RUTH KING :HIGHLY DEBATABLE: THE QUESTIONS THAT SHOULD BE ASKED OF ALL CANDIDATES FOR NATIONAL OFFICE
http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/publications/id.10937/pub_detail.asp
Recent candidate debates have been partisan, led by sound-bite rather than important policy issues. Irrespective of party, the following questions are essential for all candidates to address. |
A debate should be a formal discussion in which arguments are put forward and each participant presents his reasons for or against a proposition or policy. It can be the basis for judging and evaluating candidates.
However, the recent televised debates among the candidates seeking the Republican nomination for the Presidential elections of 2012 fell short in arguments, substance and style.
A one minute response to a serious question is impossible, but in any case many questions were ridiculous. For example, candidates were asked what they would bring to the White House if elected. I would have pledged the max to the person who answered “my cocker spaniel.” Furthermore, instead of encouraging the candidates to present cogent arguments moderators fostered a circular firing squad by pitting candidates against each other.
Beside carping at the media, Newt Gingrich did bring a refreshing gravity to the fray. However, almost all his answers on tax policy, energy, social security, foreign aid and immigration were originally promoted by Texas Governor Rick Perry who, alas, was unable to articulate them in debates.
There are many questions that impact America’s national security that should be asked of all candidates for the Presidency––or Congress––regardless of political party. Here are a few:
Immigration:
Here are two questions: Please spare us the perfunctory response that the first priority is securing our borders.
1. How do you propose to deal with the millions of undocumented aliens already within our borders? Do you support a national identity card? Do you support any of the following? Temporary worker’s visas. Amnesty. Deportation.
2. How would you deal with immigration from radical Moslem countries in view of the number of terrorist acts committed by naturalized citizens from those countries?
Afghanistan:
The war in Afghanistan is now in its tenth year. American involvement in World War II on two major fronts started in December of 1941 and ended with unconditional surrender by the Germans in May of 1945 and by the Japanese in September of that same year. As of October of this year, American forces are still fighting and the Taliban is resurgent. Two questions.
1. Please tell us what we have achieved and as commander in chief what would you do now? Would you call “nation building” a failure?
2. Would you overturn the Petraeus’ Counter-Insurgency strategy known as COIN and the rules of engagement that demand utmost sensitivity to the religion and mores of local nationals while increasing the risk to our own troops?
The War On Terror:
Who is the enemy? What is your understanding of the ideology of Jihad that supports and implements terror on every continent?
Energy Independence:
Do you consider energy independence to be a national security issue? Please explain why and what you as president would do about it? Do you favor domestic exploration and nuclear energy?
Military Spending And Foreign Aid:
There have been many calls to reduce our military spending and foreign aid. Two Questions:
1.What and how much can we cut from our military budget which has grown by more than $1 trillion since 2001.
2.There is great pressure to reduce and even eliminate most of our foreign aid programs. Would you countenance adding military aid to certain dependable allies such as Taiwan and Israel as part of our defense budget?
Education:
Most of you agree that the Department of Education is a bloated behemoth that should be cut or dismantled. Here is a question on education that pertains to national security.
In 1966 the Foreign Agents Registration Act, known as FARA was passed to discourage contributions by foreign nationals to our elections on the grounds that they constituted an internal security problem.
Today, an alarming amount of money from oil-rich Arab nations is funding Middle East Studies Centers in American universities and colleges throughout the nation. These centers all promote decidedly anti-Western, anti-Israel, and anti-Christian curricula.
If meddling in elections is proscribed, isn’t education as important? What would you do to prevent this manipulation of our academic institutions?
America’s Allies:
1.Who are America’s best allies in Eastern Europe?
2.Who are America’s best allies in Asia? (psst…..Israel is in Asia)
2.Who are America’s best allies in Asia? (psst…..Israel is in Asia)
And Speaking Of Asia:
1. Would you contemplate a more muscular response to Pakistan?
2. How would you deal with China?
3.Do you consider that past policies of attempted rapprochement with North Korea have failed? Do you think that divided Korea is a legacy of the unfinished Korean War? Please explain.
The Role Of President:
Please name a past President whose world view is most compatible with yours among the following: Ronald Reagan excluded.
1. Franklin Delano Roosevelt
2. Theodore Roosevelt
3. Harry Truman
4. Dwight Eisenhower
5. A George Bush of your choice
6. Calvin Coolidge
(Again, the max to the candidate who would say Calvin Coolidge.)
Russia:
Do you think our so called “reset” is a failure? How would you deal with an increasingly belligerent Russia?
The Middle East:
In terms of priority please rank the following as the most vexing problem.
1. The threat of a nuclear Iran.
2. The rising tide of radical Islam and Shariah Law.
3. The march of Jihad in Northern Africa.
4. The Hamas/Hezbollah axis.
5. The Israel/Arab conflict.
Israel:
Please spare us the perfunctory pledge of unstinting support for Israel and answer the following:
Do you believe that it is in the interest of the United States or the security of Israel or in the interest of world peace to encourage the creation of an Arab sovereignty in the 2000 square miles of land known as the “West Bank” between pre-1967 Israel and the Jordan River?
State Department:
Please describe the attributes you would seek in choosing a Secretary of State.
Would your model candidate be most like Hillary Clinton or Condoleeza Rice or John Bolton?
These are questions that all candidates should answer.
On a personal note I would pledge the max to the candidate who would denounce the two state solution. However, since the government of Israel flunks on that answer how can we expect any candidate to “out-Zionist” the elected Prime Minister of Israel?
Would any candidate dare? It’s highly debatable.
FamilySecurityMatters.org Contributing Editor Ruth S. King is a freelance writer who writes a monthly column in OUTPOST, the publication of Americans for a Safe Israel.
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