I was thinking lately: if I could ask each presidential candidate one question (and maybe slip them some kind of drug so I would be assured of an honest answer) what would they be? In my case each question would play to a strength of the opponent. Here they are:
-To Obama: "What is the most difficult situation you have ever been in? How did you get through it?" ( I realize this is 2 questions) Basically what I'd like to know is how would he deal with a crisis. He seems like a pretty calm guy, but most of what I've seen of him has been pre-packaged to say the least. So I'd like to know his thought process, how he's reacted to tough circumstances, etc. I'm wondering whether he's faced down adversity. Obviously, I wouldn't have to ask McCain this question. So...
-To McCain: "What is your vision for the role of the federal government over the next decade? And how is it different from that of President Bush?" (also 2 questions). This question is heavily dependent on the aforementioned drugging. I'm not even sure what kind of answer I'm looking for here, but I'm not talking about details like tax rates, etc. It's a question about his general philosophy; what would change fundamentally? This is an area he has been lacking in and it will probably doom his chances tomorrow. Again this question plays to Obama's strength which is his clear vision. This vision is of a Federal Government that is stronger and more active in every area of life. It is a vision is borne out in every policy position or proposal on his website. It is also a vision that scares the Hell out of me, since more power has never meant less corruption or greater accountability, and this is a vision that is diametrically opposed to my own. That being said, any vision beats no vision every time, especially in uncertain times like those we currently face.
Anyways those would be my questions, and as I've pointed out to people this is the one election where I will feel more pity for the winner than the loser.
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2 comments:
Here is the deal though. McCain may have done well 40 years ago in a crisis, but he has shown himself utterly unable to deal with pressure the last 9 years. Whether it was the thing with the debate and the financial crisis, his unwillingness to maintain a position on torture or immigration reform, his blowup with the "agents of intolerance" that cost him the last election, his ability to pick a running mate, or his innability to look his opponent in the eye in a debate, his has not shown the character to deal with a crisis since he was young.
And that does not include how he has caved on catering to lobbyists and the Keating 5 stuff that we always forget.
He was a brave soldier a generation ago, but now he is a cowardly old man willing to say and do anything to be president.
And now this cowardly commenter will duck out of the way before Nick and Bob jump in.
BTW....
you should try and jump in predicting the election on Non-Prophets blog. Well to left of me I might mention. But if you win you will have free advertising on his blog for a month. It is kind of like a football pool for the elections tomorrow.
I am predicting Obama by 2.5 and about 290-300 electoral votes.
My wife is predicting a win for Obama in the electoral college but a loss for him with popular vote.
As an Obama supporter now, I am nervous about him not campaigning in Pennsylvania more.
That may be true about McCain, but I'd still like to something to make me less nervous about Obama's abilities in a crisis. The choice of Biden here actually helps out a lot in my mind as I could actually vote for Biden. I think the Keating 5 thing was bad judgment rather than cowardice. The immigration thing nearly wrecked his candidacy, and you and I both thought the Iraq "surge" was crazy if you recall. Not exactly opportunistic positions if you ask me. But I guess ultimately, as Biden warned, we will find out soon enough if Obama is up to the challenge.
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