What are the real qualities of a good leader?

[Cyrus]

Once the debates start, what questions would you like to see asked, but know probably won't ever get asked?

Mine:

-What's your educational background and what intellectual achievement's do you have?

-How many languages do you speak?

-How many countries have you been to outside of the united states?

-How many world leaders do you keep in regular contact with?

 

[WarPhalange]

Something about the prison system.

Something about science. Like, their stance on it, not a pop quiz.

Maybe something about the justice system? Juries get paid $10 a day to miss an entire day's work at best, and a LONG time at worst? Prosecutors and defenders fight each other instead of working together to find the truth?

I don't know, those are just things I've been having in the back of my mind for a while.

Yours are pretty good, Cyrus. I'm surprised those aren't standard questions. Well, not really. Nobody likes to be shown to be an idiot and the media knows they won't get anymore interview if they are the ones to out someone as an idiot.

 

[Cyrus]

-How many kids do you personally have over sea's in a warzone?

-How many wars have you fought in?

 

[Astronuc]

It's 3 AM . . .

 

[Cyrus]

It's 3 AM . . .

Huh?

 

[Astronuc]

Huh?

Geez, Cyrus, where've you been. That was a reference to a comment made by Clinton during the Democratic primary with respect to Obama's qualification. Clinton was making a point about the White House phone ringing at 3 am in conjunction with some international incident and asserting she had the experience to deal with it as opposed to her novice opponent.

 

[BobG]

Of the 120+ civil wars in the world since World War II, how many have been resolved peacefully though a shared government and what lessons from those would you apply to Iraq and Afghanistan?

I think that would have been a good question in the primaries, too, except I'm afraid at least a couple candidates would have answered "Korea", or something equally ignorant.

 

[ramsey2879]

What do you think went wrong with the war on drugs?

How do we recapture the inner cities

 

[humanino]

What will you do for the Gaza strip ?
What will you do for Darfur ?
What will you do for North-Korea ?
What will you do for Tibet ?
...
How will you ensure USA international authority ?

In the context of "opposing good and evil", would you agree with the idea that the separation between church and state needs to be worked on in this democracy/republic, that it must be clearly stated Islam by itself is as respectable as Catholicism, and that all kinds of extremism are more worrisome, including ours ?

 

[isly ilwott]

• Are you willing to decrease the size of the federal government by doing away with some government positions?
  
• Are you willing to send your own children into combat zones?
  
• Are you willing keep government intervention out of businesses that operate more efficiently than the government?
  
• Are you planning to increase government handouts to those who can work but will not?
  
• Are you planning to stifle business expansion by overtaxing those who create jobs?
  
• Are you planning to castrate the military by cutting off funds or otherwise impeding their mission?
  
• Are you planning to vigorously pursue, capture or kill known terrorists?
  
• Are you planning to be fair and unbiased, open and accessible to the public or do you plan to carry on the traditions of American politics?
  
• Are you planning to compensate those state and local governments that have been economically lambasted by the influx of illegal aliens and the free services granted to them?
  
• Are you planning to assure taxation of illegal aliens?
  
• Are you planning to stop the flow of untaxed money from the USA "back home"?
  
• Are you planning to take away my right to own a gun?
  
• Would you sit down and have a drink with me at my favorite watering hole?
  

 

[wildman]

• Are you willing to decrease the size of the federal government by doing away with some government positions?
  
• Are you willing to send your own children into combat zones?
  
• Are you willing keep government intervention out of businesses that operate more efficiently than the government?
  
• Are you planning to increase government handouts to those who can work but will not?
  
• Are you planning to stifle business expansion by overtaxing those who create jobs?
  
• Are you planning to castrate the military by cutting off funds or otherwise impeding their mission?
  
• Are you planning to vigorously pursue, capture or kill known terrorists?
  
• Are you planning to be fair and unbiased, open and accessible to the public or do you plan to carry on the traditions of American politics?
  
• Are you planning to compensate those state and local governments that have been economically lambasted by the influx of illegal aliens and the free services granted to them?
  
• Are you planning to assure taxation of illegal aliens?
  
• Are you planning to stop the flow of untaxed money from the USA "back home"?
  
• Are you planning to take away my right to own a gun?
  
• Would you sit down and have a drink with me at my favorite watering hole?
  

Ah, come on Issy, you don't want pols to have to answer real questions do you?

Actually, it is a good set of question. Maybe a bit too leading. A more neutral presentation would would be better so you wouldn't give away your political bent. If I was a pol I would know how to answer you since you gave away how you feel by the structure of the questions.

 

[isly ilwott]

Ah, come on Issy, you don't want pols to have to answer real questions do you?

Actually, it is a good set of question. Maybe a bit too leading. A more neutral presentation would would be better so you wouldn't give away your political bent. If I was a pol I would know how to answer you since you gave away how you feel by the structure of the questions.

Any slick politician can weazle their way out of a yes/no question.

 

[daveb]

For both McCain and Obama:

Is a lassez-faire attitude toward the free market and the economy consistent with the idea of bailouts in order to shore up the economy, and if so, why is it consistent?

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

Q: What are the three biggest reasons that Obama such a bad choice for President?

 

[Cyrus]

Q: What are the three biggest reasons that Obama such a bad choice for President?

Ummmmmm...okay...

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

I'd really like to ask questions that would illicit honest/unscripted/non-creampuff responses... unfortunately I can't think of any.

 

[las3rjock]

Q: What are the three biggest reasons that Obama such a bad choice for President?

1. He's too intelligent.
2. He's too educated.
3. He makes decisions based on evidence and careful thought instead of acting on impulse.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

What violations of Constitutional law have or may have occurred under the Bush administration, and what actions will you take to restore a lawful government and protect the Constitution?

Do you intend to investigate the Bush White House and prosecute where criminal activity is indicated?

Is water-boarding torture, and is it illegal?

What role has deregulation played in the current banking crisis, and what has been your role in supporting or opposing the deregulation of this industry?

Approximately how many current or former Washington lobbyists do you have on the payroll?

Ginger or Mary Ann

 

[Alfi]

Good questions.

uhhhhMary Ann.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Mary Ann.

Correct!

 

[russ_watters]

Q: What are the three biggest reasons that Obama such a bad choice for President?

1. He's too intelligent.
2. He's too educated.
3. He makes decisions based on evidence and careful thought instead of acting on impulse.

Ironic - just today I was considering starting a similar thread as a maturity/objectivity check (you both failed). The question would go something like this:

List 3 positive things about the candidate you like the least.
List 3 negative things about the candidate you like the most.

I think such exercises are very useful for gauging how reasonable a discussion is. There are lots of examples of good, bad, and rediculously bad questions in this thread (and forum!).