The press, the pundits and the merely prurient have had twenty months to examine every detail of every aspect of Barack Obama’s life. They’ve had many, many opportunities to ask him questions, read his books, and learn how he thinks.
We’ve all known about Sarah Palin for only a couple of weeks, and during that time she’s been kept under wraps by the McCain campaign. Some people tried to learn as much about her as possible in a short time. Some things, both favorable and unfavorable, have already come to light but we need to know more, so I’m starting to compile a list of questions for Charles Gibson to ask her on behalf of the voters of America when he interviews her later this week.
I hope that the McCain-Palin Campaign won’t censor Charles Gibson’s questioning too much, and will allow him to ask follow-up questions. It is important for American voters to know her answers, but it’s also important for us to know what the "rules of engagement" are when she is being interviewed.
Here are my questions in no particular order. Feel free to add your own as you think of them.
- When she said that President Bush’s Iraq War was part of God’s plan, had she studied the Crusades, and had she given any consideration to the effect on American foreign policy of her remarks?
- Does she agree that Saladin was as much of a hero as is John McCain?
- Which particular books did she discuss taking off the shelves with the Wasilla librarian? Had she herself ever read those books? If not, what prompted her to make her request? What was it about those particular books that she disliked? If she hadn’t personally read those books, who put her up to discussing them, and why did she agree to do so?
- Would she describe herself as a Christian? If so, has she ever read the Sermon on the Mount? How does she understand Jesus’ statement that "the meek shall inherit the earth"?
- How would she build creationism into the classroom for American students? Would she ask teachers to use the first account of creation in Genesis, the second account, or what?
- Has her recent announcement of the pregnancy of her own seventeen year old daughter caused her to reflect in any way on her support for Abstinence Only programs? On her opposition to government support for teenage mothers?
- In spite of the fact that the geographically remote state of Alaska’s nearest neighbors are Russia and Canada, it is reported that she didn’t apply for a U.S. Passport until the summer of 2007. Is that correct? Has she never had any curiosity about "abroad"? Has she ever wondered what the lives of Russians and Canadians were like? Has she ever thought about her Alaskan oil going to power the vehicles of people in Japan and China, and wondered how they might live?
- Has she ever heard of Michael Palin? What does she know of his work? Did she meet him when he visited Alaska? If not, why not (they might be related)?
- Did Meg Whitman personally help her put the executive jet on EBay, or did she figure out how to do it for herself? Why didn’t she tell the truth that the jet wasn’t, in fact, sold on EBay?
- How long has she had internet access at home?
- Do her children have internet access at home?
- Since both she and her husband have careers, when did they discuss who would take care of their newest child? Who is, in fact, taking care of all of their children while they follow their careers?
- Does she think that the fact that Alaska has no income tax and no sales taxes adequately prepared her to discuss the details of taxation issues in Washington?
- Does she think that Alaska’s per capita share of US government handouts is appropriate or would she expect to see it decline under a McCain Administration?
- Does she think that her failure to return to Washington the money ear-marked for the Bridge-to-Nowhere and not spent on that project was in the best interests of the American taxpayer? Why?
- How many people has she fired during her years of executive experience? Give examples.
- Has she ever promoted any employee for reasons other than their superior ability to do the job? Give examples.
- Since she attended college did she have aspirations for each of her children to follow in her footsteps, and had she discussed those plans with her children?
- What is her favorite TV show?
- What is her favorite color?
- What is her favorite flavor of ice-cream?
- Does she work out on a regular basis? Doing what?
- Has she ever killed an animal that she or someone else didn’t eat?
- Has she personally ever met a payroll? If so, for how long and for how many people?
- Does she or anyone in her family own an assault rifle?
- Does she support the principle of equal pay for equal work? If not, why not?
- Does she support the principle of universal health care? If not, she needs to provide full details to the American people of her reasons, and explain what she thinks should happen to those who are uninsured and become sick.
- What action does she plan to take as Vice-President to reduce the United State’s exceptional record on infant mortality? Does she support the principle that all children should automatically be covered by health insurance? If not, how does she square that decision with her pro-life views?
- Does she support health care coverage for all mothers-to-be and new mothers and their babies? How will that be provided? Please provide specific details.
- Has she ever known any gay people? Did she think they were decent human beings? If so, why? If not, why not? In what ways is she compassionate towards her fellow human beings?
- Has she ever known any illegal immigrants? Did she think they were decent human beings? If so, why? If not, why not? Does she have any ideas as to why they came to the U.S. illegally? In what ways is she compassionate towards them?
- Does she think gay people are entitled to the same basic human rights as all other Americans?
- Where will John McCain find people who are able to serve throughout the ranks of his small-government Administration who are not tainted with George W. Bush’s big-government policies?
- Does she believe in the Rapture? If not, why not? If so, does she think that she and her family will be the part of the elite carried off to Mount Sinai?
- Does she agree with the U.S. Constitution’s separation of church and state? To what extent should religious beliefs that are not shared by everyone be used to impose standards of behavior on others? How does she know which religious beliefs are not shared by everyone?
- Does she support the democratically-elected government of Iraq? If the Iraqi government calls upon the U.S. to remove its troops will she work towards persuading a future President McCain to comply with the wishes of the Iraqi people?
- Does she agree with John McCain that U.S. troops might be in Iraq for 100 years?
- Does she support a litmus test, based on the likelihood of overturning Roe vs. Wade, for nominees to the Supreme Court?
- Jesus was a community organizer. Pontius Pilate was a Governor. Please comment.
- What changes does she foresee in the United States under a McCain Administration, other than those which tend towards social conservatism?
- Why did she flip-flop on the Bridge to Nowhere issue?
- Why did she hire a lobbyist to represent the tiny town of Wasilla in Washington?