After Robert George, the Future of Intellectuals and GOP Debates
In light of Princeton professor Robert George helping moderate the GOP debate yesterday, I've been playing around with the idea that we could have several serious conservatives, from academia and the think tank world, grill potential GOP presidential candidates.
My first instinct would be go for the heavy hitters on all policy fronts, people like Charles Krauthammer, Bill Kristol, Victor Davis Hanson, and Michael Barone, and then move to more specialized persons, like Charles Murray, Yuval Levin, Richard Epstein, John Bolton etc. But that is just a rough idea. I'm curious to hear what others think about this, whether the GOP would benefit from hearing from our intellectual heavyweights scrutinize our candidates, or whether this would just be an excessive in futility.
Who do you think would excel in this type of format and produce probing questions for our presidential hopefuls?
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Sep '10
Re: After Robert George, the Future of Intellectuals and GOP Debates
This would prove interesting, but not go far in solving my problem. Romney came out with a 59 page “jobs plan”. I have not read it, and probably won’t. I am not concerned with the idea that Romney can’t produce a jobs plan that is appealing to conservative voters. My concern is would Romney work to enact the plan once elected or throw it in a trash can and be about the business of trying to get the editors of the NYT to say something nice about him Only Bachman and Paul do not produce for me worries of this kind.
Re: After Robert George, the Future of Intellectuals and GOP Debates
The only challenge the idea will get is that of elitism.
I like the idea so long as the first hour is followed by a second hour of questions live from America's lunch counters at local diners.
Eric's no audience idea rocks.
Jul '10
Re: After Robert George, the Future of Intellectuals and GOP Debates
I actually disagree with this on all accounts.
I think the debaters should ask each other questions. It should not only be done in front of an audience, I think it should be done in an actual bar, where the patrons (audience) can interject and ask questions.
ETA: I'm waiting for the famous question that was asked of G.W. Bush to be asked of Mr. Obama: What was your biggest policy mistake in office in your first term?
Edited on September 7, 2011 at 5:49pmJun '10
Re: After Robert George, the Future of Intellectuals and GOP Debates
Josh Lerner:
My first instinct would be go for the heavy hitters on all policy fronts, people like Charles Krauthammer, Bill Kristol, Victor Davis Hanson, and Michael Barone, and then move to more specialized persons, like Charles Murray, Yuval Levin, Richard Epstein, John Bolton etc.
I like the idea, but George Will has got to make the A team.
At what level would we run into Michael Savage on a panel?
Jun '10
Re: After Robert George, the Future of Intellectuals and GOP Debates
One other thought. I've always believed that a sense of humor is essential in a leader (Obama completely lacks one).
So how about a panel that includes Rob Long, Andy Ferguson, P. J. O'Rourke, and whoever does the Parody page at The Weekly Standard?
Apr '11
Re: After Robert George, the Future of Intellectuals and GOP Debates
How about we pick the candidate with the highest SAT + GRE score? Or the one who speaks the most foreign languages? Government, professors and politics - that combination has worked out so well heretofore.
Apr '11
Re: After Robert George, the Future of Intellectuals and GOP Debates
Rick Santelli.