Your dinner with Obama--what would you ask him?

Great Debates
21

[QUOTE=TWDuke]
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.
[/QUOTE]
If you are interested in seeing how this type of interaction would go, here is the video from the first time Obama did this: http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/dinner.

As for my question, perhaps whether if he were president right now he would visit China for the Olympics in light of their actions in Tibet.

22

[QUOTE=BrainGlutton]
“Is it twue that your people are . . . shall we say . . . gifted?”
[/QUOTE]

That’s so damn funny!
<<zip>>
“It’s twue, it’s TWUE!”

23

[QUOTE=Jas09]
If you are interested in seeing how this type of interaction would go, here is the video from the first time Obama did this: http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/dinner.
[/QUOTE]
Ah, I had pictured something that wasn’t going to be videotaped and posted on his Web site. Sometimes my own naivete amazes me. Not that there’s anything wrong with doing it that way, but obviously he’s going to be even less likely to let his guard down with the camera rolling.

24

I would ask him in all honesty…how do you propose to pay for all this stuff you are promising? Do you have any realistic expectations of getting even a small percentage of this stuff through congress as things currently stand?

-XT

25

And if he says “No”, you will disdain the liar, says “Yes”, you disdain the fool.

The truth, of course, is he can’t possibly know, all such promises are commitments to try, no one can pledge to succeed. None of us know how big a trouble we’re in, a lot of it depends on information we do not have, and developments we cannot predict. We’ve had years of the mushroom treatment, Heaven only knows how many ugly facts are hidden in sealed files. Sanitized for our protection.

I would likely ask how much he plans to tip, after he picks up the check.

26

It would be something like “How do you believe you can use American power in an ethical way?” related to some quotations from ‘The Audacity of Hope,’ which I would have to re-read. My biggest questions regarding Obama are on that issue. He talks about a new kind of foreign policy, but I remember reading a few statements in that book regarding “America’s interests” and thinking that he was talking about using U.S. economic and military power in the same old way. So I’d press for details on that front. How wouls hid policies be different from those of Bush or any other recent President?

I might also press him about his support for the death penalty. Other than that I would want to know more about him on a personal level.

27

[QUOTE=elucidator]
And if he says “No”, you will disdain the liar, says “Yes”, you disdain the fool.
[/QUOTE]

I assume this was directed at my meager post. Assuming that to be so I will answer:

If he says no (to the question about getting this stuff through Congress) then I would ask why he would make such promises if he doesn’t believe he can get them through (though it’s silly…he IS a politician after all). If he says yes then I would ask him to elucidate further on the how’s, give the current situation in Iraq and with the economy. It would be interesting to see if he would be open and honest in his discussion or attempt to fob me off with platitudes…as I would expect a politician to do. I HOPE he would give an educated and cogent response…though I may have higher expectations than I should.

[QUOTE=elucidator]
The truth, of course, is he can’t possibly know, all such promises are commitments to try, no one can pledge to succeed. None of us know how big a trouble we’re in, a lot of it depends on information we do not have, and developments we cannot predict. We’ve had years of the mushroom treatment, Heaven only knows how many ugly facts are hidden in sealed files. Sanitized for our protection.
[/QUOTE]

If he really has no idea what kind of trouble we are in, and if he really has no idea how he plans to push through his programs…well, in that case he really shouldn’t be president. I think we all have a pretty decent idea of what kind of shape we are in as a nation…I don’t know what deep dark secrets YOU expect there to be, but I have my doubts any of them would bear on what I’m after with my questions. Bush et al may have some military or war related secrets…but I’m guessing most of them would have more, um, personal bearing on the folks involved. To which I don’t really give a rip atm…I have no personal ax to grind against Bush et al for supposed crimes, etc etc…I care about how we will move forward.

-XT

28

You don’t really buy into that Christianity thing, do you?

29

[QUOTE=xtisme]
I would ask him in all honesty…how do you propose to pay for all this stuff you are promising?
[/QUOTE]
Since you probably won’t get the chance to ask him, you might be interested in this. The Wall Street Journal’s Economics editor says that it’s “plausible” that Obama could fund his ideas. He doesn’t give it a giant gold star or anything but nor does he scoff.

Video

30

On seeing this thread, I honestly thought about contributing just a dollar to Obama for a chance at being present at such a potentially momentous occasion. But then I thought of how many people need the dollar more, and concluded that I’d rather hand it to some random stranger on the street because the chances would be better they could put it to good use. Of course, the stranger would like be for the death penalty just like Obama is, but hey…

31

[QUOTE=xtisme]
…I think we all have a pretty decent idea of what kind of shape we are in as a nation…
[/QUOTE]

Really?

So, how much has this war cost us? How much have we borrowed to pay for this clusterfuck, since, as I’m sure you know, so very little of it is accounted for? What effect will that deficit spending have on our capacity to fund our programs? How forthcoming and candid do you think this Admin has been as to these questions?

