re planning to get us out of Iraq. Unfortunately, a lot of damage has already been done to our military, our reputation, and the countries in the region. At this point, what do you think the future of the region, and of our military involvement in it, is likely to be for the next decade? Also, I’m terribly concerned that we’ll get sucked into a war between Iran and Israel. Is your commitment to supporting Israel unconditional, as is George Bush’s? Even if Israel strikes Iran preemptively, are you prepared to support Israel militarily in an ongoing conflict with Iran? ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2008, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-dinner-with-obama-what-would-you-ask-him/442714/6 "2008-03-25T21:03:14Z")
If you are going to build one giant public works project, please make it a high speed rail from New York to San Francisco so that we can revitalize the midwest and reduce pressure on the big cities by expanding the commuter radius. If not that, institute a massive project to build giant solar arrays in the Southwest. Or another tack You’ve done a fabulous job of interfacing with your constituency via your campaign’s website and digital infrastructure. Do you have some plans to institute that on a broader scale if you are elected? If so, do you have ideas as to how? I have some ideas on it, ways of networking community organizations across the nation. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2008, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-dinner-with-obama-what-would-you-ask-him/442714/7 "2008-03-25T21:03:16Z")
I’d have lots of questions. 😉 Obama isn’t getting any of my money, though, so it’s a moot point. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2008, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-dinner-with-obama-what-would-you-ask-him/442714/8 "2008-03-25T21:05:08Z")
[QUOTE=mswas] If you are going to build one giant public works project, please make it a high speed rail from New York to San Francisco so that we can revitalize the midwest and reduce pressure on the big cities by expanding the commuter radius. [/QUOTE] Dumb idea. Better to make cities regional rail hubs, especially serving downtown areas and airports. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2008, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-dinner-with-obama-what-would-you-ask-him/442714/9 "2008-03-25T21:06:54Z")
[QUOTE=Mr. Moto] Dumb idea. Better to make cities regional rail hubs, especially serving downtown areas and airports. [/QUOTE] No need for it to be mutually exclusive. I’d love to be able to get to Chicago in 6 hours on the train from New York. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2008, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-dinner-with-obama-what-would-you-ask-him/442714/10 "2008-03-25T21:31:03Z")
[QUOTE=mswas] If you are going to build one giant public works project, please make it a high speed rail from New York to San Francisco so that we can revitalize the midwest and reduce pressure on the big cities by expanding the commuter radius. [/QUOTE] Why the hate for LA? Wait, scratch that. But if you’re going to build a transcontinental railway, why not connect the two biggest cities instead of No. 1 and No. 14? Just because they have better restaurants? I can’t really think of anything I’m dying to ask Obama because I’m sure he would try to give a carefully considered, politically expedient answer that couldn’t be used against him later - not that that’s a bad thing, it’s what anybody in his position would do. I would, however, be very interested in seeing how he interacts with a small group of people in an intimate\* setting. It might reveal something different about him than would come across in a big rally. - Intimacy being a relative term, considering the likely presence of secret service agents, a campaign photographer and who knows who else. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2008, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-dinner-with-obama-what-would-you-ask-him/442714/11 "2008-03-25T21:40:44Z")
I donated for the umteenth time to see if I could get in on that dinner. If I do I have one question: If you could accomplish 30% of what you propose in the first 4 years of your presidency, what 30% of what you have proposed would you most like to accomplish? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2008, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-dinner-with-obama-what-would-you-ask-him/442714/12 "2008-03-25T21:42:30Z")
“Is it twue that your people are . . . shall we say . . . gifted?” ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2008, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-dinner-with-obama-what-would-you-ask-him/442714/13 "2008-03-25T21:59:59Z")
[QUOTE=monica] “So, I’m graduating next Spring, and I’m going to need a job- after you’re elected president, will you please hire me?” [/QUOTE] Actually, you’re more likely to get an internship in a Clinton administration, with that name. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2008, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-dinner-with-obama-what-would-you-ask-him/442714/14 "2008-03-25T22:05:50Z")
[QUOTE=TWDuke] Why the hate for LA? Wait, scratch that. But if you’re going to build a transcontinental railway, why not connect the two biggest cities instead of No. 1 and No. 14? Just because they have better restaurants? [/QUOTE] Because it’s relatively a straight shot geographically and connects the numbers 3, 40, 42, 74, 91, and 111 as well, while creating opportunities for those cities to act as hubs to connect them to many others of the top 250 cities in the rust belt. If we were going to do one from LA, it’d make more sense to do like LA to Jacksonville or something. A series of high speed rail powered by solar and wind criss crossing the nation would be awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2008, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-dinner-with-obama-what-would-you-ask-him/442714/15 "2008-03-25T22:10:18Z")
I wonder how you plan to deliver on some of your promises. Is it your understanding that American presidents rule by decree? ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2008, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-dinner-with-obama-what-would-you-ask-him/442714/16 "2008-03-25T22:26:11Z")
**mswas** , your rail idea is intriguing. Would you be interested in starting a new thread to discuss it so we don’t have to derail (pun intended) this one? ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2008, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-dinner-with-obama-what-would-you-ask-him/442714/17 "2008-03-25T22:29:45Z")
[QUOTE=Mosier] Actually, you’re more likely to get an internship in a Clinton administration, with that name. [/QUOTE] Oh, I seriously seriously seriously seriously doubt that. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![9thFloor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/9/b487fb/32.png) [@9thFloor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/9thFloor)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2008, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-dinner-with-obama-what-would-you-ask-him/442714/18 "2008-03-25T22:33:45Z")
Is it true that you met with HRC when you got to the Senate, had a minor mentor/protege thing going on and had an implicit understanding with HRC not to run this time and then ran anyway? ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2008, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-dinner-with-obama-what-would-you-ask-him/442714/19 "2008-03-25T22:46:04Z")
[QUOTE=9thFloor] Is it true that you met with HRC when you got to the Senate, had a minor mentor/protege thing going on and had an implicit understanding with HRC not to run this time and then ran anyway? [/QUOTE] Did you just make all that up right now? ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2008, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-dinner-with-obama-what-would-you-ask-him/442714/20 "2008-03-25T22:53:37Z")
[QUOTE=Cisco] **mswas** , your rail idea is intriguing. Would you be interested in starting a new thread to discuss it so we don’t have to derail (pun intended) this one? [/QUOTE] [Done](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=461189) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-dinner-with-obama-what-would-you-ask-him/442714.md?page=2)