Watching the Republican debate recently hosted by CNN and the Tea Party was an exercise in frustration. First there is the obvious frustration that comes from watching people spout ill-informed, politically manufactured positions fed to them by big oil, big pharma, and of course the sponsors of the night’s event the Koch brothers. But equally as frustrating, is watching Wolf Blitzer failure to follow up on the most obvious points. Of course, CNN and Wolf were more interested in fanning the fires of conflict between Rick Perry and everyone else on the stage. And while this may have made the experience more intriguing for the less informed tea party members of the audience, it left important policy positions completely out of the debate. For those who were as frustrated as I was, by CNN’s lack of follow up I offer the following help for future debates.
Issue: American needs to be energy independent.
Position: We need to open up every national park, including the Everglades where there is no indication of oil to drilling and reduce regulations that stand in the way of oil companies. Drill baby drill!
Missed Follow Up: Let’s say that we give the oil companies the green light to drill for oil anywhere in America. That we reduce the restrictions and regulations on drilling and give oil companies free reign. As president, would you be willing to sign into law legislation that makes American oil a strategic national resource that can only be sold in America? And require that any oil not processed for use in America be purchased by American’s strategic reserve? In other words would you ensure that if becoming free from imported oil is, as you claim, paramount to our national security interest would you take the necessary steps to ensure that American oil stays in America?
Issue: Obamacare is too expensive and unconstitutional.
Position: We don’t need the federal government in our healthcare. On day one of my Administration I will abolish Obamacare. (To be fair Michelle Bachman has pointed out numerous times this isn’t possible.)
Missed Follow Up: Representative Bachman, Senator Paul, and Senator Santorum, you either have or are currently enjoining the benefits of federally supported healthcare. If you are so opposed to a federally supported healthcare system, why do you continue to participate in the healthcare system provided to you by the taxpayers? As a candidate for President campaigning against federally supported healthcare, isn’t it hypocritical for you to campaign against something that you yourself continue to participate in?
Issue: Immigration
Position: We need to build a fence on the border. We need to put National Guard troops and thousands more border control officers on the border. We need the FEDERAL government to step in and do it’s job.
Missed Follow Up: You are campaigning on a small government platform. All of you, with the exception of John Huntsman, have signed pledges not to increase taxes and to cut government spending. Yet, on the issue of border control, you insist that it is the federal government's and not the state government's job to patrol the borders. The borders to the north are just as permeable and far more vast than those to the south and yet northern border governors are not crying out for more border control guards or fences. Why, if everything else is supposed to be the responsibility of the states, should the good people of Wyoming or Vermont pay for the border control issues of Texas or Arizona? Also, illegal immigration is typically viewed as an economic threat, not a national security threat so using the defending the borders argument here doesn't seem to apply. If it isn't a national security issue then how does controlling the borders become a federal mandate?
Issue: Taxes
Position: If we lower taxes and put more money back in the pockets of the people who create jobs, we will put people back to work.
Missed Follow Up: Taxes were lower under Bush and have been lower under Obama than they were under the four Presidents before them. And yet job creation slowed to a trickle under President (here Wolf, you need to show a chart to these ding dongs so they can see it for themselves). If lower taxes equates to job creation, then where were the jobs under President Bush and where are the jobs under President Obama? And if these jobs haven’t appeared then why should we continue with a failed economic policy that has been tried but failed rather than returning to an economic policy that began under Regan and continued under Clinton which produced both jobs and fairness, while strengthening the middle class?
I know there are more. I would love to read yours in the comments. I know that the major media outlets peruse Daily Kos. Here is hoping they will pick up on our suggestions and actually ask useful and thoughtful questions at the next debate. Even if only one or two makes it into the space between the questions designed to pit Bachman and Romney and Paul and everyone else against Perry, it will be worth it.