Now, I probably don’t have your expertise on these subjects. But just speaking as a simple country boy, seems to me that launching an excruciatingly expensive war while simultaneously cutting taxes is a lot like liquifying your securities, making a big ol’ pile of cash and setting fire to it. And if that is what has happened, I further think the Bushiviks would rather nail their collective peckers to a tree than tell us.

So, no, I don’t think we have a “pretty decent idea”. At least, I sure don’t, and if you do, I’m all ears.

32

[QUOTE=BrainGlutton]
“Is it twue that your people are . . . shall we say . . . gifted?”
[/QUOTE]

If he answers “yes,” I’d respond: “Cite?”

33

What do you really think of Hillary?

34

I’d like to know more about him personally just as I would with anyone else. The point is for us to tell him what our expectations are. Mine are, extractation from Iraq, letting states decide how to best educate their children and begininng the process of lessening corporate governance of our country.

35

[QUOTE=Mosier]
Did you just make all that up right now?
[/QUOTE]

No.

36

I’d ask whether he has a fatal condition. Why does he want to orphan his daughters?

37

[QUOTE=foolsguinea]
I’d ask whether he has a fatal condition. Why does he want to orphan his daughters?
[/QUOTE]

???

38

[QUOTE=elucidator]
So, how much has this war cost us?
[/QUOTE]

The figure really isn’t all that sooper sekrit…and I expect Obama has a better handle on just what that figure is and how much slop is in it (being a Senator and all…as well as a Presidential candidate with access to some fairly smart folks on his staff). Roughly I’d say we are in the $600 Billion ball park (about what Vietnam cost us, IIRC, when adjusted for inflation)…for both our Afghan and Iraq adventures. IIRC, we are spending something like $10 billion a month at this point with no end in sight.

Given that (and, again, that Obama would have better figures than I can bring up via memory or you could Google if you were so inclined), I would again ask him…how does he propose to pay for all the things he is promising? Seems like a reasonable question to me…YMMV.

[QUOTE=elucidator]
But just speaking as a simple country boy, seems to me that launching an excruciatingly expensive war while simultaneously cutting taxes is a lot like liquifying your securities, making a big ol’ pile of cash and setting fire to it.
[/QUOTE]

To be sure. This hispanic city boy agrees with you…it is and was pretty stupid. That has no bearing on my questions though.

[QUOTE=elucidator]
And if that is what has happened, I further think the Bushiviks would rather nail their collective peckers to a tree than tell us.
[/QUOTE]

Oh, I’m sure they would LIKE to not tell us. Fortunately in the real world Bush et al don’t control all the variables. For instance, Congress controls the purse strings…and at least has a tenuous grasp of what monies are spent where and for how much. Something like our various foreign adventures are fairly well documented as far as cost goes. Mind, where the money went AFTER we spent it may be a bit more of a stretch…but I figure Obama has a pretty good grasp of how MUCH was spent, even if he and his fellow Senators and Congress Critters don’t perhaps know exactly where the money went after it left their hands.

[QUOTE=elucidator]
So, no, I don’t think we have a “pretty decent idea”.
[/QUOTE]

YMMV. To me it’s actually worse if you are right and Obama has no idea how he will fund his various programs because he has no idea of exactly what shape America’s finances are in. Perhaps you think it’s a good idea that he’s (in your world view) making promises he has no idea how or even if he’ll keep…to me, that’s a Bad Thing™.

As I said though, YMMV.

-XT

39

[QUOTE=Krokodil]
I wonder how you plan to deliver on some of your promises. Is it your understanding that American presidents rule by decree?
[/QUOTE]

And what rock have you been living under the past 8 years?

I would like to ask how he plans on pulling us out of the current economic tailspin. He really hasn’t addressed any economic plan in depth.

40

I would ask the same thing I would ask Hillary, either:

“Accepting as granted that privatized healthcare is generally more efficient, but also accepting as granted that too many million Americans are unable to afford private health insurance, how would you implement a health plan that would cover all Americans yet not sacrifice quality of care?”

or

"What is your longterm plan for the mortgage crisis, something that would 1- enable at least a large number of homeowners to not be foreclosed on/ 2- still be fair to the lenders/ 3- not wreck housing values/ 4- not be unfair to homeowners who have honored their mortgages (i.e. why pay your ARM increase or honor the terms of your mortgage when your neighbor didn’t and the government helped him out?) and 5- perhaps most attainable for the government- insure that it does not happen again? (Personally I think that any money the government gives to help people keep their homes needs to be repaid with interest down the road by the homeower.)

or

“Who’s your dream cabinet and to what extent is it bipartisan?”

or

“Would you like another cushion? (If so you can have Hillary’s.)”

or

“Have you considered solving this like royalty or Romans where you divorce your wife, marry Chelsea, and give Hillary a territory somewhere to govern as client queen [I’m thinking Guam] but no real power and then go to war against McCain?”