Captain Ed proposes a solution to the cowardice of the GOP regarding the CNN/Youtube debate:
The flaw in pursuing the debate as it CNN structured it for the Democrats is that CNN chose the questions. Even Joe Biden complained about that selection during the debate, calling the final question — a demand for each candidate to say one thing good and one thing bad about the candidate to their left — a “ridiculous exercise” as he answered it. A review of the transcript shows that the actual questions held little substance and gave little information to voters about the candidates or their positions.
So what’s the solution? How can we engage voters in a national forum through the New Media, while keeping the debate substantive and serious? I have a simple solution: have CNN cede the editorial/selection process to the New Media, in the form of the blogosphere.
This is such a great idea, I have even come up with some questions bloggers could ask.
Hugh Hewitt- Mr. Romney, how much worse than Osama bin Laden are the Democrats? A lot, a whole lot, or oodles?
Red State- Mr. Giuliani, if Obama is elected, will he declare defeat in Iraq and withdraw our troops before surrendering to Iran, or will he surrender to Iran first?
Michelle Malkin- Mr. Romney, if Hillary is elected President, how long do you think it will be before she institutes a policy of forced abortions and mandates the Quran be taught in schools?
Dan Riehl- Mr. Thompson, have you always had such strong shoulders and a chiseled jaw? And if elected, will you find out what happened to Natalie Holloway?
K-Lo- Mr. Romney, are you busy this weekend? As a follow up, you are aware Michelle is not the only one with a cheerleader outfit, aren’t you?
Dean Barnett- Mr. Paul, how long have you been a racist? Have you stopped attending anti-Semitic rallies? Why do you challenge George Bush, who is clearly the greatest thinker of our generation?
John Hindraker- Mr. Thompson, in the past I said the following about President Bush:
“It must be very strange to be President Bush. A man of extraordinary vision and brilliance approaching to genius, he can’t get anyone to notice. He is like a great painter or musician who is ahead of his time, and who unveils one masterpiece after another to a reception that, when not bored, is hostile.”
Demonstrate to me that you possess the same level of brilliance- please spell CAT.
I think this idea will work out well. Feel free to add your own questions so we can get this thing rolling.
Tim P.
This question is for everyone: As you know, Mr. Romney has proposed “doubling” Guantanamo Bay. Would you be satisfied by that, or would it strike more fear in the hearts of the terrists to simply annex all of Cuba for the job?
DonkeyKong
Mr Romney,Is the difference between Stalin and Clinton the fact that Stalin did’nt love fags?
RSA
Actually, Captain Ed wasn’t suggesting that rightbloggers submit the questions, but rather that a committee of them do the selection from submissions from the public, as CNN did. Now if you’re saying that they’d just happen to pick their own entries. . .
But even if not, it’s a funny solution. It’s like a bunch of guys watching a game in a sports bar, saying, “Jesus, that was a bad move, taking out the starting quarterback right now. I bet we could do a better job ourselves. We know a lot about sports.”
b-psycho
For Guliani: how soon after taking office would you have Mr Paul sent to the gulag?
AkaDad
If Hillary were elected President, in what year of her administration would she commit treason?
caustics
Translation: How can we keep that hardcore %26 in line without coming across as criminally insane fruit bats?
These tools can’t safely appear anywhere in public without the equivalent of a Rush Limbaugh phone screener vetting the potential attendees.
A confrontation with the great unwashed YouTube, bereft of “substantive and serious” top-down message control would likely be a bloodbath.
I don’t blame them for wussing out.
Sirkowski
From Ann Althouse:
KC
Man, I can’t ask a question because I’m still f’ckn laughing.
Snidely Whiplash
Matt Drudge: Mr. Romney, are you busy this weekend? As a follow up, you are aware Michelle is not the only one with a cheerleader outfit, aren’t you?
norbizness
I thought Thompson had the chubby jowls, and Romney the chiseled jaw.
Brian
Glenn Reynolds: Not that I support torture, but don’t you think we don’t do enough of it?
Brian
John Hinderaker: Since we condemned the Democrat Party for not debating on Fox, and you required screening of the questions before you would agree to debate, is there any real difference?
