Good Questions Are the Key to Good Debates
I liked Josh Lerner’s idea of having more conservative intellectual heavy hitters ask the questions at future GOP debates. As I wrote this week on Politico, too often the questioners at these event take a "gotcha" approach to questions, trying to catch some apparent contradiction in a candidates’ rhetoric or policy stances. These questions are for the most part unhelpful, and skilled debaters can easily parry them. A better approach would be to, as I suggest in the piece, “ask questions that get to the heart of what it means to be a conservative in 2011 and how that might shape the decisions a candidate might make as president.”
With this in mind, my five recommended questions were as follows:
1. What books have shaped your world view?
2. Which presidential portraits would you put up in the White House, and how would their examples guide your presidency?
3. What is the role of the Constitution in modern America?
4. How has Sept. 11 changed our country, and how would you try to change our current balance between liberty and security?
5. Is health care a right?
These are just some of my ideas. I would love to hear what kinds of questions Ricochet readers would recommend.
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Comments:
Re: Good Questions Are the Key to Good Debates
Great questions, Tevi. I'd like to hear how the candidates approach the topic of taxation. If I were to craft a question, it would be along these lines:
Re: Good Questions Are the Key to Good Debates
1. What specific reforms are you willing to make to entitlements to prevent insolvency?
2. Who would be on your short list for the Supreme Court, and what characteristics do you want in a Justice?
3. What does it mean to call yourself conservative? Besides obvious choices like Ronald Reagan, who would you say has influenced your conservatism?
Sep '10
Re: Good Questions Are the Key to Good Debates
These are all good questions, however they won't be asked. NBC/Msnbc and Politico the blog version of the Washington Post is asking the questions. They will try to demean and belittle the candidates, they will ask questions heavily skewed towards their own need to portray Republicans as backward rubes and "out of touch" as well as to provide support for the Obama administration positions.
Gay marriage, as though this is a most pressing issue ,along with abortion, questions about evolution and science, climate change, and anything else that a President can do little or nothing about regardless of his/her personal beliefs but reinforce the left-wing's chosen narrative.
My respect for the candidates, and especially the RNC is lowered by their agreement to allow NBC the pretense of calling this a debate and not an inquisition.
Re: Good Questions Are the Key to Good Debates
If, as Franco suggests, the NBC/MSNBC & Politico types play gotcha, the candidates should take the questioners apart.
If I were there, I would tailor questions for particular candidates.
I would ask Ron Paul whether he will support the Republican nominee and whether he regrets having endorsed some of the independents he has apparently endorsed in the past (see the comments to the post on Ron Paul's advertisement attacking Perry).
I would ask Perry about what liberal jim calls his "favor factory" in Texas.
I would ask Michele Bachman to specify what she would do to reform Social Security and Medicare (she has been evasive in the past).
And I would ask Mitt Romney what difference there is between Romneycare and Obamacare -- apart from the fact that the latter applies to the country as a whole. I would follow up by asking him how he can justify imposing an individual mandate at the state level.
Re: Good Questions Are the Key to Good Debates
Thanks to Diane and Josh for some good general questions, and to Josh for the idea that inspired my post. Franco is right about the standard approach journalist questioners take, which is one of the points that I make in my Politico piece. No one should be surprised that Paul Rahe has come up with some excellent questions, but my point is that I would like to see how candidates answer philosophical questions when they are all asked the same question.
Sep '10
Re: Good Questions Are the Key to Good Debates
Sorry to be so cynical but what makes you think NBC wants a "good" debate?
They don't.
This is nothing more than an opportunity to promote their news division and embarrass and demean Republicans as much as possible.
I would like to see that too. I'd also like to see Brian Williams wear a little beanie with a propeller and act as if he isn't.
Dec '10
Re: Good Questions Are the Key to Good Debates
I find Tevi's list to be just fine, on it's own, if it could actually be completed with each candidate. Any candidate that could adequately address all five would be exemplary, in my book.
I am more political than the average person around me and have a difficult time just answering the first question.
I had to think a few minutes, ask myself some questions.
Here's what I came up with, given time to think:
"The Source", Michener
"The Hobbit," Tolkien
"Dr. Zhivago," Pasternak
The Collected Correspondence Between Adams and Jefferson, after their retirement.
Benjamin Franklin's autobiography.
Thie questions Tevi offers defy glib responses and require the candidate to stop and consider. Question #1 would give me enough information to then go and delve into their influences and make some decisions, for myself.
Jul '10
Re: Good Questions Are the Key to Good Debates
How about "Can you answer every question asked tonight without invoking Reagan or Lincoln?"
May '10
Re: Good Questions Are the Key to Good Debates
Great questions! Answers would be highly revelatory without being wonky. I'm much more interested in who a person is--what influences him, whom he admires, how he sees the world etc.--than in specific policy positions, which can and should change with circumstances.
Oct '10
Re: Good Questions Are the Key to Good Debates
Question: U.S military personnel are currently deployed in more than 150 countries around the world (out of 193 member states of the United Nations). Do you believe this is too broad or too narrow a commitment of U.S. forces outside their borders, and what would be your policy as President in deploying the U.S. military?
Nov '10
Re: Good Questions Are the Key to Good Debates
And the answer to that should be:
Absolutely not. I am proud enough to call myself a good man, but humble enough to know I am not a great man. When I need inspiration and guidance on how to do the job of President, I will look to and invoke those who have proven records of executive excellence. You have pointed out two of the best and not only will I invoke them, but I will look to their tenures for guidance.
Sorry, that one just begged a response. Cheers.