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Cogito Ergo Non Serviam
Questions That Should be Asked at the Trump-Clinton Debate
Hofstra University will host a debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton on Monday. It is the first of three such encounters, in addition to one between the vice-presidential nominees. The campaigns are working the referee (moderator) and the jury (the viewers) already trying to lower expectations and otherwise set the stage to convince voters that hot is cold, light is dark and dumb is smart. What no one seems to be doing is putting pressure on the media to ask hard questions like these:
Proposed questions for Donald Trump:
- You have said our political system is rigged with donors giving money in exchange for favors. Specifically what favors did you get from Senator Hillary Clinton when you donated to her campaign in New York or was that a waste of money and a poor business decision?
- How does letting your children run the Trump Organization meet the legal requirements of a blind trust?
- If your business interests ever clashed with your duties as president, would you resign your office?
- Would you officially recognize the Russian annexation of Crimea? Why or why not?
- How much money should the federal government spend to fix the water system in Flint, Michigan?
- Under what conditions would you use nuclear weapons?
- You have said you want to replace Obamacare. Please detail your plan's delivery mechanisms, costs, funding and how it would differ from Obamacare.
Proposed questions for Hillary Clinton
- Please define the role Bill Clinton will have in your administration.
- Your infrastructure spending program of $250 billion is far short of the $2 trillion civil engineers say we need to spend. Why so unambitious?
- What favors did you do for Donald Trump in exchange for his donations or did he waste that money?
- Under what conditions would you use nuclear weapons?
- You have opposed free college educations, but support free public K-12 education. What's so different about last year of high school and the first year of college that the former is taxpayer funded and the latter is not?
- No one has gone to jail for the crimes that brought about the 2007-08 financial collapse. Is that reasonable? If so, why? If not, who specifically should have faced what charges?
- In ten words or less, what is your vision of America in the 21st century?
Of course, it is vitally important that the moderator do two things. First, he or she (in the first debate it will be Lester Holt) correct any and every factual error he can catch. One ought not to be allowed to answer a question with a fabrication, error or misstatement. This is not a poker game where bluffing is acceptable. It is a job interview for the most important job on the planet.
Second, he or she must force an answer. That is done by saying, "That does not answer the question. You may try again." That should be followed by "You still haven't answered the question. Third time lucky?" Then, "America, the candidate was given three opportunities to answer the question and failed to do so." Or alternatively, "I am going to halt the proceedings here and suspend the rules. I will wait all night if I must. Please, answer the question. America needs to know your reply."
One doesn't expect hard questioning, thoughtful answers nor even very much genuine debate. Fortunately, the dog-and-pony show won't affect the election much either.
© Copyright 2016 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Ubuntu Linux.
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