(crickets)
Um. Follow up. Did any of you ever get a $400 haircut?
b-psycho
If Fred Thompson shows up:
Mr Thompson, are your wife’s breasts real? As a follow up, can I touch them to confirm your answer?
AkaDad
I’m a completely independent, undecided voter, and my question is, can you explain why Democrats hate America?
Wilfred
Mr. John Jesus Assrocket:
Just as Sir Isaac Newton stood on the shoulders of giants to toss seashells like a little boy into the sea of infinity and gravity, President George Bush has stepped on the testicles of the American electorate in order to make split pea soup of common sense and decency. What would you do?
matt
I haven’t wondered about it until reading this post, but John, what do you think about Ron Paul? I’m really interested in getting your take of the guy.
AkaDad
From Pam at Atlas Shrugs:
After fours years of an Obama presidency, would Israel still exist?
b-psycho
What Matt said. I iz curious as well.
whatsleft
From Ann C:
Senator Thompson, some have made reference to your cologne, but isn’t it true that it is just your own manly essence that is so enticing?
Dave
Mr Brownback: Why does the Democrat party hate the baby Jesus?
myiq2xu
To the entire panel: Who will be your first Supreme Court nominee? Rick Santorum, Alberto Gonzales, or Karl Rove?
myiq2xu
Bill Kristol, to Rudy Giuliani:
George W. Bush – Great President, or Greatest President ever?
AkaDad
From Debbie Schlussel:
Pick a number from 1 to 10, and predict how many terrorist attacks will occur if a Democrat is elected?
The Other Steve
Rick Moron: After seeing the Transformers movie, which like all movies is obviously true to life, do you think we can enlist the aid of the Autobots in our quest to defeat the Islamofascist killer robots?
The Other Steve
Peggy Noonan to Rudy Guiliani: If elected do you think Democrats will suffer from Rudy Derangement Syndrome?
Otto Man
“If I masturbate to Jack Bauer torturing a suspect, does that make me gay?”
Andrew
Sirkowski wins. Because I just spit a tortellini onto my laptop screen.
myiq2xu
To Mitt Romney: Do you plan to get married again and how does your wife feel about it?
To Rudy Giuliani: What do the Islamofascists hate us for now that we no longer have freedom?
AkaDad
From James Dobson:
How proud are you to have God support the Republican party?
TenguPhule
Broder: As a serious person, how will you attend to the serious business of raping Democrats up the ass and calling it a respectable compromise?
b-psycho
I can predict Guliani’s response: “…what if the number I want is above 10? Do I narrow the timeframe to the 1st month in office?”
Tim F.
Completely misunderstands how the GOP regards bloggers. The netroots are a resource to be tapped when they need to get a meme out. They’re tools. Even if the GOP had faith in their bloggers not letting through absolutely ludicrous questions (cough John Hinderaker) the idea of empowering them to put pres. candidates on the spot entirely upends the way that the party regards power. You don’t ask a band saw to help design the house.
ThymeZone
Are you doing enough to win the trust of voters who think the earth is 6000 years old?
DougJ
Jeff Goldstein: Mr. Paul, how would you respond if I slapped you with my cock?
Jackmormon
Of course Biden was the one to complain. He’s the one running the “I don’t give a fuck so I’m going to speak my mind and call it authentic wait why am I running again? campaign. Everyone else made polite with the lunatics, ignoring what Anderson Cooper would let them.
I’m a little nervous that if CNN irons out its many production problems for hte Republican debate, it’ll reflect unearned competence onto those twits.
Seriously, I don’t know what the partisans are complaining about: the media filter will give the Republicans great cover for dismissing impolitic questions as having been chosen—even elicited!—by the dread MSM.
(“Sure they chose that YouTube question! Anything to make true conservatives look like lunatics! [Favored Candidate] handled the issue superbly, especially given the ridiculous, well-known liberal bias of CNN!”)
The web-partisans have already covered the paranoid flank. Are they really so eager to have their candidates seem so controlling and fearful at this stage that the hopefuls can’t even try a new game?
Pb
I’ll just stick with Colbert’s question…
“George W. Bush: great President, or greatest President?”
TenguPhule
Fixed.
Tim, you can’t just keep feeding us straight lines like that.
Psycheout
Very funny, John. But you may have a decent point buried in your snark. Perhaps an objective and non-partisan site like B4B should vet the questions.
I can see it now, the greatest debate of the new century: The CNN/YouTube/B4B Debate. Now that would be awesome!
Psycheout
matt & b-psycho, while you’re waiting for John Cole’s moonbatty answer as to what to think of Ron Paul, may I help you out with B4B’s objective conclusion?
Ron Paul: Nutball, Truther, Finished
I hope that helps.
Nancy Irving
I was 98% sure you made up that Hinderaker quote, but just to make sure I cut and pasted part of it into Google.
Oy vey.
Horatio
Gentlemen– If children born in the US to foreign diplomats stationed here are not US citizens, why are children born to illegal aliens considered citizens? Will you issue an Executive Order declaring that “anchor babies” are not US citizens, and ignore any court ruling to the contrary?
AkaDad
From Rush Limbaugh:
Is America ready for a woman candidate like John Edwards?
Otto Man
“Do you think any of the Democrats can pretend to be as macho as you all pretend to be?”
Otto Man
“Mr. Guiliani, as someone who’s been married three times now, do you think your broad experience in this field makes you exceptionally qualified to defend the institution of marriage?”
“Mr. McCain, Mr. Thompson, same question?”
Wilfred
Redstate: We all believe and understand why a 14 year old girl gang-raped by the Taliban must not be allowed an abortion. Can we count on the child to be a solid Conservative?
Wilfred
Hugh Hewitt:
Mayor Guiliani, unlike most of your fellow candidates you have achieved a major tactical success – your brilliant campaign against the New York squegee men and panhandlers who once threatened that great city with a Caliphate of hassling. How would you apply the lessons learned to the war against terror?
Otto Man
OT, but CNN just had on Ken Pollack, describing him as a “vocal critic” of the war in Iraq, and presenting him as someone who’d had a change of heart and now saw the war as necessary.
This is the same Ken Pollack who authored “The Threatening Storm: The Case for Invading Iraq.”
Damn you, liberal media!! Damn you straight to hell!!!!
Chad N. Freude
To all of the candidates:
What breed of lapdog would you appoint as Attorney General?
Andrew
I hope this works…
bird
To Mr. Romney via Hewitt-
Ooh! Have you been working out?
Zifnab
To Mr. Tancredo:
Would the fence you errect around the US Border have wild attack dogs bordering the US side or the Mexican side? Which side would the bees patrol? Would you put the bees in the dogs mouths so that when they barked, they shot bees at people?
Follow-up, how would this fence help you lower taxes?
Andrew
Pffft. Trick question.
How wouldn’t a fence help lower taxes?
I think you’re with Anderson Cooper.
Punchy
Pun intended.
Punchy
You so stole this from the Simpsons.
MrWonderful
Peggy Noonan: Senator McCain, we live in a slough of despond. We grit our teeth and stamp our feet. We stamp our teeth and grit our feet.
(sings)
They bore him barefaced on the bier
Hey non nonny nonny, hey nonny:
And in his grave rained many a tear
O, when will He return? He is dead! Dead! Isn’t all this someone else’s fault? Like Bill Clinton? And his member?
(swoons, faints)
Tony J
To all of the Presidents-Elect –
“Will U be my Daddy?”
Innocent Bystander
Newt Gingrich (via Tom DeLay’s blog):
Which one of you Pygmies stole my Zulu shield?
Jake
Shit. This is too funny for a Monday.
Bubblegum Tate
I totally agree–that would be utterly fucking awesome.
Duros62
Glenn Beck:
Governor Romney, Mormons believe in polygamy. Muslims believe in polygamy. What assurances can you give us that, if you are elected, you won’t work for al Qaeda?
Zifnab
D’oh. Busted. I saw the movie last night and it was everything a Simpson’s fan could ask for.
Dreggas
This question is for all candidates:
Will your administration rescue the snowflake babies currently held in the freezers of clinics everywhere and raise them up as the new clone, errr christian army to fight the islamofascist people over there so we don’t have to fight them over here?
b-psycho
Far as I’m concerned, Ron Paul is the only sane GOPer left. Only reason I wouldn’t vote for him is I’m more of an anarchist in the long run anyway.
mds
Jeff Goldstein: Mr. Paul, how would you respond if I slapped you with my cock?
“I’d pinch it off between my thumb and pinky finger. Then I would punch you repeatedly in the face until you sobbingly agreed to stop polluting the libertarian label with your fascist Constitution-shredding dogshit. And then I’m paying a visit to the Reynolds residence, just to continue the theme.”
Andrew
Ron Paul actually seems a bit like an anarchist’s dream candidate.
tofubo
question to all, two-parter:
how would you help stop this country from becoming a fundamentalist theocracy aiding and abetting a kleptocratic war profiteering police state that continues to remove civil liberties from americans on the premise of fighting a never ending war on a transitive adverb ??
and
would you demand congress issue an authoritarian use of military force (aumf) to illegally invade and occupy other countries that have not attacked us ??
Horatio
I want Fox News to run their “debate” and have life-sized cardboard cutouts of the candidates who refuse to appear. Britt Hume and Chris Wallace would ask these “candidates” questions, then wait for “answers” while the theme music from “Jeopardy” plays.
skippy
damn! dougj did my jeff goldstein joke before i did!
from jeff gannon: this is for anyone. how can we keep christian values in our schools when the godless communist liberals run the mainstream media, and does anybody have mark foley’s new phone number? he still owes me for a bahama weekend last fall.
Shalimar
Jeff Goldstein: “Mr Thompson, could you please tell us how huge your dick really is, and also comment on how you might use it to slap around foreign leaders if they get out of line?”
There are just so many ways to tell that Goldstein joke, you just have to rephrase it a little.
Brachiator
To Mitt Romney: When you get married again, will the First, Second, Third and Fourth Ladies sit in on cabinet meetings?
Davin
Pam Atlas: “When millions of islamo-mexican-fascists tunnel under Tuscon to steal our jobs and our white spouses, who will you throw in New Guantanamo first: Al Franken or Cindy Sheehan?
centerfielddj
To all:
Do you agree with President Eisenhower’s warnings in his farewell address about the dangers of the military-industrial complex?
What is your response to the statement “If we can find money to kill people, we can find money to help people”? How does this relate to the current discussion of our health care system?
Tlaloc
I’ll only watch if wonkette gets to write the questions.
Slaughter
RSA said: It’s like a bunch of guys watching a game in a sports bar, saying, “Jesus, that was a bad move, taking out the starting quarterback right now. I bet we could do a better job ourselves.”
That was tried back in the ’70s in a minor-league football game. People watching could vote on plays like people in a TV studio. Trouble is, most were doing it in bars. After a few brews, all they wanted to do was throw the bomb. It got so bad that the coach made a televised appeal asking them to stop.
Buxxee
To all:
I have noticed that, unlike the Democrats, there are no sluts pursuing the Republican nomination. Why are all Democrat women sluts?
BC
Hello. My name is Jeff Gannon. I’m with Talon News: Senate Democrats have painted a very bleak picture of the US economy….How are you going to work—you said you’re going to reach out to these people—how are you going to work with people who seem to have divorced themselves from reality?”……….
……..need a top?
Smithers
What is your response to the statement “If we can find money to kill people, we can find money to help people”? How does this relate to the current discussion of our health care system?
Michael Savage:
and as a follow up, can we find more money to help kill more people?
bartkid
I’m late to the game, but here’s my soft pitch over the plate:
“Gentlemen, what policies will you initiate based on your watching of 24?
J. A. Baker
That sounds more like a Chris Matthews question than a Coultergeist question.
DonkeyKong
Peggy Noonan: Who here will hold me in the palm of their majestic hands against the harsh breaking winds of insolence and the rancid smell of Nancy Pelosi?
Barry rutherford
All Candidates
With the healthcare system in America right now I think there are 46 million without health insurance. What do you intend to do about this precarious situation ?
Dale
If you put John Cole and Juan Cole in a dark room with Bowie knives who would emerge? And what does this say about our Immigration policies?